Scam Calls: Do these things actually fool anybody anymore?

[Echo40]

I know that they have to be effective against someone somewhere, otherwise they would disappear, but really... Once a month or so I have to go through my Voice Mail and delete multiple half-recorded scam messages ranging from phony debt collectors demanding that I repay my Student Loans/Car Payment/etc to calls from just about every Federal alphabet agency their is demanding money, because that's totally what they do, they call you on the phone demanding money with threats of imprisonment. Bonus points if it is the oldest computer generated voice in existence that honestly sounds like it was recorded of an old computer, because that totally makes it more believable that you're being called by a legitimate business, let alone a Federal agency.

It seriously leaves me wondering who still falls for these things anyway? They seem to be made by the absolute lowest common denominator of criminals who have no idea what they're doing and apparently can't even be bothered to do the least bit of research to make their scams seem believable. It's just, spam everyone with generic messages and hope that they few that they're actually relevant to are foolish or desperate enough to fall for them.

My favorite ones are for Student Loans. Seriously, they're target folks with a college education, for crying out loud. Not to say that having a college education makes the smartest of people who absolutely cannot be fooled, but really, they at least cared enough to put the work in, so it's doubtful that many of them are gullible enough to immediately accept such scam calls as legitimate.

Lastly, while a computer generated voice may seem better than having someone with a heavily accented voice record the message, the problem is that no legitimate business or organization uses computer generated voices, so the minute you hear one you almost immediately write it off as a scam.

 

[steelslaver]

As far as targeting college educated people with student loans, remember they were sucked into taking out loans they couldn't pay off in the first place. Having an education hardly means you are smart. P. T. Barnum was right

I think it is all about the numbers. If your set up to hit 1000 people per hour 12 hours per day, 7 days a week that is 84,000 per week. If .1% buys in (1 in 1000) for $500 a piece that is 42K a week. 10 people actually working the phones for a $1000 a week leaves the head guys 32K a week.

There are over 200 million people over 18 in the US, If you could squeeze just $20 out of .01% (1 in 10,000) you would have $400,000. It would take over 550,000 calls a day to hit them all in a year. There is plenty of opportunities.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I often times strike up conversations with them and ask if they have to sell something before they get unchained from their desks. Except for the ones that tell me I will get arrested if I don't press 1. Thren I press 1 and tell them what I was doing to their mother when they called. Definitely gets a rise out of them

 

[steelslaver]

I often times strike up conversations with them and ask if they have to sell something before they get unchained from their desks. Except for the ones that tell me I will get arrested if I don't press 1. Thren I press 1 and tell them what I was doing to their mother when they called. Definitely gets a rise out of them

Ya, I often use then for a form of entertainment. Guy called the other day asking if I wanted a loan. Told him ya, I want to borrow a million dollars. He said he could loan me $10,000, I said what can I do with that? It wouldn't even pay my cocaine bill for a week. CLICK

 

[jtcarm]

Who is Spam Risk, and why does he keep calling me?

 

[Targets Guy]

Do what I did. Have your Mother stay with you for about three months. The calls magically stopped. She was wonderful.

 

[ggibson511960]

I answer none of them but am annoyed by the sheet number. Blocking does not seem to do as much good as it used to. The scammers have figured out how to use mirror sites or ever changing nodes to originate these pests. Is our government powerless to stop this? It would seem so. I would like to hold prosecutors and bureaucrats that claim authority over communications media responsible.

 

[GaryS]

Yes. Some people are very, uh, compliant and don't pay close attention.

It's the same with those emails telling you that your Amazon or bank account need verification.

My wife got a call from the "Federal Reserve Bank" a couple of weeks ago telling her that they had a warrant for her arrest and could only pay her fine by buying gift cards and transferring the numbers to them.

She hasn't been arrested as of yet.

 

[timjake]

There are several youtube channels by people who are trying to stop the scammers. (Jim Browning, Scammer Payback, Kitboga)

This one isn't one of those, but does a good job of explaining how people fall for the scams. The detailed explanation starts at 7:00

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g[/ame]

Another variation on the theme:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4mkZU2Y0as[/ame]

 

[Peak53]

As far as targeting college educated people with student loans, remember they were sucked into taking out loans they couldn't pay off in the first place. Having an education hardly means you are smart. P. T. Barnum was right

I think it is all about the numbers. If your set up to hit 1000 people per hour 12 hours per day, 7 days a week that is 84,000 per week. If .1% buys in (1 in 1000) for $500 a piece that is 42K a week. 10 people actually working the phones for a $1000 a week leaves the head guys 32K a week.

There are over 200 million people over 18 in the US, If you could squeeze just $20 out of .01% (1 in 10,000) you would have $400,000. It would take over 550,000 calls a day to hit them all in a year. There is plenty of opportunities.

They pay taxes, right? In which case, go directly to Go

 

[Telecaster]

Why won't the government stop it? Heck, maybe they're the ones doing it!

 

[Stevens]

If I am in the car I'll answer a couple and play along with them, nothing better to do, get a real person on and waste some of his time. I was hoping these would slow down some after the elections last year but so far they keep on comming.
Steve W

 

[dasnake]

Ha ha ha ha........

Why won't the government stop it? Heck, maybe they're the ones doing it!

They are to busy going after law abiding gun owners and making lives miserable other ways.

 

[bigchuck83]

The high frequency of the scam calls led me to finding the setting on my phone that sends any number not on my contacts list directly to voicemail. One out of twenty leave a voicemail and it is usually just a recording trying to sell me something. If someone needs to contact me and isn't in my contacts list they can leave a voicemail and i will call back. Only thing i like about having an iphone.

 

[Ingramite]

The extended warranty for my car folks got my number....all of them.

I'm getting at least one call per day on one of my phones.
The area codes are dummied up to look like they are local calls.
Sometimes my home landline will even give a callers name.
Answer and it's always a recording.

The other day my wife and I were near the landline when a call came in and MY OWN Name popped up on the caller ID. We just stood there and laughed like all get out.....until we realized that it was our son calling, he's a junior.....duh.

 

[crankyoldlady]

Yes, it works. When it stops working, they will stop calling.

 

[jeffrefrig]

They want to buy my house, as is, they'll pay all closing costs, etc., and I'll have my money in less than 30 days. I tell them I'm homeless, living under the 10th St. bridge for now...silence...click.

 

[dasnake]

For me.

They want to buy my house, as is, they'll pay all closing costs, etc., and I'll have my money in less than 30 days. I tell them I'm homeless, living under the 10th St. bridge for now...silence...click.

That's where I got the Corolla idea from.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I finally think that they know my voice............ and hang up !!

I did have on about my old PC having troubles but when I told the guy that I don't have windows 7 any more he paused and finally hung up witout saying another word.

 

[Telecaster]

Deleting all their voicemails and texts is a pain.