Having fun with the scammers

We've had such fun with these people over the years. From my son who used to pretend his Russian wife had been using his computer and he was going to beat her for it, to my old lady who couldn't quite understand and had to have everything said at least twice, and almost got to the point of giving them her details but never quite did it (you could practically hear their level of excitment rise when they thought they'd got you). But I haven't had any for ages. Do you suppose I've been blacklisted or something?

What I do is say hang on a min someone at my door and I just leave them sitting. Because only cold callers ring landline everyone else rings my mobile lol

When I was made redundant from a long term job way back in 2009, I did three months in a call-centre. It was soul destroying and I was on 'out-bound' ringing customers up to tell them their Christmas order of two boxes of wine won't be delivered until February but I could give them a £50 voucher. So they generally accepted that. I absolutely hated 'in-bound' with people rining in. Each call came in 3 seconds after the preivous one ended, I just couldn't cope.

These calls are often computer dialled so that's why you answer and it takes a moment for someone to come on the line. Just hang up (DH is a little more robust in his response!! )

Ive had fun with these kinds of people in the past but now I cant be bothered with them.

Mostly I dont answer unknown calls and have the phone set on a call blocker. I have a "white list" of people who can come right through. Others I google and call back if necessary.

I remove the call blocker if I am expecting a delivery as my house can be difficult to find. In the event of an unknown call asking for Ms Biglouis I tell them I am the housekeeper. Then if they say its Fedex or Tesco I can give them instructions and say I will accept the delivery. If its someone trying to sell me or sign me up to something then sorry I dont have the authority to do that.

I watched a video on YouTube of a woman who said of course she could give more info, but first the caller needed to pass a security check.
She asked him what his mother's maiden name was, and then said "oh don't worry if you cant remember, what was the name of your favourite pet"?

Has anyone watched Scam Interceptors every morning at 10 on the BBC. It is worth watching....

MissAdventure

Listen up everyone!
Volver says you should hang up.

?

Yesterday I had the "Windows" call - I just burst out laughing and asked if anyone actually fell for that these days and hung up!

Listen up everyone!
Volver says you should hang up.

Good.

Tell the others.

?

Don't apologise.
I'll repeat myself.

I do hang up.

Then hang up.

Oh, am I repeating myself? Sorry.

I've had about 5 calls a day, every day about my white goods insurance running out.
Strange, seeing as I don't have white goods insurance.

The people calling you about your washing machine insurance running out are people doing their job, asking if you if you want to extend a product that you already own. They are not after your life savings.

Why anybody thinks it's funny to have a laugh at their expense, making jokes about having sex with the plumber, that's just beyond me.

i used to get annoyed at the constant calls, could be as many as 20 per day, the call for insurance i say my funeral is all paid for and i have nobody to leave anything for. most of the calls i get are about my washing machine or other white goods insurance is running out, i tell them if it breaks i will get another as i won the lottery....twice. my son was great with the calls, he would start with saying i can't disturb my mummy because she is in the bedroom with the plumber or electrician, then say....my mummy always takes them into the bedroom to pay them, he did this in front of a neighbour, i was glad she knew about my sense of humour....lol

I refused to give access to my computer. I was called a F*****g B*****d.

Oh yes and block the number of anyone you dont know

ditch the landline and use a mobile. You can monitor calls much better this way.

Don't waste any time, as soon as you know it's a scam call, hang up and then block the number.

There are two things about this and other posts that I just do not get.

Why do you think it amusing to treat cold callers like this?

Why are you answering their calls?

I have blocked all callers from those who are not already on my phone's contact list with names and numbers.

If I am expecting a phone call from say a consultant at the hospital, who refuses to give me their number, I disable the requirement for number recognition for an hour or so at the time I expect the call. Anyone else ringing at that time is told that I am expecting an important phone call, so cannot talk to them.

This stops the annoying intrusion of salespeople and scammers.

Why do you not do the same? I am not being sarcastic, I would really like to know.

One last question, how do you know that the caller is not a person working on commission selling a product - albeit one you may not want and is not a scammer before you answer?

It strikes me as unkind in the extreme to waste the time of an honest person trying to sell insurance or whatever, rather than claim unemployment benefit.

My landline has an answer machine so if I don't recognise the number I ignore it. If it is a genuine call they will leave a message. Also if I see that the number has called several times I block it and my blood pressure stays on an even keel.

My husband wind's them up. To be honest I'd rather hang up.

My trick is to shout and everytime they say something I ask them to speak up and stop mumbling. They don't hang around long.

I tell them to go away but by using two different words.
Then i block the number.