Foiling scammers - hanging up works every time
Parkland residents keep disappointing con artists
By PAULA BARR
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
The phone lines are heating up with calls from scammers. In the Parkland, however, they hang up frustrated.
A Bismarck woman foiled a scammer in a gentle but firm manner. The caller was a woman who was on hard times and had lost her children.
She had just received good news, but needed the Bismarck woman’s help.
“She called me by name and said, ‘Somebody gave me your name and said you would help me,’” said the Bismarck resident.
The scammer said Southwest Airlines had offered her “a good deal” an airplane ticket to get her children in Florida. She needed money to pay for the ticket. She did not explain how she planned to bring her children home with just one plane ticket.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry ma’am, we’re on a limited income. But I’ll pray for you,” the Bismarck woman answered. “She wasn’t happy about that. She tried a little bit longer to get me to pay, but I finally cut it off.”
The number came up as unknown. When the woman reported the call to the Sheriff’s Office, they told her it was a Sikeston area number.
The scammer has not called back, apparently seeking victims who are not as knowledgeable about illegal schemes.
A Bonne Terre woman would have been chagrined to learn that she owed a lot of money on her Capital One credit card — if she had one.
The man on the phone was insistent. The woman needed to pay her credit card bill or they would send her to collections.
“I’ve never had a Capital One card,” she told him.
He told her he needed to verify some information.
She responded, “I’m not giving you any information because I’ve never had a Capital One card!”
The scammer did not care for her attitude and grew angrier as she continued refusing to answer his questions. Finally, the woman had had enough.
“He asked for my birth date, and I just hung up,” she said. “He didn’t call back.”
A Farmington woman received her first scam ever in the mail, and it required her to make a phone call. The scam involved a check for $4,921.54 that she was to cash and send $2,998 back for government taxes. If she did, she would get $1.5 million.
Since this was her first, the woman thought it would be fun to hear what the scammer would say. She was supposed to call Joy Wilson.
“I called this lady twice, but she’s always away from her desk,” the woman said, a little disappointed. “I just got a recording.”
B.J. Robertson and Charlene Robertson have not signed up for the No Call list, but they think it might be time. Some of the calls they get from solicitors move past annoying.
“We’ve had several calls saying we have $6,000 or $8,000 in credit card, and they can lower it,” B.J. said. “I have some money on a gas card, but not that much!”
He suspects they only want his credit card number so they can use it illegally. The calls have come from Las Vegas, Massachusetts and other states, B.J. said.
“I don’t go any further. I hang up on them.”
Charlene said sometimes she listens to their spiels, while other times she just hangs up.
“We also are getting calls that the warranty is out on our car,” she said. “Well, we drive a 1993 car!”
Charlene think scammers target older people because they think older people will fall for their tricks.
“I get mad sometimes and I say, ‘none of your business’” she said. “Then I slam down the receiver.”
Whether you choose to slam the phone down or string along a scammer, refusing to provide information to a stranger on the phone is a smart idea.
The No Call law lets Missourians reduce unwanted telemarketing calls by signing up for the No Call list, managed by the Attorney General's Office. There is no cost to get on the list.
To sign up, call 866-662-2551 or register online at http://ago.mo.gov/nocalllaw/nocalllaw.htm. The Web site also offers a No Call quiz and frequently asked questions.
The Daily Journal has made a commitment to keep readers abreast of scams that hit our area. If someone tries to make you the victim of a scam, call us at 431-2010 and tell us what happened. We will include your story in our scam alert series to prepare others who may find themselves in the same situation. The Daily Journal will run Scam Alert stories in the paper every Monday.
A Bismarck woman foiled a scammer in a gentle but firm manner. The caller was a woman who was on hard times and had lost her children.
She had just received good news, but needed the Bismarck woman’s help.
“She called me by name and said, ‘Somebody gave me your name and said you would help me,’” said the Bismarck resident.
The scammer said Southwest Airlines had offered her “a good deal” an airplane ticket to get her children in Florida. She needed money to pay for the ticket. She did not explain how she planned to bring her children home with just one plane ticket.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry ma’am, we’re on a limited income. But I’ll pray for you,” the Bismarck woman answered. “She wasn’t happy about that. She tried a little bit longer to get me to pay, but I finally cut it off.”
The number came up as unknown. When the woman reported the call to the Sheriff’s Office, they told her it was a Sikeston area number.
The scammer has not called back, apparently seeking victims who are not as knowledgeable about illegal schemes.
A Bonne Terre woman would have been chagrined to learn that she owed a lot of money on her Capital One credit card — if she had one.
The man on the phone was insistent. The woman needed to pay her credit card bill or they would send her to collections.
“I’ve never had a Capital One card,” she told him.
He told her he needed to verify some information.
She responded, “I’m not giving you any information because I’ve never had a Capital One card!”
The scammer did not care for her attitude and grew angrier as she continued refusing to answer his questions. Finally, the woman had had enough.
“He asked for my birth date, and I just hung up,” she said. “He didn’t call back.”
A Farmington woman received her first scam ever in the mail, and it required her to make a phone call. The scam involved a check for $4,921.54 that she was to cash and send $2,998 back for government taxes. If she did, she would get $1.5 million.
Since this was her first, the woman thought it would be fun to hear what the scammer would say. She was supposed to call Joy Wilson.
“I called this lady twice, but she’s always away from her desk,” the woman said, a little disappointed. “I just got a recording.”
B.J. Robertson and Charlene Robertson have not signed up for the No Call list, but they think it might be time. Some of the calls they get from solicitors move past annoying.
“We’ve had several calls saying we have $6,000 or $8,000 in credit card, and they can lower it,” B.J. said. “I have some money on a gas card, but not that much!”
He suspects they only want his credit card number so they can use it illegally. The calls have come from Las Vegas, Massachusetts and other states, B.J. said.
“I don’t go any further. I hang up on them.”
Charlene said sometimes she listens to their spiels, while other times she just hangs up.
“We also are getting calls that the warranty is out on our car,” she said. “Well, we drive a 1993 car!”
Charlene think scammers target older people because they think older people will fall for their tricks.
“I get mad sometimes and I say, ‘none of your business’” she said. “Then I slam down the receiver.”
Whether you choose to slam the phone down or string along a scammer, refusing to provide information to a stranger on the phone is a smart idea.
The No Call law lets Missourians reduce unwanted telemarketing calls by signing up for the No Call list, managed by the Attorney General's Office. There is no cost to get on the list.
To sign up, call 866-662-2551 or register online at http://ago.mo.gov/nocalllaw/nocalllaw.htm. The Web site also offers a No Call quiz and frequently asked questions.
The Daily Journal has made a commitment to keep readers abreast of scams that hit our area. If someone tries to make you the victim of a scam, call us at 431-2010 and tell us what happened. We will include your story in our scam alert series to prepare others who may find themselves in the same situation. The Daily Journal will run Scam Alert stories in the paper every Monday.
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