Personally I think that these kind of criminals should either be given hard labor sentences, clearing bushes in the arctic or building highways with toothbrushes.
Or offer them short sentences and a return to society that involves break their thumbs with a hammer, and tattooing I con grandparents for a living on their foreheads.
__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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I've helped my share of seniors with various computer issues due to scams, and it breaks my heart how often they are targeted.
Go to any seniors residence and look at their bulletin board or notices posted in their elevators - always several warnings against various scams that are currently going on. CRA scam. Microsoft scam. My dad got called by the "FBI" saying that hackers have taken over his computer. Another friend was smart enough to text me as he was on the phone with someone from Microsoft who had already logged into his computer using Teamviewer. And their weakness? They are too trusting, too willing to help, and too anxious not to be a burden to society. These are the qualities we should foster, not destroy. Ugh.
Elders are more susceptible to scams like this as well as the ones when the guys call in saying your computer is sending out spam and they ask you to let them remotely log into your computer. I wouldn't call it abuse as much as it's simply criminals preying on the easiest victims.
Location: Close enough to make a beer run during a TV timeout
Exp:
What I don't get with the "Microsoft/Windows" scam, I had one of them call me the other day. I let him do his song and dance; mostly so that I am aware of what they try to say. About a minute into the call I told him I knew it was a scam, and that he may as well take us off his list. He spent about 5 minutes trying to defend that it wasn't a scam.
Why would he do that? Would somebody identify him as a scammer; to the point of asking him what version of Windows I am running, and then let him onto the computer?
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What I don't get with the "Microsoft/Windows" scam, I had one of them call me the other day. I let him do his song and dance; mostly so that I am aware of what they try to say. About a minute into the call I told him I knew it was a scam, and that he may as well take us off his list. He spent about 5 minutes trying to defend that it wasn't a scam.
Why would he do that? Would somebody identify him as a scammer; to the point of asking him what version of Windows I am running, and then let him onto the computer?
I did the same thing. Rather cathartic to rip him a new one at the end of the call, even though it won't make any difference to these dbags.
"John Williams" I am on to you!
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From HFBoard oiler fan, in analyzing MacT's management:
O.K. there has been a lot of talk on whether or not MacTavish has actually done a good job for us, most fans on this board are very basic in their analysis and I feel would change their opinion entirely if the team was successful.
What I don't get with the "Microsoft/Windows" scam, I had one of them call me the other day. I let him do his song and dance; mostly so that I am aware of what they try to say. About a minute into the call I told him I knew it was a scam, and that he may as well take us off his list. He spent about 5 minutes trying to defend that it wasn't a scam.
Why would he do that? Would somebody identify him as a scammer; to the point of asking him what version of Windows I am running, and then let him onto the computer?
I get the calls all the time to my work number and sometimes I play along (only real thing I can do to get back at them is to waste as much of their time as possible) and pretend to do everything he asks until he asks me to read the access code to him to which I say the letters; "F - U -....... O - F - F". That said sometimes I just tell them right away that I know the scam and the guy will spend minutes trying to convince me it's legit. I'm sure they managed to scam a few people in the beginning but I wonder how long until that well dries up? I wish in this day and age more could be done about this kind of stuff but it seems that these thieves have free reign to do this to as many people as possible.
I burned an hour with a guy when he phoned me after I came home half wacked after consuming a bunch of beers. I intentionally played the slightly demented old guy while he tried to guide me through windows screens, and finally as he was losing his temper, I asked him what the apple logo with a bite out of it meant.
And then asked him if he was told that my computer was having problems that needed to be fixed why he didn't know that I had a mac.
Then I told him that I knew it was a scam, put the phone next to my computer speaker and played a semi truck airhorn sound file at maximum volume and hung up.
__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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I couldn't believe the way they were treating seniors at the last retirement home I visited..
__________________ "In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil's might / Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"
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My father was cohersed into allowing someone to remotely log into his computer. It was a few years ago, and other the the few hundred dollars in a cc charge we haven't been able to find any more fraud. Fingers crossed they're not biding their time...
The elderly are at a very vulnerable cross section of society. They are often alone, confused by technology, wealthy, bored, greedy/cheap. Scammers know this and target them.
It is scary how hard it is to convince a senior that it is a scam too. A friend of mine found out his father had given away tens of thousands of dollars for the promise of a totally ridiculous investment. Worst part was they caught it before he sent the money. Except he didn't believe them. They even called the police and he wired the money anyway.
I get a lot of these calls maybe because I fit into the age demographic and they waste my time. I've gotten to the point that I just ask them if they are wearing a miniskirt with heels and if they'd like to perform some favours for me. They hang up.
19 busted in Grandparent Fraud Ring
