I didn't do it! Really, it wasn't me!
This has got to win some kind of prize for being a crazy nightmare of a scheme. Perhaps the scammner's method involves always calling a people from what appears to be their own number.
Read and learn from Marte's experience.
Should this happen to you, you may want to check with a County, state or federal authority to report this on record as fraud- and confirm it is definitely not connected with you.
We're all aware of the telemarketers, "phishers," and other scam artists that call our telephones incessantly. Lately, about half of the bogus calls I get are coming from the Idaho area code - and some are coming from our city prefix.
Because my phone rings all day with those calls I generally let the machine answer, unless I recognize the
number.
Imagine my shock last week when I did recognize the number - and the name - and it was my own!
The second time it happened, I answered it. It was a recording claiming to be Microsoft, telling me I had to change my IP address or my account would be cancelled. I should press 1 to be connected to a technician. I hung up.
After about the 4th call, I decided to see what was behind button #1. The recording told me to hold to take a short survey. After a few sesconds of silence, I got that angry-sounding disconnect tone.
Will our acquaintances think my husband and I are behind this scam?
This is a really small town, and during the years that I was involved with real estate, animal rescue, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Fireworks Fund, I became well known. My husband was a custom home builder, so he was known to yet another group of people.
If they get these calls, will they think we've gone over the deep end?
I called the phone company to see if there was anything to be done, and there is not. They said I could change my phone number, but what would that accomplish?
As my son pointed out, whatever new number I got may already be being used by these crooks.
Technology may be a wonderful thing, but when it allows crooks to clone your phone number and use it for nefarious purposes, I think it's a dangerous thing as well.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
marte@copybymarte.com
www.copybymarte.comPriest River, Idaho
208-448-1479
Call on Copy by Marte for:
Custom Web Copy....Agent Bios....E-mail Campaigns
Newsletters....Postcards....Custom Prospecting Letters
Articles....Blog Posts....Print AdsPLUS
Pre-written real estate letters that save you time and money -
and keep you in touch with your prospects.
Comments(0)