Some insight into telephone/internet scammers: Have you been called?

[Klystron]

Though wordy, this New York Times magazine article wades through the murky morass of telemarketing scam centers located on the subcontinent. Worth a perusal by anyone affected by this ubiquitous menace.

Journalist Bhattacharjee approaches the investigation without prejudice, even with some sympathy for the scam workers. As a favored target of these scam centers -- elderly online North American with some funds but not wealthy enough to require direct financial managers -- my reaction to the scammers remains sanguine, in the sense of bloodshed. From the article:

The slim chances of detection, and the even slimmer chances of facing prosecution, have seemed to make scamming a career option, especially among those who lack the qualifications to find legitimate employment in India’s slowing economy. Indian educational institutions churn out more than 1.5 million engineers every year, but according to one survey fewer than 20 percent are equipped to land positions related to their training, leaving a vast pool of college graduates — not to mention an even larger population of less-educated young men and women — struggling to earn a living. [snip] "Everybody wants fast money.”

Member educators will notice the similarity to many posts on PF from young engineers questioning their academic career choices.

Note: I subscribe to digital NYT. If blocked by paywall, try searching via the writer's byline
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee.

 

[mcastillo356]

Here in Europe, I receive lots of robocalls, which I recognize always. And refuse. But Kathleen Langer's case is different.
It's a wild world. Makes me think of the scammers. I guess nobody wants to become one of them. There must be desperate people that choose that kind of work. But I don't feel any kind of simpathy for them.
Marcos Castillo

 

[Klystron]

Another sad aspect: the article states that scammer call center operations have returned full force after a pandemic hiatus. Robocalls are bad enough but deliberately targeting the elderly leaves one cold.

 

[Mondayman]

I get about ten calls a year. Sometimes it's automated, but when it's a person, to me it's an opportunity to have some fun. They're usually so desperate to scam someone that you can screw around and have them on the phone for long periods of time. I had one fellow convinced I was going to fall for the scam, but I insisted on putting him on hold repeatedly. While he waited I would blast porn through my phone. Another one I had on the phone over Bluetooth in my car while driving from Kamloops to Calgary for over an hour, telling him I wasn't interested at the very last second.

 

[Klystron]

This PF thread from over 7 years ago, describes a highly prevalent telephone scam trying to convince unsophisticated computer users that their Windows system has been infected. This scam morphs into various schemes where robo-callers pretend to work for Microsoft Corporation with the intent of beguiling people to allow remote control of the Windows OS. The article in post #1 details this method and describes recent morphs to the scams.

I took a call from the most persistent call center rats a few years ago, if only to learn. The first and second level agents revealed Indian accents but the third 'closer' spoke American English with a pronounced Ukrainian accent.

"Sergei" walked me through the steps to activate remote control of my Windows computer up to the final step where I somehow kept misunderstanding his instructions. Sergei soured on the scam after wasting an hour, unable to name the city where Microsoft located its headquarters. We parted with mutual curses to perform unspeakable acts on our respective mothers and sisters; Sergei in spluttering Russian or Ukrainian; yours truly in laughing Thai, halting Hungarian and a final jab in Spanish.

The NYT article describes this method as if the reporter witnessed our exchange. I lack the fortitude and cunning of the IT pro in the article who allows the scammer to take control of his virtual computer in order to trace the intruder and invade their call center. These white-hat / black-hat battles are too intense for my blood. Now I let an old answering machine take the calls as described in yet another thread on this threat.

 

[StevieTNZ]

I got told by some scammer 'you know what Sir? You're a real jacka**. Do you know that?' then hung up on me. HOW RUDE. I NAME THEM.

 

[bhobba]

I have had attempted scams so often now my response is down pat. They say I am from Telstra. I say I have nothing to do with Telstra - you are a scammer - get lost scum. Then hang up. One tried a different approach. They said Australian Federal Police Officers were on the way over with a Warrant unless I pay such and such now. I actually did work for the AFP for 10 years, and responded - great - I hope it is someone I know and we can catch up. He then hung up.

Thanks
Bill

 

[DennisN]

It has only happened to me once. I was once called by a female working for "Microsoft Support" who wanted access to my computer. I said "I'm busy" and she said "Sir, it's very important, so when can I call you back?". I said "Never" and then I hung up. She never called back.

 

[rsk]

I had a few sinister voice messages from a robotic sounding female with US accent, telling me i owed taxes and must pay up immediately to avoid prosecution. I'd have been quite scared by it except I've never lived or worked stateside and all the terms she used were US legal speak, definitely not british terms.

Today I've had a number of amazon emails about an order I've supposedly placed with amazon.com (never). Nothing seems wrong with my account, or bank, and yet the links in the email genuinely to seem to go to the amazon site, so I have no idea what this one is really about.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Next time I get a scammer, I'm going to tell them straight "do something useful and dig your mother a grave" - best line from Borat. PERIOD.

 

[Klystron]

Today I've had a number of amazon emails about an order I've supposedly placed with amazon.com (never). Nothing seems wrong with my account, or bank, and yet the links in the email genuinely to seem to go to the amazon site, so I have no idea what this one is really about.

I received telephone calls from "Amazon". Inconvenient, as I had ordered online*. I reported the scam to Amazon IT along with sparse contact info left by the callers but have not received any follow up. This scam reeks of involvement by affiliates. Not Amazon itself, but some disgruntled contractor down the line.

The "Microsoft support" scams betray themselves but how does one identify actual Amazon affiliate callers from scammer scum? I shall check email filters, junk and spam files for "Amazon" emails. Thanks.

*Darn! I forgot to order online through PF. Sorry, Greg.