Phone Scam ‘Onslaught’ Has Authorities Scrambling

WSJ video ^ | 5/27/2016

[KeyLargo]

Phone Scam ‘Onslaught’ Has Authorities Scrambling 5/27/2016

Telephone scammers posing as tech support, lottery reps or even government officials are inundating U.S. homes as cheap technology and the rapid rise in Internet access globally makes it easier to set up ..

[MD Expat in PA]

When I reset my computer wi fi connection there is an “FBI Surveillance Van #2” router that shows up. I need to be careful, they are very near

Saw one at an RV park the other day labeled "Bathroom Cam #2"

I live in NM, I want to put ICE Surveillance Van #3 on mine.

I live in an apartment complex and evidently have some neighbors with a sense of humor.

Among the Wi-Fi networks that come up or have in the past, if I do a search are:

NSASurveillanceVan

NSASurveillanceVan#2

GlobalSkynetDefenceNetwork

This1IsOnlyUsedForPorn

PennyIsAFreeloader

Router?IHardlyKnowHer

Wehavetopmenworkingonitrightnow-TopMen!

[loungitude]

I am sorry. I fear the my mom is headed there.

[MHGinTN]

The IRS mails their threats. Included in their mailing is a phone number in Kansas to call immediately. ... In the midst of that hassle right now.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

It’s easier to have technology filter the crap out 24x7. Maybe not AS satisfying as an air horn, but plenty satisfying knowing that when I file a number, they REALLY DO use it. Unlike the totally useless governmental agencies.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The problem with the Panasonic phones is you can only block 200 numbers. There’s no way to have it automatically erase the oldest number you entered so you can enter #201. Plus you can’t
Load the number list from the phone into your computer for management. Panasonic is really missing the boat with the CID Block feature in their phones. (I have a Panasonic phone system, too)

[MD Expat in PA]

That’s great.

[MD Expat in PA]

I posted this thread a while back:

Telemarketers probably don’t like Lenny

I love “Lenny”.

I used to sometimes have fun with telemarketers.

One time I got a call from someone hawking a “time share” telling me I’d “won” a “free” weekend at one of their time share resorts, that I only had to attend one 20 minute “orientation”. Of course I knew that “free” included many high pressure sales pitches not just one 20 minute “orientation”.

So I pretended to be very interested. I must have kept the guy on the phone for at least 20 minutes or more, and I put him on speaker phone so my niece who was living with me at the time could hear the conversation and I was asking him a lot of questions, some of them rather normal at first but then some increasingly strange like, “Is the water in the pool organic?” “Do you sell time shares to Bulgarians? Because I really don’t like Bulgarians at all but I can’t tell you exactly why”. “When you say I can bring my spouse and my children - does that mean my legal family or does that also include my polymorphous family?” How close is the nearest elementary school?”

This went on for a while and then I asked him again where the resort was located and he said, “Virginia”.

“Oh. That’s too bad”, I said. “I really can’t go to Virginia”. He said something like “It’s not really that far of a drive from Baltimore, only a 1 ½ hour drive and you are getting a free weekend, with all meals included, use of the spa and gym and pool, I’ll even through in a round of golf for you and a guest.”

Then I said, “Well that does sound very nice and I’d really like to come down. But if I leave the state of Maryland, actually if I go more than 50’ from my house, my ankle bracelet will go off, not to mention the court order that doesn’t allow me to be within 100’ of a school - I would be in violation of my parole.” CLICK! He hung up. Imagine that. LOL! My niece almost peed herself laughing.

Another time a guy called me about replacement windows. I let him go on for quite a while with his sales pitch but then in my best deadpan Steven Wright impression said, “I don’t need replacement windows in my house because I don’t have any windows.”

The guy laughed, a bit nervously and said, “What do you mean you don’t have any windows in your house? Everybody has windows in their house”.

I answered very seriously and in a monotone voice, “I blocked off all my windows with cinder blocks clad in aluminum. Because if you have windows, “they” can not only see you, they can also hear your thoughts. Are you from the Government? You sound very familiar to me. Are you trying to listen to my mind and put thoughts in my head again Dave? Dave – is this you? Dave?” He hung up. LOL!

[steve86]

Many people have gone to jail for similar threats against bill collectors. You’re lucky the collector himself was over the line or a tape might have been delivered to the FBI.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I really don’t they would buy burner phones. A simple computer app allows you to dial lots of calls quickly and spoof any caller ID number. Nobody “dials” the phone. They have headsets on waiting for a call to be connected and answered.

[Hot Tabasco]

I play senior softball and about 6 or 7 years ago while sitting at the picnic table after our normal pick-up game, one of the older guys confided in me that he received his credit card statement, which normally his wife takes care of, and he had charges run up to $30,000. When he questioned his wife about it, she didn't know......

I don't know whatever came of it, whether she was scammed or their credit card info was stolen. I suspect she was scammed because they could have recovered any charges that would have been made in unauthorized purchases..........

All that stuff was new to me at that time so I didn't know how to advise him................

Since then, I had my credit card info stolen, and I have no idea how, and over $7,000 were charged in purchases in Louisville KY........After filing the proper paperwork, all those monies were taken off my credit card.......

[MHGinTN]

Your credit limit is too high. Better to have five cards with one grand limit each than one card with five grand limit. Pay off the balance every month and you will have superb credit.

[Hot Tabasco]

Your credit limit is too high

That was an Equity Line of Credit card, not your typical credit card.Whatever, it was taken care of............

[Kickass Conservative]

I’m so old that I remember a Relative who had a Party Line.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

My grandparents in Idaho had one. I thought it was the coolest thing as a kid. Remember those days before the scourge of telemarketers was created? Something to be said for a black phone.

[King Moonracer]

These scammers should be killed...then we would have fewer immigrants too.

[Alberta's Child]

Got a call last month from some Indian dude who called himself Michael (LOL). He told me my computer had a serious virus and he wanted to instruct me on how to install something that would fix it.

I strung the guy along for about 20 minutes, pretending I was: (1) hard of hearing, (2) not an English speaker, and (3) completely clueless about computers.

Finally, we reached a point where he suggested I find the owner's manual that came with my computer.

I told him I'd go look for it.

I went and did some laundry, then I took a shower. LMAO.

When I came back about 20 minutes later, the dude was still on the phone.

At this point I pretended I was: (1) someone completely different, and (2) living in a different house than the one he called. He sounded confused as all hell when I told him I don't even own a computer.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Call blocker -$80 dollars on Amazon - number of calls, especially from some Chinese guy claiming to be from Microsoft - cut by two-thirds......

[KeyLargo]

Full article by WSJ is now available.

Phone Scam ‘Onslaught’ Has Authorities Scrambling
Cheap technology allows fraudsters to target elderly more easily than ever

By Jennifer Levitz
Updated May 27, 2016 6:35 p.m. ET
217 COMMENTS

Authorities are fighting a scourge of phone crime enabled by cheap technology that blasts out nefarious calls and hides wrongdoers’ whereabouts. The scammers are heavily targeting the elderly, sparking a push in Congress to fight back.

Callers often pose as cash-strapped grandchildren, tax collectors or providers of technical support.

Complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about unwanted calls—including robocalls, or telemarketing sales calls with recorded messages, and spoofed caller identification, such as falsely showing that a legitimate entity is calling—hit a record 1.7 million in the first four months of 2016, up 41% from the year-earlier period. Monthly complaints about automated robocalls have more than tripled since 2009.

“We now have this onslaught—it’s terrible,” said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, who added that the scams are “primarily directed at seniors.”

The Republican is one of several elected officials, as well as advocacy groups like Consumers Union, who are pressuring phone carriers to do more to block robocalls. Sens. Susan Collins (R., Maine), and Claire McCaskill, (D., Mo.), leaders of the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging, are among lawmakers making the push. A California legislator has also filed a bill to force phone companies to offer this technology.

Federal law allows charities, political campaigns and groups, such as schools, to use robocalls, while telemarketers are barred from using recorded sales calls without a consumer’s written consent.

The technology to pump out automated calls isn’t new, but easy access is. “Technology has made it a lot easier for the bad guys to make illegal calls,” said Will Maxson, assistant director of the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices.

The surge in voice-over-Internet protocol technology, which allows computer-based calls, set the stage about a decade ago, but the dramatic rise in Internet access globally means anyone almost anywhere can run a phone scam.

Excerpt.

Read full article at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/phone-scam-onslaught-has-authorities-scrambling-1464341401

If link does not allow, try a Google search of article title.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks.

A couple of years ago, it became obvious that these calls were increasing from a few per week to between 5-10 per day.

Putting our phone numbers on the no call list, increased the calls. Makes one wonder if those sites have been hacked or sold our numbers.

One of our younger relatives recommended NOMOREROBO calls. Comcast at that time was dragging its feet. I raised so much hell, I got a call from one of their execs, and he helped me to sign up for NOMOREROBO calls. That is not an issue now.

With an hour after signing up and logging on to NOMOREROBO calls, we would see the numbers calling on our tv before they got Zotted by NOMOREROBO calls. A few sneak by and I do the call forwarding to our local DA’s office and then submit that number to NOMOREROBO calls. Within hours they get added to the bad guy list on NOMOREROBO calls.

[Qiviut]

Thanks!