I normally don’t either. Answered a couple lately because I had a couple of medical issues and was expecting calls with appointments and biopsy results etc and didn’t know what numbers would be calling. I was so annoyed to answer a couple of idiot calls on my cell so just hung up without saying anything.
I laughed at the asking the sexual history one, but with my luck I’d have some pervey scammer who’d enjoy it. Plus I’d worry I’d get more callers hoping for the same.
@swincatsmom I’m a guy so I doubt if I will have that problem. LOL
Once I took a call and the caller asked for Mr.OR101. I replied that I was Mr.OR101. He began his talk and then stopped and said, “You do not sound like Mr.OR101” and I replied with great indignation, “How dare you tell me that
I am not MR.101! You do not know if I am a man or woman!” He tried to recover, apologized, but quickly ended the call. H loves this story.
That’s good news!
The first line of the article seems a little off: “Officers say the suspects obtained lists of US tax defaulters and used threats to obtain their bank details.”
I think they were calling a lot more than just tax defaulters. I think they were basically just robocalling.
Exactly. I noticed this oddity, too. I doubt they were able to find a list of delinquent taxpayers. This is probably BBC misquoting in their reporting… But kudos to the Indian police for busting this nest of scammers.
Interestingly, I used to get at least one IRS call a day. Not a peep since Monday.
Just got a text from Mr. He sent me this link and said “Look, my work!” Coincidentally, the other day, when an IRS scammer called him, Mr. asked the scammer to call back and provided an FBI number as a more convenient number to reach him. 
LOL.
That’s awesome, @BunsenBurner. I like Mr. B’s smarts and sense of humor.
Since my parents, my best friend and DH and I all got these phone calls, I know they weren’t lists of those in default. Perhaps that’s how they started, but then they saw how successful it was and just doubled down and robocalled.
Well, now it’s not just phone calls or email…they are scamming in good old fashioned snail mail.
Just got a scam phone call - I should have played along! After I said hello, there was a pause and an electronic click sound and then a young man said “hey? Grandmaw?” in a worried sounding voice.
Uh…nope - no grandchildren in existence yet.
My landline and address is apparently associated with my dearly departed MIL since my spouse was her SS representative payee. We get all those robo calls for free medical devices/aids, and mailings for services and facilities for the elderly.
They are talking about this scam on CBS Nightly News tonight and state it is a growing scam. First I’ve heard of it:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-warns-of-telephone-extortion-scam-virtual-kidnappings/
"The FBI is sending alerts about a rising telephone scam called “virtual kidnappings,” reports CBS News correspondent Mireya Villarreal.
It starts with a frantic call from an unfamiliar voice, telling you someone you know has been kidnapped and is in danger.
The kidnappers use social media to learn more about their victims–where they live, places they commonly visit and connected friends–and claim they’re holding their cell phone, saying if you try to contact your loved one, you’re jeopardizing their life. The only way you’ll get back your loved one is if you pay up."
Scary! Social media is definitely a mixed blessing.
I found this funny. If you have a little time to kill, watch the video at the bottom which contains stuff not found in the text.
http://www.boredpanda.com/funny-scam-email-replies-james-veitch/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=BPFacebook
We had this conversation with my inlaws this past Thanksgiving dinner. That they need to be mindful if they get ‘that’ call. Our kids don’t use conventional Grandma/Grandpa names for them so that could be a first clue. But we discussed that tensions and emotions could run high and they might not pick up on that right away.
@doschicos some people really enjoy the conversations. My BIL got a call from someone offering a deal on a cruise, but he said he couldn’t accept it because leaving the country would violate the terms of his parole.
Got a very official looking email from the credit card company saying there was suspicious activity on my account and to contact them… Weirdly addressed to some other email address.
H said he gets them multiple times a week.
Our IT guy told us that the DHL, FED EX, USPS, UPS scam emails are back in a big way and contain ransomeware. He is getting a great deal of business from folks who click on the very official links about their "orders and then their entire computer network gets encrypted. The only way to be safe from that (other than not falling for it) is if you are backed up in the cloud. Otherwise get ready to pay and pray.
Yesterday I got two calls on my business phone about a claim from State Farm (who is NOT my insurer). They were calling about an auto accident that I had no connection to.
I called my insurance agent. She told me I had to call them back, tell them to remove my number and NOT volunteer any info other than the phone number should not be associated with any accident.
I called State Farm and they said my number was from a 1997 claim in their system and nothing recent. I asked them to remove it. I got a call back from them again and returned it and repeated my request that my number be removed. As instructed by my agent, I refused to give my name or any info, just again requested that my number be removed as no one at that number was involved in any auto accidents.