Read on Twitter
this has happened to me twice now, so I'm sharing:
a short thread re: new phone scammer technique
a short thread re: new phone scammer technique
back in 2019, I got scammed out of most of my savings, by scammers pretending to be the police. they spoofed my local precinct number & kept me on the phone for 7 hours straight to make sure I never interrupted the scam. I'm blessed that didn't ruin me financially.
I have NOT been scammed since, but I've gotten a few scam call attempts that poked me in sore spots. this is for the people who are as gullible as I am, I guess.
I get at least 3 phone calls a day from numbers sharing my area code that I don't recognize. I don't pick up & they don't leave vms, so I assume they're scams/selling attempts.
twice now I've gotten phone calls from numbers that DON'T share my area code that I therefore pick up
twice now I've gotten phone calls from numbers that DON'T share my area code that I therefore pick up
(due to COVID, I receive work-related calls on my personal phone, so I have to make sure it's not a client)
but the 'person' on the other end is a robot that, like a voice-automated call line, will engage you in 'conversation' based on how you respond.
but the 'person' on the other end is a robot that, like a voice-automated call line, will engage you in 'conversation' based on how you respond.
the first call came from a robot claiming to be from a debt resolution department for college loans.
the second call's robot claimed to be from Visa/Mastercard credit services.
again: maybe I'm just gullible, but the robot was fairly credible. but the pauses were too long--
the second call's robot claimed to be from Visa/Mastercard credit services.
again: maybe I'm just gullible, but the robot was fairly credible. but the pauses were too long--
--& the audio quality changed too much from silence to speaking.
but the robot DOES react to what you say. second call ended like this:
it: I'm with visa/mastercard [blah blah blah]
me: You're a robot.
it: thank you for your time. goodbye!
/call cut
but the robot DOES react to what you say. second call ended like this:
it: I'm with visa/mastercard [blah blah blah]
me: You're a robot.
it: thank you for your time. goodbye!
/call cut
I presume that if I had responded with panic about my credit cards, the friendly 'customer service representative' would have turned me over to a real person who would have proceeded to scam me.
--
unlike the police, credit & loan services WILL chase you with phone calls.
--
unlike the police, credit & loan services WILL chase you with phone calls.
the fact that getting calls from debt resolution centers is realistic makes it harder - if you're anxious & stressed out about bills - to distinguish between scammers & the real thing.
my best advice? NEVER make payments over the phone on a call initiated by somebody else.
my best advice? NEVER make payments over the phone on a call initiated by somebody else.
tell them you will make the payment online or call them at their over-the-phone payment center.
debt resolution centers cannot threaten you with police action, liens, or other asset seizures. the worst they can do is harass you endlessly & destroy your credit score.
debt resolution centers cannot threaten you with police action, liens, or other asset seizures. the worst they can do is harass you endlessly & destroy your credit score.
the government agencies that CAN take seizure action will not call you; they will send you letters.
& the final measures before home foreclosure will not be a phone call that starts ambiguously.
honestly, ur best bet is to just not answer calls from unfamiliar numbers-->
& the final measures before home foreclosure will not be a phone call that starts ambiguously.
honestly, ur best bet is to just not answer calls from unfamiliar numbers-->
-->but if you, like me, HAVE to answer those calls sometimes: just remember that anyone LEGIT that you have debt with will let you call them back.
& legally, they can't do anything about it if you decide to hang up and call back.
hang in there. capitalism is evil.
/thread
& legally, they can't do anything about it if you decide to hang up and call back.
hang in there. capitalism is evil.
/thread
great thread from a person who works in a call center: https://twitter.com/LPSunBun/status/1346488378984976386?s=20
