Scammer Education

I like that you started this thread. My 88 year old mom gets phishing phone calls all of the time that worry me. The latest have been phony robo calls from "Amazon" claiming that a delivery under your account is being sent to another city.

So far my mom hasn't fell for it. But I have had to tell her four times now that the calls are fake and they are hoping you pickup the phone so they can get your personal information. Her memories so bad that she can't remember my previous advice.
 
I like that you started this thread. My 88 year old mom gets phishing phone calls all of the time that worry me. The latest have been phony robo calls from "Amazon" claiming that a delivery under your account is being sent to another city.

So far my mom hasn't fell for it. But I have had to tell her four times now that the calls are fake and they are hoping you pickup the phone so they can get your personal information. Her memories so bad that she can't remember my previous advice.,
my mom fell for one where they said a family member was injured and needed cash to get home from the east coast. They had some very personal info that she thought only family would know.
 
A friend’s mom, who is suffering a lot of short term memory loss these days, was scammed. She almost sent them $20,000! As a result, my son who works in the computer industry did some things to her laptop so they can’t get in anymore. And if they do, everything is blocked except for the areas that she likes to go to which are not banking ones. LOL
 
my mom fell for one where they said a family member was injured and needed cash to get home from the east coast. They had some very personal info that she thought only family would know.
My mom almost fell for that same scam too. The caller was saying he was her oldest grandson. He said he was in a nearby city. Her grandson lives in Australia.
 
I like that you started this thread. My 88 year old mom gets phishing phone calls all of the time that worry me. The latest have been phony robo calls from "Amazon" claiming that a delivery under your account is being sent to another city.

So far my mom hasn't fell for it. But I have had to tell her four times now that the calls are fake and they are hoping you pickup the phone so they can get your personal information. Her memories so bad that she can't remember my previous advice.
It is absolutely maddening that such things go on and are never stopped and when one adds international it is difficult for laws to keep up or anything to be done I think. They come up with things that people my age have even fallen for and I think we all have come close but when they prey on the elderly, it really makes me mad--they are not stupid, they simply did not live in times such things went on and they SHOULDN'T go on today but they do.

I try to live by the mantra and tell anyone who is tempted or finds something believable that anyone who initiates the call one should never trust, it is not being rude, explain to them if need be, they should understand if they are legit. You make sure you have the correct number and you call them and initiate the call yourself. Never fall for an email that looks legit from one of your own companies, again contact the company yourself. For instance, with a credit card, take the customer service number straight off of your own bill or the card itself. Never, ever give your social security number out.

I don't answer any calls that I do not recognize.

Your mom not remembering though makes it more difficult, I feel for you. Again, it should not even go on but sadly it does.
 
And it is a great idea for a thread @Kimster I don't know that we can ever beat scammers but we can at least advise each other of scams we encounter.

My bro (may he RIP) would fall for the ones that he won a prize but first needed to send some small amount of money and give bank info or some such to get the BIG prize. I told him over and over and over. He never in his life owned or used a computer nor had internet so it was just phone and mail. And then another would come and he would tell me he was sure this one was legit because of this or that and I would say no, I know it sounds good but no... What is sad is that he was not stupid, nor are our parents or even us who have probably fallen for something at some point, but they try it all and some are very, very good at the scam and it is a big operation. Others are outright obvious.
 
It is absolutely maddening that such things go on and are never stopped and when one adds international it is difficult for laws to keep up or anything to be done I think. They come up with things that people my age have even fallen for and I think we all have come close but when they prey on the elderly, it really makes me mad--they are not stupid, they simply did not live in times such things went on and they SHOULDN'T go on today but they do.

I try to live by the mantra and tell anyone who is tempted or finds something believable that anyone who initiates the call one should never trust, it is not being rude, explain to them if need be, they should understand if they are legit. You make sure you have the correct number and you call them and initiate the call yourself. Never fall for an email that looks legit from one of your own companies, again contact the company yourself. For instance, with a credit card, take the customer service number straight off of your own bill or the card itself. Never, ever give your social security number out.

I don't answer any calls that I do not recognize.

Your mom not remembering though makes it more difficult, I feel for you. Again, it should not even go on but sadly it does.
Ive tried to.keep them from answering calls they dont know but they wont listen, thinking it "might be important". :sigh: gh:
 
Ive tried to.keep them from answering calls they dont know but they wont listen, thinking it "might be important". :sigh: gh:
Many people of all generations feel that way. I struggle at times worrying that the ones that employ your own area code and prefix (another newish one to get one to answer the past few years) may be legit and are something I shouldn't ignore but I know my bills and know my family and friend numbers and have no issues that should result in calls that are uber important other than caring that those things are okay. So I ignore other calls. But yah, it is difficult to get our parents to do so. I see the same thing. With aunts and such as well.
 
Many people of all generations feel that way. I struggle at times worrying that the ones that employ your own area code and prefix (another newish one to get one to answer the past few years) may be legit and are something I shouldn't ignore but I know my bills and know my family and friend numbers and have no issues that should result in calls that are uber important other than caring that those things are okay. So I ignore other calls. But yah, it is difficult to get our parents to do so. I see the same thing. With aunts and such as well.
I do answer most calls that come from their area codes, but cautiously since I am their emergency contact person. Other than that, I don't even answer my phone for calls I do know sometimes! I also often lay my phone down and wander away from it. I am not one that needs it to be on or near me at all times. I figure if they know me, they know other means of getting my attention if important and/or they can leave a message.

I don't have any more aunts left and only one uncle out of several of each. :sigh: But I am the baby of the baby so most of my family was on the older side when I was born and most of my many cousins are quite a bit older than me.
 
I do answer most calls that come from their area codes, but cautiously since I am their emergency contact person. Other than that, I don't even answer my phone for calls I do know sometimes! I also often lay my phone down and wander away from it. I am not one that needs it to be on or near me at all times. I figure if they know me, they know other means of getting my attention if important and/or they can leave a message.

I don't have any more aunts left and only one uncle out of several of each. :sigh: But I am the baby of the baby so most of my family was on the older side when I was born and most of my many cousins are quite a bit older than me.
 
I do answer most calls that come from their area codes, but cautiously since I am their emergency contact person. Other than that, I don't even answer my phone for calls I do know sometimes! I also often lay my phone down and wander away from it. I am not one that needs it to be on or near me at all times. I figure if they know me, they know other means of getting my attention if important and/or they can leave a message.

I don't have any more aunts left and only one uncle out of several of each. :sigh: But I am the baby of the baby so most of my family was on the older side when I was born and most of my many cousins are quite a bit older than me.
I keep my phone near most of the time just so I would not miss a family emergency. I myself do not live and die by needing my phone though, not even close. I agree that most that need to reach us would know the way to do so if they cannot. I had a child recently call from a number that I did not know as hers and I did not answer. She realized in short order why she did not reach me and called me in short order on her own phone #. I tell all I don't answer to #s I don't know.

I too am one of the youngest in my family with quite an age range of children/sibs. I do have one aunt left, one uncle on the paternal side that are blood but they are close to 90 if not already 90. I have one uncle left on my maternal side but he was one of the youngest in that family too. I also have two aunts on the maternal side but they are aunts by marriage, not by blood. So only 3 that are blood.
 

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