A New Sort of Scam Call

[Javarod]

The call I just received was new in two ways.


Second, the recorded call started out claiming to be a MS technical support company. But the voice then said that I had already paid for the technical support, but since the company was going out of business they were ordered to refund the fee I paid. So I was to call a number for details..

Actually what they'd prolly do is ask for your credit card number to confirm that they're refunding it to the correct card.

[Pixelated]

The other day a scam call left a robot message for me saying that I have an arrest warrant in my name (not using my name of course) and I needed to call them to resolve it. I mean, how many people believe they have an arrest warrant that they somehow were unaware of? Don't answer that. Probably lots.

My question about these calls is: how many law enforcement agencies call the supposed perpetrator to say "Hey, you're under arrest and we're coming for you in the next hour or so"?? Because of course a genuinely guilty person is still going to be hanging around when they get there ...

Most of these types of scams rely on the panic factor to jog you out of that sort of rational thought.

Exactly. A lot of people hear "You owe the IRS" and "arrest warrant" and their brains just seize up.

I read about one incident on "NotAlwaysRight" in which the scammer told the person answering the phone that they had a virus on their computer. Only problem was, the scammer had called a phone at a small train stop in the UK ... and the phone was not in an office. It was literally nothing more than a phone in a box on a pole. I'm not even sure the person who answered it was an employee; I got the impression they were somebody waiting for a train. They had a good laugh.

[Sandman]

I recently got a call from someone saying there were new opportunities for those with trouble hearing, and asking was I or anyone there interested in hearing about them.

Can you guess how I replied?

I'm sorry but i can't hear what you are saying?

[TheSHAD0W]

I recently got a call from someone saying there were new opportunities for those with trouble hearing, and asking was I or anyone there interested in hearing about them.

Can you guess how I replied?

[Deserted]

Don't laugh too hard.

Laughing at the scammers, not the victims.

Treasury IG site.

Good on the IRS for that.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I mean, how many people believe they have an arrest warrant that they somehow were unaware of? Don't answer that. Probably lots.

I love the tales of SCs who call the cops on a store, only to have the cops arrest them for outstanding warrants.

[taxguykarl]

I love the "IRS" robocalls.

Don't laugh too hard. I had to reassure a panicky client that the call was a scam. I helped him report that call on the Treasury IG site.

[Deserted]

I love the "IRS" robocalls. Oh really, do tell. I owe a lot in back taxes. My, my.

[Chanlin]

Most of these types of scams rely on the panic factor to jog you out of that sort of rational thought.

[notalwaysright]

The other day a scam call left a robot message for me saying that I have an arrest warrant in my name (not using my name of course) and I needed to call them to resolve it. I mean, how many people believe they have an arrest warrant that they somehow were unaware of? Don't answer that. Probably lots.

[Ironclad Alibi]

The call I just received was new in two ways.

First, it was the first call where the phone company's new program of labeling spam calls on the caller ID actually labeled one for me.

Second, the recorded call started out claiming to be a MS technical support company. But the voice then said that I had already paid for the technical support, but since the company was going out of business they were ordered to refund the fee I paid. So I was to call a number for details.

I suspect I would have had to pay a processing fee to get back the much larger fee that in reality I never paid, and would never see.

To their credit, the voice did have a good command of the English language, not much of an accent.