What Do YOU Think?

[grannygrump]

I just had a call from a feller with a strange accent, I dubbed him a Nigerian. When I answered the pho, he didn't call me by name, did not identify himself or where he was calling from... just called me "Ma'am". He said he was calling me about my computer. I asked him to repeat that and he did and asked, "You DO have a computer, don't you?" I said I did, but why did it concern him? He started a song and dance about when I get on the computer it's sending signals out all over the world... did I know that? I sez, "SO"? And he came back with I could be picking up viruses, dangerous ones that could ruin my computer, & other malware that could cause it to crash.

I asked, "& you want me to do what?" He said for me to go in and get on my computer and let him check it out..... And that's as far as I let him get. I sez, "You must take me for some kind of a damn fool... I don't know you from Adam, and you want me to go in and get hooked up with you on the computer? I don't think so! I don't know what you have up your skinny little sleeve, but I seriously doubt it's to help ME, so you go peddle your crappy talk some place else, and don't you bother me again, do you understand?" There was dead silence and I hung up.

Anyone else got this kind of a goofy call? gg janelle

[mowmud]

I generally try to play along to glean as much info as possible. Yup, when my landline rings, I expect the worse. I answer in my best old and feeble voice. I can put up with it until I hit the gazzoober point... then I rip 'em up.

We used to get calls from the local newspaper (crap) ALL the time. I finally asked them if they offered a braille edition as I'm blind. None of them type of calls since.

No, I'm not blind but it makes good banter. DON'T let anybody access your computer that you don't trust completly.

Wow look at all the new icons over here in the testing thread. Neat.

[1CHICKENMAN]

I HAVE BEEN GETTING THESE SAME CALLS LATELY ,ABOUT TWICE A WEEK .A SOON AS I HEAR THAT VOICE I HANG UP .ELLO ELLO DO YOU HAVE YOUR COMPUTER ON? DO YOU USE WINDOWS?.

[grannygrump]

Thanks, Mowmud and Chickenman. I was hoping I'd done the right thing. I don't pretend to be smart about computers, but I remember back years ago, when I first got one, something awful happened to it. Don't recall exactly what it was. But couldn't use it. I talked to my bro in Calif, and he told me he couldn't help me but had a friend that could and would. It was a mystery to me how a man in CA could fix a computer in TX, but he did exactly that, in a very short time. But that also showed me that if he'd been a different kind of a man, he could also have destroyed my computer, long distance.

All this flashed through my mind when the nut called, and I am sure he is a nut, as he didn't try to explain who he was or WHY he was calling.

Thank you both, for your input. Every little bit helps! gg

[~Lenore]

I tell them I do NOT have a computer. They hang up very fast to go after the next potential victim.

[grannygrump]

I had thought of that after I hung up, but now I think I'll lie too! Thanks! gg

[mowmud]

It is not a lie if the person you are talking to is a scammer and you don't know them from Jack. They called you right?

[grannygrump]

I have a 'police whistle' in my pocket and now I'm using it when I get a live telemarketer on line. By the time I've stopped blowing LOUD, they've hung up. That 'do not call' thing they came up with is about as useless as anything I've seen. We get a 'freeze the interest on your credit card' every week, sometimes twice, numerous requests to take part in surveys, 'ABSOLUTELY FREE' medical alert danglers, plus security crap for the windows and doors which will be FREE if we just let them put signs in the yard... and on and on and on.

I don't know if BLOWING THE WHISTLE actually does any good, but at least it gives me a chuckle. And maybe gives them a new topic when they take a coffee break. I long for the good ole days when a phone wasn't necessary. gg