I'd like to think all of you are smarter than this, but clearly there are some unknowing victims who fall for these phone calls that they continue. And, the operators sound quite insistent and firm that they are legitimate and not scam-artists even when told to their face (well, it's by phone, so not "face") that no, thank you I'm not interested in your scam. "No, ma'am, this isn't a scam. This is legitimate".
I didn't have a home phone back when I was most recently living in the states, and my cell phone number used to belong to a woman who apparently applied for a lot of pay period loans and was surprisingly behind on her credit cards, so I didn't answer my phone unless I knew the caller.
But now, for some reason, I get amused answering the home phone. My wife thinks I'm nuts to participate in these calls, but I get some sort of amusement. Until I get pissed that is. Maybe that's the part my wife worries about? Nah.
I love the ones that call insisting my computer is having a problem, and they are the ones to fix it. Since, gees, I got my computer oh, several years before I ever arrived here, and my wife didn't have a computer that she used before I came, so I know there is no computer registered to this phone number here.
But this morning they called again telling me that Microsoft has not been able to update my computer. Amusing, really given that yesterday when I shut it down it did update. So, I called him on it. He said, quite insistently, that no, there was a problem, and if I would let him, he would gladly show me what is wrong with my computer. I was quite clear there was no way I was allowing him to remotely access my computer, thank you very much.
He never gave in. Eventually I bid him a good day and hung up on him. But I know there are people who actually believe them. In fact, when we went to the RCMP to get fingerprints for me, there was a guy ahead of us in line who was stopping by to make a complaint about having been scammed just like that.
It is tough, in this day and age, to figure out sometimes what is and what isn't safe. My wife is surprised that I don't have more apps for games downloaded given how much I enjoy playing them - but the reality is that I'm scared to download apps much because even though there hasn't been much on iPhone viruses, I don't want to be one of the first to find out. Ideally iTunes and the App store would weed out damaging apps, but I still am anxious. I don't download stuff if I don't know where it's come from, for the most part, but it is impossible in today's day and age to always be that careful. Sometimes there is no choice.
But people, PLEASE, take basic common sense in dealing with the electronic world and with the real world. Ask questions. Don't just take some stranger's word for it. Use your own head and trust yourself. And if you don't know, ask someone else you trust.
Please.
But in the meantime, if you want to be amused along with me by the idiots who try, then please, be my guest. :)
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