I know it is an attempt at a scam, but how was it supposed to work?

[Packard]

Yesterday, at 5:02 p.m., I received a text:

It’s Brent. I’m at the door. Can u send someone down pleas

The first hint is that I live in a one-story rambler in exurbia.  There is no higher ground to send someone down by.

The second hint is that the phone number indicated is not real.  It does not exist.

But how is this supposed to have worked?  To what end?

I like to understand scam attempts.  It makes is easier to know how to deal with them.  But this one has me completely confused.

Any ideas?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

This is a well-documented type of scam which is intended to get you interacting. For instance, if you had responded "You have the wrong number", the scammer then says "Oh, so sorry to bother you. How's your day going?....". These scams intentionally weed-out the savvy, instead focusing on the most vulnerable who, by responding, self-identify as an "easy mark".

 

[Packard]

That makes sense.  I was anticipating something more sinister though.

Thanks for the reply.

Packard

 

[six-point socket II]

It's really a critically thin line these days.

A couple of days ago I got a text that I had a missed call and no message was left. But there had been no call. So I was about to delete the message since I was sure it's spam, wanting to initiate a call back or whatever.

Curiosity got me and I did a quick search on the number, turns out the number is legit and belongs to the new pharmacy I'm using now - that's why I didn't recognize it. I called them back, and in fact they had called me - for whatever reason my phone never rang - they wanted to talk to me about my prescriptions. ...

On one hand I'm all in favor of: "If it is important they will call again or write ..." because you just can't be sure these days that it is not a scam of some sort. Then again, stuff like the above happens, and I keep thinking, maybe not everyone is after me, after all? lol.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[GoingMyWay]

Apparently it's referred to as "Pig Butchering."  Pleasant Green did a video on it not too long ago:


I personally like to respond and waste their time, since I have nothing better to do with my own time.  I occasionally also answer unknown phone numbers when they call.  Usually the caller hangs up relatively quickly when they realize that I'm just messing with them.  I recently got a call from the "Department of Justice" that I managed to keep on the phone for about 10 minutes.  I think the longest call was over 30 minutes.  I was able to get the person to admit they were a scammer, but then I think someone else was listening on the line and disconnected the call.

 

[Packard]

It was not scams, but stock brokers were calling all the time at work in the 1980s.

I would say to them, “Listen, if you have some insider information, I would be interested…”.

They would hang up so fast that it was magical.

 

[ChuckM]

Scam-callers...are self identified if they don't leave a message in the voice-mail because I never take any calls whose numbers are unknown to me. Most scam-callers don't leave a message.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

All cellphone numbers in the UK begin with ‘07’. The scammers have technology which allows their number to be disguised as a cell number even though they’re usually calling from India. Guys like me who take multiple calls from customer cells every day can easily get caught out. So unless the number’s in my phone book - I don’t answer. If it’s a genuine number - they’ll leave a voicemail.

 

[Packard]

Robo call machines can dial 10 or 20 numbers at a time.  When one of those calls are answered, it drops the rest. 

Most answering machines pick up after 4 rings.  I always wait until the 4th ring to pick up.  In most cases the call has already dropped my line and gone through with one of the others.  If I had a setting that allowed 6 rings, I’ll bet that none of the robo calls would go through to my line.

 

[Sparktrician]

I've got my cell phone set to reject all calls from numbers not in my contact list  It works remarkably well.  That said, I still get scam callers leaving the same message over and over again.  The larger problem I see is that neither the FTC nor the FCC seem to be capable of taking the scam callers down.  I've sent detailed lists of the calls received with dates and times, often including the numbers that are left for call-backs, to both the FCC and FTC, yet these jackasses seem to keep on calling and leaving messages on my voicemail.  I keep imagining the joy I'd feel seeing my Remington 870 tenderly adjusting their equipment...  [scared]

 

[Packard]

I've got my cell phone set to reject all calls from numbers not in my contact list  It works remarkably well.  That said, I still get scam callers leaving the same message over and over again.  The larger problem I see is that neither the FTC nor the FCC seem to be capable of taking the scam callers down.  I've sent detailed lists of the calls received with dates and times, often including the numbers that are left for call-backs, to both the FCC and FTC, yet these jackasses seem to keep on calling and leaving messages on my voicemail.  I keep imagining the joy I'd feel seeing my Remington 870 tenderly adjusting their equipment...  [scared]

It maybe that reporting is having an effect, though you might not notice it.  I emboldened the key phrase below.

This, from the FCC website:

If you receive a scam call, file a complaint with the FCC Consumer Complaint Center by selecting the "phone" option and selecting "unwanted calls." The data we collect helps us track trends and supports our enforcement investigations.
https://www.fcc.gov/spoofed-robocalls

 

[Kevin D.]

I tell them I'll do anything they want as long as they talk dirty to me.  [blink]

Then I ask them to wait a few seconds while I disrobe and get more comfortable.  [scared]

 

[peter halle]

I tell them I'll do anything they want as long as they talk dirty to me.  [blink]

Then I ask them to wait a few seconds while I disrobe and get more comfortable.  [scared]

[eek] [eek] [eek].

Peter

 

[Cheese]

It was not scams, but stock brokers were calling all the time at work in the 1980s.

Hmmm...I'd much rather receive calls from stock brokers than from bill collectors. How come you're so lucky?  [wink]

 

[Packard]

Yesterday, at 5:02 p.m., I received a text:

It’s Brent. I’m at the door. Can u send someone down pleas

The first hint is that I live in a one-story rambler in exurbia.  There is no higher ground to send someone down by.

The second hint is that the phone number indicated is not real.  It does not exist.

Brent’s back.  He sent me this text:

Door pleas

But I just let him stay out in the cold overnight.  I know I was inconsiderate, but that is sometimes how I am.

[big grin]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The ones I get all the time are from real estate "investors" who are looking to buy my house. They comb through the county property records and make cold-calls to home owners.
This is more concentrated near the first of the month, but does continue all month, then gets more frequent again the next month.
They never refer to it as a house....they say "property". I assume they are either trying to start (or add to) becoming a landlord. Several years ago it was "flippers" who would buy, do the renovations themselves, and re-sell. Seems like lately everyone is looking for the passive income of rentals?

 

[Packard]

I’m pretty sure that the stock brokers of the 1980s were pretty benign compared to today’s scams.

But Robo calling was new, and they provided the first deluge.  Charities came next.  Then scams. 

The technology has driven this.  Robo machines dial dozens of numbers at a time and puts the call through to the first one that answers.  So it could be 20 or more times more efficient than dialing yourself. 

The tech has spawned both Federal and local legislation.  This from the Feds:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2023/10/protecting-americans-from-robocalls#

Apparently, the technology has enabled scammers to fleece people of a cumulative billions of dollars, though I hear about most being in the $5,000.00 + range.