Few years ago my dad got a " pop, I'm in jail in Mexico" call from someone who claimed to be my son, even used the right name. Problem is, he bit on it,( in hindsight,we realize that his now full blown dementia was staring then) and sent 1500.00 somewhere, Then decided to call me and tell me about it. Next day, they called back, needed money for the lawyer. They got an earful from him that time! Strangely enough,my son declined my suggestion that he should get Grandpa a six pack of Dos Eckes for Christmas, wasn't climbing out on that limb!
I received this as a private msg. Is this still a thing?
- Thread starter Will Gilmore
- Start date
Maybe Ms Darlington should contact the two IDS sailors the Navy picked up. Surely they have funds in their Go Fund Me page they could share by now.
Suggest that all of you change your passwords. Sometimes I will send a private email telling everyone not to put contact information or personal email on this site but instead send it via forum email.
I have both anti virus and malware on my computer which eliminates a lot of junk. However for those junk phone calls now appearing on cell phone numbers, I respond several ways..
1. You have called on a secure line which will or is being traced as we speak.
2. I plan to contact my cousin who is a Commissioner with the FTC to trace your call citing one of the five commissioners names such as Oriely. (misspelled of course)
3. I say " Mushi Mushi, Agankidisca" saying several times with the last in a loud voice.
Funny thing they never call back. As for #3, all you are doing in Japanese from what I have been told, "Hello, how are you doing." Funny thing folks do not learn Japanese.
I have both anti virus and malware on my computer which eliminates a lot of junk. However for those junk phone calls now appearing on cell phone numbers, I respond several ways..
1. You have called on a secure line which will or is being traced as we speak.
2. I plan to contact my cousin who is a Commissioner with the FTC to trace your call citing one of the five commissioners names such as Oriely. (misspelled of course)
3. I say " Mushi Mushi, Agankidisca" saying several times with the last in a loud voice.
Funny thing they never call back. As for #3, all you are doing in Japanese from what I have been told, "Hello, how are you doing." Funny thing folks do not learn Japanese.
I never get tired of sharing this 
My work doesn't allow me to view youtube videos but i think this is it...
My work doesn't allow me to view youtube videos but i think this is it...
I had that Microsoft guy on the phone too.
Are you sitting in front of the computer?
Yep.
See the windows sign on the lower right?
Nope.
What do you see?
The small blinking green bar.
What?
Yeah the bar, what do you want to type?
“Click the windows app”
Ok. It didn’t like that command.
What?
Nothing happens. Is that the problem you called about?
No. You have a PC right?
Yes I have a Comodore PC.
What? Just click the Windows App!
Is that a Basic Command? I am not familiar with “just click the windows app”....
After a couple more minutes of that he just started swearing.
CLICK.
Are you sitting in front of the computer?
Yep.
See the windows sign on the lower right?
Nope.
What do you see?
The small blinking green bar.
What?
Yeah the bar, what do you want to type?
“Click the windows app”
Ok. It didn’t like that command.
What?
Nothing happens. Is that the problem you called about?
No. You have a PC right?
Yes I have a Comodore PC.
What? Just click the Windows App!
Is that a Basic Command? I am not familiar with “just click the windows app”....
After a couple more minutes of that he just started swearing.
CLICK.
Then there’s the “It will take a minute. I need to boot up the computer routine.” “ how did you know I was having a problem when the computer was off? We know these things! Oh..
It Is turning on. It will be a minute. I’ll put the phone down while the computer is booting diagnostics.
3 minutes later. “Hello you still there? Yes. Well dignostics are running. It will be a minute...
The game is to see how long you can leave the phone on the desk while the machine is booting. I got to 5 minutes and 18 seconds with on guy.
It Is turning on. It will be a minute. I’ll put the phone down while the computer is booting diagnostics.
3 minutes later. “Hello you still there? Yes. Well dignostics are running. It will be a minute...
The game is to see how long you can leave the phone on the desk while the machine is booting. I got to 5 minutes and 18 seconds with on guy.
I've had the Microsoft Tech guy on the line for 30+ min. with blue screen and then boot errors, asked what OS I had the problem with, they said windows 7. I the said thats the other hard drive wait a min I have to change the drive, kept him on the phone asking about the weather tell him its just about done then say oops wrong drive ubuntu is running have to do it again ask for supervisor to help me find the right drive he came online ask for IP address gave him 192.168.0.1 knew just as much as the first guy. Never did turn on the computer just kept watching golf.
That's sounds a lot like my experience. Drove my wife nuts listening to it. We worked it all the way up to hitting control r, before the 'blue screen of death', three times. "Wow, you were right, I really do have a messed up machine. What do we do? " reboot and try again, of course.
The first thing they will have you do is run a command that brings up your error log. Every machine keeps an error log. Then the "tech" will explain that those are all problems that your computer is having and he can help you get rid of them. I can only assume they just walk you thru a purge of the log while getting you to enter in the 'run' command, a program that gives him remote access to the computer. DON'T DO IT, MAN! Then, they reboot, show you a clean error log and take your credit card information before charging you for doing nothing.
Always be friendly and "willing to work it thru again"
"Wait, I see what's wrong. I didn't plug it in.... ok, NOW we can try it. "
"It says, no Internet connection found.Should I type it in again?"
You think they would know what punch card programming was?
- Will (Dragonfly)
We worked it all the way up to hitting control r, before the 'blue screen of death', three times. "Wow, you were right, I really do have a messed up machine. What do we do? " reboot and try again, of course.The first thing they will have you do is run a command that brings up your error log.
Every machine keeps an error log. Then the "tech" will explain that those are all problems that your computer is having and he can help you get rid of them. I can only assume they just walk you thru a purge of the log while getting you to enter in the 'run' command, a program that gives him remote access to the computer. DON'T DO IT, MAN! Then, they reboot, show you a clean error log and take your credit card information before charging you for doing nothing. Always be friendly and "willing to work it thru again"
"Wait, I see what's wrong. I didn't plug it in.... ok, NOW we can try it. "
"It says, no Internet connection found.
Should I type it in again?"I love that, or a TRS 80. "Oh wait, got to swap floppies." "Those drives are really loud, does yours make that whirring, grinding noise too?"
You think they would know what punch card programming was?
- Will (Dragonfly)
Not a chance. Fun to try throwing out some of the more arcane languages.
We can try PICT or PERL. Maybe Fortran will clear the cache. Then one could always try A+... or try running the ‘bootstrap’..
I never got an A+ in anything. Hell, I never even got B. C++ was the best I could do
I was always as slow as Turtle and my LISP has nothing to do with it.
. After a big OOP, I had to go back to the Assembly board.- Will (Dragonfly)
One thing I discovered a few years ago- when I thought after retiring I would string all these guys along and by wasting their time, maybe they would stop calling . Didn't work- in fact the calls increased and that is when I found that answered numbers are sold in that world. Apparently a number that is answered can be re-sold to other scammers, and that is a whole nother business
I feel you are right on @Richard Bryer . Only reason I consider spending any time is that I am bored, have extra time, and maybe I'll keep them from calling someone else that may be duped. The concern I have are they getting paid for just talking on the phone? Are phone companies paying them for the connection?
They have gotten very clever in spoofing local phone numbers.
They have gotten very clever in spoofing local phone numbers.
Cloaked numbers seem to be pretty routine these days- I have even had a call from MY OWN NUMBER! I answered that one-not politely!
Since I cancelled my landline because of all the calls during the '12 election, I haven't been getting any of those calls. I've only had about three total and those just recently. I fear they may have found me. Actually, now that I think about it. I've been getting a ton lately. I bought a domain name and an account to build my business web site recently and suddenly half of India wants to build my web pages for me. They all know my number since I had to register it with InterNic. I just assigned the "no sound" ringtone as the default and gave known contacts another tone. I never even know I'm being called. The ones who leave a message are still annoying. Fortunately only two have done that.
When I finally launch, I'll have to use a different number to take orders on.
- Will (Dragonfly)
When I finally launch, I'll have to use a different number to take orders on.
- Will (Dragonfly)
A while back I was got this phone call from what appeared to be a legitimate phone number from within the social security office where I live. I picked up the call and the person on the line said they were from the social security office and were returning my recent call about my inquiry about my social security benefits. I replied I hadn't made an inquiry, and they hung up. A couple days later I get the same call from the same number. This time I said, "So what kind of scam is this one?" The caller replied asking why I thought it could be a scam and essentially hung up. This went on for several phone calls. The voice on the phone was the same person each time, and each time I'd ask him so what's the scam? Finally he called this one time and I told him I'm never going to bite on ridiculous scam calls and he was wasting his time. He finally entered into a conversation with me asking why did I think he could be a scammer? So I gave him some simple reasons and the guy says "Well, scamming is my job, it's what I do, we all have jobs and this is mine!" He never called me back.
It was quite refreshing to get the confession! And even better to end the ridiculous phone calls...
dj
It was quite refreshing to get the confession! And even better to end the ridiculous phone calls...
dj