Thanks for the info - I will look into that.
@MaineLonghorn, did the invoice specify what you were being charged for? I’m just curious if it looked legitimate or if it was clearly fraudulent.
It looked legitimate at first glance, because I’m used to getting similar vague invoices from our software supplier. But when I looked at it further, it was obviously fake. Seeing the correct names on the invoice was what made me pay attention to it at all.
I’ve heard of the fake invoices as well. My DH has mentioned that his employer has gotten them too.
My employer, a tiny co., got a few fake invoices back in 2012! The worst part? They were for small amounts and paid with checks, and some of those checks were washed and forged for much higher amounts (like a $25 check was turned into a couple grand).
Just received a call from Tiffany & Co sales rep at CA. She informed me using very proper American English that someone on the second line is trying to place an order under my name with my credit card. Did I make any purchases from Tiffany? No? Am I sure? And would I please read my credit card number for verification purpose? I think I was too distressed to tell her what I really thought. All I could say it was a really stupid fraud and she should be ashamed of herself. Arghh!
Boy, the Tiffany scam is pretty low
Ooh, I hope I get the Tiffany call; that would be fun to play with. I got the Windows call AGAIN this evening. He hung up on me before I could get creative. He sounded very nervous and stumbled over his script. As soon as I said “No”, that he was not calling about My Windows computer, he hung up. I didn’t even get a chance to say that we are a total Apple family. I have also gotten the IRS call this week and Rachel from cardholder services. The only one that I haven’t gotten is the frantic call from the grandchild. I wonder how they know that I don’t have grandchildren; I am certainly old enough.
I just don’t answer the phone any longer unless it is a number I recognize. Between the scam artists, political promoters and pollsters living in a swing state, I just can’t deal with it any more.
^^Ditto. If it is urgent, they will leave a message or call my hubby.
I did get a few voice mails from the IRS… Deleted pronto, so they would not garbage up the cloudspace.
Awwwww . . . I wanna get the one from Tiffany. I’d like to tell them that Yes, I did order something, but weeks ago, and if it doesn’t arrive soon I’m going to report them to the authorities.
Got a new one today! They left a message. The caller did not say much, just made sounds like he was having trouble breathing, so I assume that was to make a sympathetic recipient of the vm to call back. The only problem… I could hear the other telemarketers’ chatter on the background. So I did not call back. In any case, even if he was having a heart trouble, he was not alone in there! 
Came across this today and thought of this thread. Pretty funny. (Warning: Some language near the end)
I’m always impressed by people who can think on their feet and improvise like that - especially without cracking up!
Another video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMwFhGd8duo
This one is about the Microsoft scam. The scammer called a Microsoft employee! So the employee decided to have some fun. It’s actually a pretty long video (and can get boring). So here are some highlights so you can skip parts.
I’d recommend watching the first 2-3 minutes to get the setup. After that it’s just a lot of techy talk with the guy trying to sound official and helpful (though snide captions are kind of fun). Skip to either 20:04 where he actually starts his sales pitch or 22:03 where the real fun starts when MS employee makes up a credit card number to frustrate the guy. Finally at 30:46 he reveals himself (and the scammers are not happy!).
Make sure to check out some of the stuff on the guy’s desktop. (Not real, set up for the scammers)
(I really gotta stop watching videos…between these and all the late night talk show host recaps I’ve wasted too much time! )
You could have some fun with the Tiffany one. Tag team the scammers. Loudly ask my husband if he ordered something from Tiffany and then he can get on the phone and berate them for spoiling the surprise. Or loudly accuse him of cheating on me, have a short screaming match somehow involving H yelling “put the gun down” and ending with the sound of a gunshot.
“have a short screaming match somehow involving H yelling “put the gun down” and ending with the sound of a gunshot.”
'Murica. 
Yea, I’ve lived here too long. It would be nice to imagine it would traumatize the scammer, but they don’t have hearts or souls so probably not.
I have taken to turning these calls into reverse obscene calls. I ask the scammer about their sexual history etc. Now they hang up on me!
Between candidate calls, pollsters, and scam calls I just don’t answer the phone any longer unless its family calling.