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30 People Share How They Deal With Scam Callers And Some Of Them Are Truly Creative
Never before has it been so unsafe to answer a call from an unknown number. The worldwide pandemic has made phone scammers and robocalls more desperate and proactive. They target the most vulnerable of us, all hit by the financial and emotional burdens brought by an unprecedented crisis. Three out of 4 Americans said they were targeted by phone scammers over the past year, reported this survey.
In addition to staying alert at all times when your phone rings, some people are arming themselves with humor and see it as a sort of entertainment. Like the comedian Joe Heenan, who recently tweeted, probably sarcastically, how much he “loves spam calls.”
“I pretend I'm an old Scottish woman desperate to pay them. My record's an hour,” Joe wrote in a post which went viral with 39.3K likes. More people joined the thread to share their own tips and tricks on dealing with scammers, which are honestly quite funny.
That doesn’t mean, though, that phone scams should be viewed lightheartedly. Whenever you’re unsure about the caller, you’re likely to be much safer not answering it than regretting getting into a robocall bonanza.
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#7
Cleo Carter 5 years ago
I’m a little confused. I saw some other examples talking about post accident scammers. Is that a thing?
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Jane Dorothy Warner 5 years ago
I am very old, but I have a young voice (luckily I kept something of my youth) and one guy ended up proposing to me because I sounded so nice and kind. Aww...
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LesAnimaux 5 years ago
I usually hum an annoying song while I 'boot up my computer'. Several times. Last time I sang Baby Shark until they hung up.
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Lorelai Purvis 5 years ago (edited)
"i want to talk to you about the accident you've been in" "yes, blue killed me in shields" "wait not that one the other one" "oh that one wasn't an accident i meant to shoot pink" *hangs up*
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Jeff Christensen 5 years ago
If the Windows Technical Department calls I respond with glee and ask if they can help with my flyscreens.
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LotusWolff 5 years ago
“Hi, I’m Carl. Wait no I’m called Gerald. Or was it Liam? I can’t remember.”
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Daniel Atkins 5 years ago
And if they didn't hang up Go on and on About that clown. How having the same name is a pain.
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Emilycookie 5 years ago
maybe you did own a car but your cat stole it and wiped your memory...
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Mademoiselle Mirage 5 years ago
I feel dumb, I didn't understand what she said at all. Help please?
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Marilyn Holt 5 years ago
I heard a good one like this on the radio when the guy started asking the scammer 'how to get blood out of a carpet...no not just a drop, a whole lot, actually the guys still bleeding so maybe he's still alive, but I hit him at least three times. Oh mom's gonna be mad about the carpet.....
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WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
For every one person that's on to them, there are 15 who fall for this scam. That's why these scammers keep calling people. It's a profitable business and they know that it's very unlikely that the police will come knocking on their door. They even have giant call-centers from which they operate.
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Kyla Fierro 5 years ago
I Dear Godly One pls forgive me for murdering my sister, Beyoncé, Bobby Joe, and Stewart Little. They were really annoying. Also btw can we just forget about me robbin the bank.
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CrunChewy McSandybutt 5 years ago
Can a Brit explain this one? I need more detail on the following: conservatory salesman, measure up, high flats, Motherwell. Thank you in advance.
#73
Debrina Blackmoon 5 years ago
Something like, "You can just fucck right off, Sir/Madam Pissant and have a lovely day!", I'm guessing.
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What do you think ?
Thenatural 5 years ago
'Hello sir,I'm calling about your recent accident' 'How could you know? It's only just happened' 'Can you give us some details sir?' 'Well ....thought it was a fart but I followed through....hello.....hello'
Carrie Roettger 5 years ago
My husband like to answer the phone like he's a spy in a bad movie with a random and weird coded message like "The octopus is in the glovebox". When the caller responds back he'll say something like "Nope sorry that's incorrect but thanks for playing here's a special gift" and hang up.
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Steve Barnett 5 years ago (edited)
Depends on what mood I'm in. "Trees don't like me, do they like you?" is usually a good opener, then just wander off in a vague, pretending, patronizing way.
MistyCat 5 years ago
BAHAHAHAHA i would've gone with "I like trains" then a whooshing noise and screams tho. LOL.
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Rissie 5 years ago (edited)
Never been so lucky to be called by an actual scammer. But I do find joy in messing with sales and retention calls. This one time someone from a company I used to work for and had just ended an internet subscription with, wanted to tell me about how they now offered fiber to the home. So I corrected her and told her it's at most fiber to the curb and how the signal quickly disintegrates during the final 100 meters of which fifty will be over a very old copper phoneline and how it will not get over 100 mbit so being the exact same speed as I already had. The long version of that. To end the story with a plain and simple statement how I'm moving and they don't serve that area. I like the silence on the other line it comes with.
Thenatural 5 years ago
'Hello sir,I'm calling about your recent accident' 'How could you know? It's only just happened' 'Can you give us some details sir?' 'Well ....thought it was a fart but I followed through....hello.....hello'
Carrie Roettger 5 years ago
My husband like to answer the phone like he's a spy in a bad movie with a random and weird coded message like "The octopus is in the glovebox". When the caller responds back he'll say something like "Nope sorry that's incorrect but thanks for playing here's a special gift" and hang up.
Load More Replies... Steve Barnett 5 years ago (edited)
Depends on what mood I'm in. "Trees don't like me, do they like you?" is usually a good opener, then just wander off in a vague, pretending, patronizing way.
MistyCat 5 years ago
BAHAHAHAHA i would've gone with "I like trains" then a whooshing noise and screams tho. LOL.
Load More Replies... Rissie 5 years ago (edited)
Never been so lucky to be called by an actual scammer. But I do find joy in messing with sales and retention calls. This one time someone from a company I used to work for and had just ended an internet subscription with, wanted to tell me about how they now offered fiber to the home. So I corrected her and told her it's at most fiber to the curb and how the signal quickly disintegrates during the final 100 meters of which fifty will be over a very old copper phoneline and how it will not get over 100 mbit so being the exact same speed as I already had. The long version of that. To end the story with a plain and simple statement how I'm moving and they don't serve that area. I like the silence on the other line it comes with.
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