Posted on 12/26/2020 6:16:21 AM PST by blam
Sometimes we have to question the intelligence of Americans. It’s no secret that unhealthy lifestyles and eating mounds of junk food can impair brain function. With that being said, intelligence is lacking for some Americans as thousands were recently swindled out of millions of dollars by a scammy Indian call center.
According to the NYTimes, an Indian call center in Peera Garhi, west of Delhi, tricked victims into believing their bank accounts were frozen as part of an elaborate drug investigation. As many as 4,500 victims were told, they had to transfer money to the scammers or risk serious jail time.
On Dec. 17, as many as 50 people from the call center were arrested. Authorities alleged the employees learned American accents and pretended to be officials of various American law enforcement agencies.
Delhi Police Cybercrime Unit shows police arresting a group suspected of conducting an international scam at a call center in Delhi. Source: NYT
Investigators said the victims were given an ultimatum: Face jail time or take an “alternative dispute resolution” to avoid criminal charges.
Over two years, the call center bilked more than $14 million from gullible Americans who “were asked to buy Bitcoins or Google gift cards worth all the money in their accounts,” said Anyesh Roy, a police officer in New Delhi. The monies were then transferred to what the victims thought was a “safe government wallet” but were actually accounts tied to the call center.
The South China Morning Post said the “call center even had a human resources policy offering graded salary scales, bonuses for Christmas and for those who could get people to capitulate fast, as well as paid holidays.”
The stupidity of some Americans makes you wonder if IQ rates in the country are dropping?
A photograph released by the Delhi Police Cybercrime Unit shows police arresting a group suspected of conducting an international scam at a call center in Delhi.Credit...Deli Police Cybercrime Unit
Whenever I hear the distinctive Indian accent, I hang up the phone.
Hello, my name is Apu, how can I help you?
T post
If my mom was still allowed a credit card, she would be one of the victims.
do not care. Call the British to change the savages.
American IQs are dropping—as is their real level of education.
And we have been insulated from harsh realities for so long that our naivete, gullibility and intellectual laziness are also through the roof.
$14M...pffft...chump-change.
Apparently you’re not alone.
According to the article, the scammers learned to use various American accents.
If I don’t recognize the number, I don’t answer it. Legitimate callers will leave a message.
They prey on the elderly/people with dementia. A friend of mine has fallen twice for it.
I do not answer my phone unless I know the person on the other end.
I like the ones that threaten you by saying that the local police will issue a warrant for your arrest if you don’t contact the IRS immediately.
It’s not so much American IQs are dropping, rather this came about as a direct result of outsourcing our call centers to India. Having call centers in India for legit major corporations actually allowed for this type of scam to go on. However, it does help to know at least the general basics of governmental agencies. And that blame is mostly on our skooling system.
But American IQs are dropping.
And our schooling system is terrible. (Especially since Bill and Melinda got done with it.)
Search youtube for “scambaiting” to see people messing with and frustrating scammers. Very satisfying.
LOL! That reminds me. Years ago working in a automotive test lab...the BIGGS were coming down from upstairs to glance over our latest part. It was called a “tire kick” meeting. An indian (dot not feather) engineer was standing next to me from UPSTAIRS. The BIGGS ripped our presentation to shreds. To break the tension in the room...one of the BIGGS said, “hell even Ray Charles could see that”. Everybody was laughingly relieved including the indian. After the room cleared out in the lab, the indian asked me, “who Ray Charles”?
A fool and their money ...
If I get one of these calls when I’m at my desk working, I string the dope along and provide all the information they request — but not mine. Instead, I use the name and contact information of a local Democrat politician who I despise more than most. I have to fabricate a Social Security number, though. :-P
Same here. Pretty simple and effective.
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