Fun with scammers

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by CarlG

The one that is plaguing me lately is the Car Warranty people. I swear I get 4 or 5 calls a week from several different area codes all trying to pitch the "your warranty is about to expire (or has expired) on your Lincoln". That is if they ever come on the line. A lot of the time I can recognize the same voice, even though caller ID shows they are calling from Atlanta, Chicago, Kentucky, or wherever. I have asked them "which car?" and then tell them I don't own one. Once or twice they then have asked what I do own, when I tell them it's a 1931 Ford Pickup, they just hang up. But never fear, 2 days later they are back.

Once again they do it because it works and people fall for it all the time. Gonna be interesting in 40 years when my generation is the "old" generation - will telemarketers and scam people exist?

[Rene R]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

I understand that even replying (read baiting) can give them your IP address.

Not with Gmail, Outlook, and several others. They strip the IP, all that shows in the header is the location of their own servers (Mountain View, CA for Gmail).

But there's nothing a scammer can do with an IP anyway. It gives your general location but it would require a court order to pin it down to you personally. I don't think many scammers try to get court orders against baiters.

[C26Pinelake]

And what about when you have an overnight package sent to your home? With your address your name comes pretty easy. And if you get a vengeful criminal he can show up at your house at any time of the day or night. I personally find it foolish, not funny. Wayne

[1929]

When they ask for my info, I tell them Herman Munster 1313 Mockingbird lane Transylvania. I had more fun with the IRS scammers, kept them on the phone for 20 minutes, he really thought I was on my way to the bank.

[Synchro909]

When my son in law listed a car for sale a while back, the ad had only been up for minutes when he received a text enquiring about his "auto". That is a term we just don't use in this country. A dead give away.
I haven't had any scammers for many years but I am aware of people who don't have a website receiving an email saying "we were browsing your website" and offer upgrades etc.
A friend with a restoration workshop gets calls all the time on his land line offering telecommunications deals and as a bonus, they will upgrade his website. They can't believe it when he says that he doesn't have a website but they don't give up - "Wow, could we ever improve your business" they say. Most give up when he says that he doesn't even own a computer, mobile phone or even a fax machine and he can't handle the work he is getting now. One or two really persistent ones have then asked what sort of business could that be. Even they give up when he tells them he restores cars, mostly from the 1920's. These foreign callers have probably never seen such a car and we can only imagine the reaction at the other end of the line.

[Mike V. Florida]

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Originally Posted by SeaSlugs

hahaha FYI if I ever get someone who seems legit but theres a doubt in my mind or their being suspicious I always say we can meet at my local police stations parking lot. Or state police parking lot, or I mention a very busy gas station and inform them there is always an officer stopping by on break.

IF they are legit and have nothing to hide the police shouldn't scare em off, as a buyer of craigslist stuff id prefer to meet at a police station or high traffic area.

I have read the some larger cities have set up special areas for "craiglist" meet ups. They are patrolled and have a good amount of cameras and signs stating so.