Matt Davies for May 28, 2019

The purse snatcher just got the purse and its contents, if the scammer is good he can clean out her bank account. If the scammer is really good, he might become our President.

Today many elderly are alone and vulnerable to burglary, robbery, phone scams and, worse – a rapidly multiplying host of online threats – at a time when online services are more important than ever for them..

Well, if I don’t know the name or number on my caller I.D., it goes right to voicemail.

I like to tie up as much of the time of the scammer as possible, I am easily amused.

Received a robocall yesterday that said I’d overpaid on my electric bill that I’d paid through a third party – I don’t use a third party but how many people would fall for this?

Have an AT&T phone that identifies scammers. One ring and that’s all. If one gets through I have a button to push that identifies that number and it won’t get through again. If you’ve installed the numbers of acceptable contacts the phone identifies the caller as it rings, so you can either pick it up or let it go to the answering machine.

It assumes age and gender makes you gullible, and if you believe this you are gullible.

That’s why I use my caller I.D.! Masterskrain got to that answer before I did.

Rule 1: If they want payment by some kind of non-cash means, it’s a scam.

Rule 2: In fact, if they want money at all, it’s a scam (unless you’re a deadbeat)

Rule 3: In fact, if they want any information at all, it’s a scam. Even if the “information” is your opinion.

Rule 4: If it’s a recording, it’s a scam.

Rule 5: If they want a call back and you don’t know who they are, it’s a scam.

Or, what Masterskrain says, but moreso: If the caller isn’t in my list of contacts, I just hang up.

PS: I love it when it’s a real live human and I have time to play :)

Because of all the scams, I won’t even listen to what seems like legitimate telemarketing from something I would be interested in. For example, I want to look into solar panels, but when I got a call from a live person about solar panels today, I said I’m not interested,

Nomorobo works for me most of the time.

I received a robocall last week asking me to donate $100 to a egomaniacal wannabe dictator who was hell bent on reshaping the country into his own delusional reality. I realized it was from the Trump campaign so I quickly hung up.

On the do not call list, caller ID on the cell,not on land line. Fisching calls several times a week, sometimes two or three times a day from the same number. And yes, age, especially SS or retired gets you on every a-hole’s list.