I have recently received a new phone call, which includes a new scam, so beware.
In short, the caller tells me that I have been investing and my account has been frozen, to be able to get it back, I should register with them, etc. etc.
First I asked the lady where she is calling from (I see a Belgium number), then she told me that she was calling from Switzerland, at that moment I simply told her that I am not interested in getting my money back, even if it is frozen and simply she got angry and hang up the phone
This "where are you calling from" question helps a lot; since all of the scammers use VOIP forwarders, the calls come from various countries and they don't know the outgoing line, so it is difficult to tell you the correct country.
Second trick I use is, I ask them to give me phone number to call them back, or hang up the phone and try to call the last number. When you do that, you will see that that number cannot be called back - very big red flag.
Third, I ask them questions on what they know about me, most of the time the information they have is not updated, old address, old e-mail, old number, etc. It is another red flag for me.
Well, OP didn't. Yet some people are naive, or afraid, or have been told that in Switzerland there are a lot of controls and checks, etc., to which they must comply or else they'd lose their flat/permit, or whatever. Or they come from another country where such or other censure might have been plausible.
I once saw a documentary about scam call-centres, and one of the employees said it doesn't matter how many people say no and don't fall for the scam; they just keep calling, and if they manage one hit for every thousand calls, they consider it a successful day.
You would be suprised... Recently my FIL got the classic scam email from "his bank" and he is a bit clueless so forwarded to MIL asking about it. She saw it coming from him and took it as an "please execute" email and did as asked in the email and luckily only 2500 Euro where gone....
It's quite easy to be caught off guard and its why these scams work....
wooooowwww, if one in thousand makes them profitable, then we are screwed, this scam business will never end; because I am sure they will always find that 1 person who will naively pay them something.
they are hacking into the callers computers and deleting files. They download files of the contacts the scammers have been calling, call them back and convince them its a scam. They track down the scammers, mostly call centers in India and let them know the address they are calling from, sometimes what they are wearing and their personal details. They find them on social media and let them know they know all about them. In some cases they even manage to hack into the scammers computers and get money back.
If you are going to ask for a number to call them back, or look up a customer service number then you have to call from another phone, there have been cases where the scammers just stay on the line as you dial the correct customer service number, then play a ring tone and another scammer comes on the line.
May you be spared the gut-wrenching worry of eldercare...
These scammer are jackals. They know all the tricks to win an older person's confidence.
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A few years ago a story broke back home that an employee at a local senior services office had sold contact details of elderly folks enrolled in their program.
Suddenly scam activity directed at seniors exploded.
As many others have read, it can happen if the question comes from a certain angle, and if one doesn't have enough of a cynical attitude, or is vulnerable in some way. For me, no cold-caller ever gets further than when the line clicks or crackles a little, and they ask me if this is me. I just hang up.
I have, however, heard of people getting involved in a scammer conversation that started with: "I'm calling about..."
- the apartment you applied for
- your child's registration for the upcoming event
- the renewal of your subscription
- the ad you placed looking for a partner
- the refund from your medical insurance.
Naturally, if you don't subscribe to any publications or services, don't have any children, aren't trying to move home, are not looking for a new love, and have been in perfect health, then it's very obvious that this opening line simply can't be true. But if you are, just in that phase of your life, occupied with a certain matter, then the topic could be just enough of an opening line to get one involved.
When I registered for my health insurance 30 years ago, the insurance company decided to change my middle name as they didn't recognise the English version or the basic concept and so added it to my first name. This has proven to be the most helpful intervention ever, as most scam calls I receive originate from Assura's selling of my details. As soon as I hear that joining of my names and the extra "na" on the end, I simply put the phone down.
My elderly mother in the UK is plagued with scam calls. Luckily she is fully compos mentis and able to identify them, but many elderly people could so easily be suckered in. How do these people live with themselves??
I was living happily here for a few years without any phone scam, then out of a sudden since pandemic things changed. Honestly there's no one amongst people I know who would use such an old technology as phone line, so I muted it completely and just keep adding numbers to a blacklist.
I guess it started with one random call from telemarketers. I was bored siting in isolation that day and instead of hanging off I decided to have a chat. They asked about my health insurance coverage and costs, than tried to fish many personal details. Yeah I told them the cost and provider of my health insurance, phew, I would tell that anyone, but when they kept asking for more personal things, I told them fake name, fake address, and lots of made up stuff. The funny thing was that someone called me back within an hour, didn't sound pressing or fishy, but started with that they want to thank me for providing all the data that was so funny, but I laughed and hanged up since it was starting to be creepy
The scams keep coming because people keep falling for them. And scammers are clever/inventive. They only need a minimum of information about the potential victim in order to gain trust.
In the recent case of a friend, the caller spoke her native language perfectly, without accent. They had enough info to convince my friend that they were calling from the bank about a breach. She willingly handed over the rest of the details the scammer needed, despite another friend standing there urging her to just hang up. Her account was tens of thousands lower the next day. She's still fighting to get it back, because as the bank says, she gave away the info willingly.
The problem is that logical reasoning is overridden by emotions. That's our biological program. Thus the scammers are trying their lucky break to catch you in a moment when your logical brain is shut down. Not even talking about catching you after you took certain substances which makes you happy but stupid.