madamekelly

No government office will ever call and ask for your information. No honest business will call to ask you information. They use snail mail. Always ask for a number, and offer to call them right back, ((say someone is at the door...) then call the police and give them the phone number. Helps them catch them, and keeps you out of the identity theft victims.

nightquilter

I have been receiving these calls for 3 years. I had gotten so fed up, I decided to end it. So when I received the next call I ask the caller to help me understand what he was saying, He said I would go to jail if I did not give him my credit card # ASAP. So I wanted to clarify. He said or what I was hearing... I would get 3 meals a day, hot baths without cleaning the shower, my laundry done, could sleep as long as I want to, then he stopped me and said" no, no, no you don't understand. I said jail" I ask him where can I sign up for this fab. Vacation , because you see I am a hard working mom and work 2 small businesses, going to jail sounded like a little R & R to me. This man was very angry and the nerve of him, he hung up on me before I got to sign up for my vacation.But I have not received any more phone calls for about 9 or 10 months now.

joivey

I love the above response about going to jail!!! I think I'll use that next time and I'll even add "What a relief........I need surgery, dental work, or whatever that I am unable to afford, so now the government will do it for me. What a relief!!"

Jcarpentier

I absolutely hate the idea that people have nothing better to do than to try to scam others out of their hard earned money. So ridiculous and infuriating!

coopah

Not a scam story,but a funny telephone story. My dad was quite a joker and the home phone number was one number different from the local "escort service" number. One night someone called and asked for a specific girl, so my dad said, "She's busy right now, but if you call back in 1/2 hour she'll be free." He delighted in this...and did it several times. If he were still living, he'd love to deal with the scammmers.

SandySews

I keep a whistle by my phone and when I think it's a scam I blow the whistle into the phone and after a call or two they don't bother me.

institches33

There was a new scam listed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, one that I had never heard of. A person received a laptop delivered from Best Buy. It was on his credit card and delivered to his address, but he didn't order it. He took it to Best Buy and they handled it as a return.
FedX came the next day and said they were picking up a return. On checking the address it was a residential Philadelphia address, not Best Buy. It was discovered that the Philly address was a "reshipper" hired from a work-at-home ad.
The article said to be safe have your bank notify you of any charge over $200. If unordered merchandise is delivered on your card, cancel the card immediately.
This person's bank was PNC and they said this is the new scam. Best Buy is innocent.
What next????

sewnclog

I'm with popover. If it doesn't have any information attached to the number, I don't answer either. Most people hang up even before the answering machine comes on.

southernmema

Got a call, which I did not answer, from unrecognized number, but they left message on VM that said they were calling to let me know I had won the $25,000 prize and that I could have registered at a convenience store, gas station, etc. etc. and to call back to verify that I was the person. Of course I did not call back...but I wondered what kind of scam this was!!!

nativetexan

the Whistle thing.... be wary. if they have your phone number, they may know where you live. scary to think about.