Someone tried to phone scam me. Please read so you don't fall for it

[MelchyBeau]

I get a phone call from "star communications". They offer me a $500 shopping spree. I am broke so this is very tempting, but in my head alarm bells ring. So while this guy is talking on and on and on and on, I begin to search the web.

I find these websites. LINK (http://www.kimatv.com/x3443.xml?ParentPageID=x3738&ContentID=x52575&Layo ut=KIMA.xsl&AdGroupID=x3443&NewsSection=)

Link (http://www.thelocalbbb.com/alerts/alerts.html?newsid=697&newstype=1)

[ QUOTE ]


Consumers contacted by Star Communications are asked to sign up for a membership of some sort on a trial basis. As an incentive, they will receive $500 worth of coupons for gasoline, restaurants, automotive services, movie passes, long-distance services, etc.

To claim the coupons, callers are told they need to supply a bank account number in order to withdraw a $4.95 processing fee. They're also told that they have up to seven days to cancel their membership or they will be charged a membership fee between $19.95 and $99.95.

Consumers who accepted the offer said they were unable to cancel their membership before the company withdrew funds on their account, they were charged hundreds of dollars and they never received the coupons.

In June, the Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau alerted consumers to a similar scam connected to Star Communications. At that time, Spokane residents received cold calls indicating they won a gift certificate for $500 from a local mall or grocery. The caller then claimed that the amount was too small to issue a money order, and asked for a bank account number in order to withdraw a $4.95 transaction fee.

[/ QUOTE ]

Melch

[stabn]

If you didn't fall for it i'm pretty sure no one else in OOT would.

[whiskeytown]

I want to kill people like this - you know they're preying on the elderly -

rb

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So while this guy is talking on and on and on and on,

[/ QUOTE ]

That was you?

[willie]

[ QUOTE ]
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So while this guy is talking on and on and on and on,

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That was you?

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god damn that is one funny ass nick and picture....

[jokerthief]

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So while this guy is talking on and on and on and on,

[/ QUOTE ]

That was you?

[/ QUOTE ]

You can do better than that. Disappointing.

[Los Feliz Slim]

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You can do better than that. Disappointing.

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So while this guy is talking on and on and on and on,

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That was you?

[/ QUOTE ]

You can do better than that. Disappointing.

[/ QUOTE ]

My apologies. I felt rushed. I was hurriedly posting between sales calls, my friend.

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You can do better than that. Disappointing.

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[InchoateHand]

http://narang.com/images/rubber_goods_surgical_medical/th_douchbag.jpg

[rusty JEDI]

[ QUOTE ]
I want to kill people like this - you know they're preying on the elderly -

rb

[/ QUOTE ]

What makes elderly people so dumb?

Do you get dumber as you get older or is it a result of less education back when they were young?

rJ

[jokerthief]

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http://narang.com/images/rubber_goods_surgical_medical/th_douchbag.jpg

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Wow! Just wow! I thought Patrick had the POTD. Guess not.

[jokerthief]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I want to kill people like this - you know they're preying on the elderly -

rb

[/ QUOTE ]

What makes elderly people so dumb?

Do you get dumber as you get older or is it a result of less education back when they were young?

rJ

[/ QUOTE ]

It's because they belong to a different paradigm then us. There wasn't nearly as many con men or marketers when they were growing up. If someone said something, it usually was completely true. You and I are very cynical and this helps us to avoid scams in the information age. Technology is intuitive to you and I. To the elderly it's overwhelming. The pace at which this world is changing is overwhelming to them. This leads to easily believing the absurd.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
I get a phone call from "star communications". They offer me a $500 shopping spree. I am broke so this is very tempting,

[/ QUOTE ]

Guys like you give Idi wet dreams.

[spamuell]

[ QUOTE ]
It's because they belong to a different paradigm then us. There wasn't nearly as many con men or marketers when they were growing up. If someone said something, it usually was completely true. You and I are very cynical and this helps us to avoid scams in the information age. Technology is intuitive to you and I. To the elderly it's overwhelming. The pace at which this world is changing is overwhelming to them. This leads to easily believing the absurd.

[/ QUOTE ]

No wonder they think we're stupid (I'm 19).

[Blarg]

I think being old is like being drunk. You lose your judgment and become more likely to believe stupid stuff, like your car is running at dangerous speed and nobody will notice how you smell, or as with drunks, that you're pretty good looking and nobody will notice how you smell.

[Brainwalter]

[ QUOTE ]
I get a phone call from "star communications". They offer me a $500 shopping spree. I am broke so this is very tempting, but in my head alarm bells ring. So while this guy is talking on and on and on and on, I begin to search the web.

I find these websites. LINK (http://www.kimatv.com/x3443.xml?ParentPageID=x3738&ContentID=x52575&Layo ut=KIMA.xsl&AdGroupID=x3443&NewsSection=)

Link (http://www.thelocalbbb.com/alerts/alerts.html?newsid=697&newstype=1)

[ QUOTE ]


Consumers contacted by Star Communications are asked to sign up for a membership of some sort on a trial basis. As an incentive, they will receive $500 worth of coupons for gasoline, restaurants, automotive services, movie passes, long-distance services, etc.

To claim the coupons, callers are told they need to supply a bank account number in order to withdraw a $4.95 processing fee. They're also told that they have up to seven days to cancel their membership or they will be charged a membership fee between $19.95 and $99.95.

Consumers who accepted the offer said they were unable to cancel their membership before the company withdrew funds on their account, they were charged hundreds of dollars and they never received the coupons.

In June, the Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau alerted consumers to a similar scam connected to Star Communications. At that time, Spokane residents received cold calls indicating they won a gift certificate for $500 from a local mall or grocery. The caller then claimed that the amount was too small to issue a money order, and asked for a bank account number in order to withdraw a $4.95 transaction fee.

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Melch

[/ QUOTE ]

So you're saying I shouldn't give my bank account information to a stranger who just called me on the phone?

[Pirc Defense]

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There wasn't nearly as many con men or marketers when they were growing up. If someone said something, it usually was completely true.

[/ QUOTE ]

You've got to be kidding me? Every single scam making the rounds today originated during the days you're being an apologist for. Snake tonic? Truth in advertising scams? Half of the laws we have on the books today came about specifically to stop all the scamming that was happening to the unaware consumer. Just because the "Nigerian" scams are being executed via the internet doesn't mean that the same damn scam, under a different name, wasn't a big money maker back in the day.

Please tell me you were just bluffing.

[jokerthief]

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There wasn't nearly as many con men or marketers when they were growing up. If someone said something, it usually was completely true.

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Please tell me you were just bluffing.

[/ QUOTE ]

No. If you can't understand that technology has made scams much easier to pull off, then there is no hope for you. You will live your life in idiocy.

[Pirc Defense]

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You will live your life in idiocy.

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Solid response.

Pardon me for believing that scams have existed ever since humans have been around. Technology of course allows for different types of scams, but they all involve taking money from a sucker. Our grandfathers had to avoid grifters and travelling snake oil salesman, just like we must now avoid distressed Nigerians and phishing ploys. See, only the names have changed.

This idiocy thing isn't so bad.

[Ray Zee]

some people will get taken anyway by some person. thats the way life is. with the phone stuff anyone that gets taken almost deserves it as you have heard many places that you never do any business over the phone or internet with someone you do not know and didnt contact yourself. and never give bank info to unknowns.
old people some of which are lonely and trusting. some cant say no, get taken in. if the penalties were severe it might stop. but they have to watch out for themselves also.