By Debra Houston | In a more innocent age, the family phone was our friend. It seldom rang, and when it did, you’d say, “Honey, could you get that?” Now you say, “Wait! DON’T!” The modern LAN (Local Area Network) phone has become a nuisance and a thief.
Mr. Anonymous calls on weekend mornings while my family sleeps. I answer and get dead silence. Privacy advocates say these calls test to see if you have a live line.
“Hi, this is Rachel.” Robocall Rachel has a great credit card deal for me. Actually she wants my card number so she can steal me blind. She says, “Hold on while I find a real human to swindle you.”(My interpretation.) Actually, you’re well advised to hang up.
My Caller ID is linked to my TV. If an unfamiliar area code pops up onscreen, I ignore it. If the number is legit, the caller can leave a message on the answering machine.
Recently a couple of robocalls left irate messages. The first featured a man claiming to work for the IRS. He said I owed back taxes. If I didn’t call back, the FBI would arrest me. That same day another loudmouth called, said he worked for the FBI, and that I faced a lengthy prison term for not paying taxes. He also ordered me to call back.
Skillful scammers use untraceable “local” numbers. One came from a man with a thick Middle Eastern accent. He wanted to update my Windows. I told him I didn’t own a PC. When he replied, “No problem, I will help you,” that’s when I smelled a rat.
Rumor has it that the “Windows” scam comes from Pakistan. With your help, the caller steals financial records from your computer. It sounds like a plot from a John Grisham thriller: Terrorists steal from Americans to fund killing them.
I asked the Windows guy for his name. He said, “Ted Turner.” I couldn’t suppress my laughter. He said, “You should be ashamed for laughing at me,” and hung up.
Weeks went by, and he called again. When he mentioned Windows, I said in my best Nancy Grace voice, “Sir, you are a scam.”
“That is impossible,” he answered. “I cannot be a scam. I can only be a scammer.”
We can’t expect our politicians to fix the robocall problem — they’re the biggest abusers of all. You’ll find out when Donald Trump calls you before the Georgia Primary in March. That should really scare you.
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