Grand Parent Scam

ABC123 · Uber Guru

Grand Parent Scam

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Randy, same happend to my 89 year old (at the time) FIL. 3 years ago.

The scam attempt started (we think) with two calls a week apart from a Iowa number asking about a compressor for sale. Of course him being very trusting, spend a lot of time chatting with them as old timers do. We figure this was a "feeling out" attempt.

The Grandson call came a week after, needed $2000, but he had piece of mind to call us first. Same MO, let him guess the name.

And he still swears it sounded like his grandson, swears by it.

Crazy.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

My mother in law is 96 and lives on her own. We have told her many times about this scam and told her to NEVER give out any credit card info or any cash etc without contacting us first. One of the kids does almost all her financial duties anyway so we feel fairly safe. I know there was a news story here a few months back about someone local being caught in this one.

LeeRoy · Guru

4SPEED427 wrote:
My mother in law is 96 and lives on her own. We have told her many times about this scam and told her to NEVER give out any credit card info or any cash etc without contacting us first. One of the kids does almost all her financial duties anyway so we feel fairly safe. I know there was a news story here a few months back about someone local being caught in this one.

My brother gets the same call once or twice a year. He doesnt have any grand kids. He politely tells them to call me but says he cant remember my number lol.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

We actually worry about my wife's father. He's 92 and live alone. The one saving grace is he lives on the same street as us, so we're there every day.

But we still worry about him giving out card information. The time is probably near for us to take full control. He's just too trusting.

ARCADIAN · Poncho Master!

The scams continue and I have a theory. In my case they started when I applied for my CPP at age 60, now going on 71. It makes me wonder if someone working for the CPP office in Ottawa may have a link to someone providing them information. It just seemed to be more than a coincidence that it started with me at that time in my life. They seem to target us seniors on a regular basis, duct cleaning, computer problems, bank charges, credit card charges, amazon charges (I wish I could meet some of these crooks, can only say they would need their health coverage paid up). My Rant.

-- Edited by ARCADIAN on Thursday 6th of January 2022 03:48:55 PM

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I'm getting texts almost daily saying I owe money to UPS, USPS etc. I block the number and it returns under another number. I thought there was supposed to be a system in place to stop all these spam calls and texts?

ARCADIAN · Poncho Master!

So much for the do not call list Todd. About a year ago I spoke with a member of the RCMP London Detachment about the ongoing calls, emails etc. and told him my theory. He agreed that there was far too much information available to these crooked individuals and that there wasn't a lot of hope in catching them. So I guess we just have to accept the crookedness and be wary of their tactics!

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I think they know old crazy people hang out on old car sites?

I used to get lots on my old land line, gave it up and most havent found me yet. Are these calls coming to land lines? I only have an iPhone now.

65Camino · Uber Guru

Told someone if they ever call like that think of someone elses name and use that. If they carry on with that we know its not legit.

65Camino · Uber Guru

Also these people always want gift cards. Which Ive also told, said would be an alarm.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

I never get scam emails/calls. I guess, because basically I'm off the grid a lot. biggrin

I have no cellphone and I'm only on the internet, on trusted sites (I think), one hour of each day.

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Get scam calls fairly regularly, but not often. Most times, I understand, they spoof numbers so it looks like they are calling from places other than where they are. Somebody even spoofed our number one day, as I had a lady call and ask if I had called her (nobody here had even used the phone that day). She described the classic "credit card company reporting suspicious charges" scam, and I explained what probably happened to her. I had a couple of those, calling early in the morning and hoping to wake you up and trick you while you're groggy.

Get them to both my landline and cell phone. Anecdotally the cell phone calls have increased since most online purchase sites now require a phone number to complete the transaction, and since the pandemic I do way more online purchases than before (which will stop once this crap is over with).

For me, it has gotten to the point that if I don't recognize the number, I won't answer it. If it's important they'll leave a message. Scammers never leave a message unless it's some pre-recorded thing (like I've won a cruise or something... though I think the cruise thing is passe now).

I can't say on this board what I'd like to do to those scammers if I ever were able to catch one in person... furious Lowest form of life on the planet, IMHO.

65Camino · Uber Guru

MC wrote:
I had a couple of those, calling early in the morning and hoping to wake you up and trick you while you're groggy.

Remember most of these calls originate in another hemisphere's time zone. These people are wide awake ready to scam....

mike667 · Poncho Master!

I got call control on my cell. Because I was getting pissed with the spam cra scam messages.. Now When someone calls me. They have to enter the number it asks for before reaching my number and ringing.
After adding that feature on my cell. No spam calls, telemarketers, nothing of the sort anymore

-- Edited by mike667 on Friday 7th of January 2022 03:40:03 PM

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

I recently had an unknown caller without a phone number. I didnt answer and listened to the message left on my phone. The caller (North American womans voice) said that I could upgrade my ATT account and left a call back number to call between 9 and 5 pacific time. I dont have an ATT account and the account for my bell service is in my wifes name.

Paul

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

65Camino wrote:
MC wrote:
I had a couple of those, calling early in the morning and hoping to wake you up and trick you while you're groggy.
Remember most of these calls originate in another hemisphere's time zone. These people are wide awake ready to scam....

Then they must be calling other Canadian and American time zones even earlier, since I'm in AST. You'd think they'd adjust their schedule to when their target time zone was awake.

65Camino · Uber Guru

mike667 wrote:
I got call control on my cell. Because I was getting pissed with the spam cra scam messages.. Now When someone calls me. They have to enter the number it asks for before reaching my number and ringing.

What is this feature you talk of ? Where, how do you get it ?

mike667 · Poncho Master!

65Camino wrote:
mike667 wrote:
I got call control on my cell. Because I was getting pissed with the spam cra scam messages.. Now When someone calls me. They have to enter the number it asks for before reaching my number and ringing.

What is this feature you talk of ? Where, how do you get it ?

Its called Call Control You activate when you sign into your mobility account or cell provider Account. Mine is with Telus, they call it call control. Im not sure what others offer or what its called with the other providers. It was free too.. I just had to go into my account and click Call control to On.

So when someone calls it will say to the caller to get through and complete your call to this individual please press _#_

-- Edited by mike667 on Friday 7th of January 2022 05:50:03 PM

65Camino · Uber Guru

mike667 wrote:
65Camino wrote:
mike667 wrote:
I got call control on my cell. Because I was getting pissed with the spam cra scam messages.. Now When someone calls me. They have to enter the number it asks for before reaching my number and ringing.
What is this feature you talk of ? Where, how do you get it ?
Its called Call Control You activate when you sign into your mobility account or cell provider Account. Mine is with Telus, they call it call control. Im not sure what others offer or what its called with the other providers. It was free too.. I just had to go into my account and click Call control to On.
So when someone calls it will say to the caller to get through and complete your call to this individual please press _#_

Thanks !

Looked for it on my Fido accounts webpage to no avail. If someone else with Fido knows this please post.