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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Told him to PISS OFF!!

206 replies

Aprilsinparis · 12/09/2018 08:43

Had yet another phone call telling me that my internet had been hacked by someone in America, and if I hand over my computer access to this person, they could "fix it". I told him I am sick to death of these scams, he told me to shut up, and I told him to PISS OFF! AIBU to think they will probably keep ringing all the time because I lost my temper.

OP posts:
Woolythoughts · 12/09/2018 12:21

I refuse to talk to anyone who has the call guardian / call screening in place.

I won't call a friend of mine because of it.

I just think its totally anti social. Much better to learn to just ignore the cold callers

Thymeout · 12/09/2018 12:27

I know 2 people who have actually been scammed by someone saying their bank account has been hacked - 'We're sending a courier to collect your card and, um, we need to know your PIN.' I know it sounds daft, but they can be very plausible. One pretended to be from the police.

Fortunately, when I was called by someone who said he was head of security for Visa and MasterCard - really? They're 2 different companies. - I was on full alert. They told me someone had charged a 3 figure purchase from Amazon to my bank account. So I just sweetly said, 'Oh thank you so much for telling me. I'll ring my bank.' And put the phone down.

Btw, re the BT call screener, check that calls from, say a hospital, can get through. A friend was critically ill, but the ward was unable to contact her next-of-kin.

Original poster
Aprilsinparis · 12/09/2018 12:27

My SIL has just answered the phone for me, and in her best Betty Davis impersonation, she sang 'I've written a letter to Daddy' from 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' I don't know who was more scared, him or me.Grin

OP posts:
getoffthathistoricrelic · 12/09/2018 12:31

My parents had one yesterday claiming to be BT. After politely expressing no interest my father told them to fuck off and put the phone down. “Roger” called back and told my mother to get her dumb husband as he was going to switch her internet off. She told him to go ahead and put the phone down. He called again and called her a “very old feeble woman.” They let it go to answer phone after that but it gave them a good laugh.

murphys · 12/09/2018 12:31

I feel slightly left out now and I don't know what these calls are for that you need to access your laptop. Not in UK but we get loads selling insurance, mobile phone contracts etc. Yesterday I was having a particularly slow day and and unknown number rang on my mobile. Normally i don't answer them as its normally one of those recorded messages. Well this time there was a lady who was clearly reading from her script sheet, trying to sell me life insurance. Right at the beginning of the call I said no thanks, and then she started with the BUT... and began her waffling reading off script, not even letting me get a word in. So i put the phone down on my desk and carried on with what I was doing, and about 10 mins later I could hear her voice slowing a bit so picked up the phone again. She asked me again if im interested, i said no. Off she went again telling me about all these dreadful things that could happen to me, being in a car accident, having a heart attack etc.. and then she said, so can i sign you up. To which I replied no thanks, i did say that about 20 minutes ago. She gave a big sigh and hung up on me.

Blondebakingmumma · 12/09/2018 12:34

Tell them you don’t own a computer

Theweasleytwins · 12/09/2018 12:40

I had a call from an english sounding woman-about an accident not being my fault. The only accident ive been in was my fault so knew it was a scam

Said she was a mean person and a liar then hung up😅felt bad but im grumpy and pregnant. Plus some nasty person got my elderly grandad to give them his sort code so i hate cold callers

CountArthursgroupie · 12/09/2018 12:48

💐 for @Creeper8 's mum.

thegreylady · 12/09/2018 12:54

I just say,”I don’t accept cold calls” and hang up though I did once say”Not again, get a life!”

anxiousinamsterdam · 12/09/2018 14:09

Does anybody know if Sky has a similar Call Safe or Call Gaurdian feature? I'm amazed they're not publicised more!

Tobebythesea · 12/09/2018 14:49

Best story I’ve read on MM was when one poster went along with the IT security scam phone call but used her child’s toy laptop!

SilverySurfer · 12/09/2018 16:09

On one occasion I managed to send a Microsoft scammer bonkers by saying oh thank you, I desperately need help. I could hear them rubbing their hands with glee until I rambled on for about 40 mins asking them how I could mend the broken integral coffee cup holder on my comp (disk drive) Grin

If it's a cold call selling something etc I am always polite and say no thank you before replacing the receiver. If its an ambulance chaser we have a pleasant chat before I tell them I can't claim anything or sue anyone since I died in the accident - some of them let rip with a few choice words to which I just laugh

dramaattheschoolgate · 12/09/2018 16:18

We get the talktalk scam one regularly. As we are no longer talktalk customers, it is easy to know we are being scammed.

Dh sometimes plays along - so, you are calling from talktalk, have you got my customer number in front of you? No? How about the amount of my lats bill? Any account details at all? How can you be calling from talk talk then?

But he does also often say:
You are not from TalkTalk, you are a scam, I hope you are proud knowing that you are deceiving people and stealing their money.

That quickly puts a stop to them

GrumpyOlderBloke · 12/09/2018 19:36

@PurpleCrazyHorse glad to help.

@Woolythoughts if it helps you can PM me and I'll give you my telephone number so you can ignore it. Otherwise I fail to grasp the point you were trying to make.

LyndorCake · 12/09/2018 19:51

I pretend to be a child. I say hello, they give me their ramble, then I tell them that I'm not aspost to talk to strangers and shout for my mummy and tell them that a strange man or lady want my name. They often hang up and I never hear from them again

Doubletrouble99 · 12/09/2018 21:55

Have call Guardian on our land line but I get them on my mobile now!
At least I can see the number on my phone and don't answer unless it's a number I know.

MilkItTilITurnItIntoCheese · 12/09/2018 22:05

I had similar OP! I suggested that we just skip to the part of the call where he tries to scan me out of money and I hang up. He told me to fuck off then hung up on me!

We get lots of these calls. We’ve also had the one where they try to repair our windows problems - only macs in the house.

I had one caller say he was going to call me back every half hour. He did a couple of times. I just hung up.

These people are vermin.

Marriedwithchildren5 · 12/09/2018 22:26

I kept someone talking for a good 10 minutes. Told him I was having him on and didn't even own a laptop. He informed me I had wasted his time! Grin

BlessedMango · 13/09/2018 08:57

I consider it a game: if they hang up on me, I win.

Gersemi · 13/09/2018 09:06

I had one caller say he was going to call me back every half hour.

I'd tell that one to carry on. I can always unplug the phone or put it on silent, and while he's calling me every half hour he's not scamming anyone else.

ShatnersWig · 13/09/2018 09:08

Haven't had one of these in ages but when I did you I also used to keep them going for ages if they rang through at work. Usually put them on speakerphone for much amusement to everyone.

MaluCachu · 13/09/2018 09:16

Give the phone to your small child and tell them it’s Father Christmas ..

SoupDragon · 13/09/2018 09:42

Why would you give the phone to your child when there is a complete stranger on the other end? A complete stranger who is likely pissed off. I imagine it could widen your child’s vocabulary anyway...

AntsMarching · 13/09/2018 09:59

I had a scam call about my credit cards.
The guy said he was calling because there was a problem with my card.
Me: which one?
Him: visa, MasterCard, etc
Me: yes but which one?
Him: well which one do you have?
Me: but you called me because there is a problem, so surely you know which card I have and you can tell me?
Him: which card do you have?
Me: I’m waiting for you to tell me, so I know which one I have a problem with

This carried on for a while, he eventually hung up on me and then called back to say he was the police and someone had stolen my credit card information.
I asked which one and he hung up again 😂

MaluCachu · 13/09/2018 11:52

Soup...it was a joke