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lastlib

(22,981 posts)
Wed Jun 3, 2020, 05:04 PM Jun 2020

An interesting phone call today....

Mom's phone rang, I answered it (which was a good thing--at 92 and nearly deaf, she wouldn't have been able to deal with it.) Caller ID said number not provided. The guy at the other end asked for my dad by name. Dad passed away three years ago, so right off I know that this isn't someone who knows our family.

Me: "yeah, who's calling?"
Guy: "Your nephew." My dad had one brother and a half-brother, neither of whom had any sons, so there are no nephews--but with his somewhat mixed-up family tree, I'm not really remembering that; I'm scrambling my brain to think of any male cousins that might fit in there. So, being cautious, I ask, "Which one?"
He said, "Guess." Still coming up with a blank, I throw out his half-brother's name. "Carl??"
Guy: "You got it."

Okay, NOW I'm thinking this is one of those scams where someone impersonates a relative and asks for money to get his buddy out of jail in another state. This could be fun! "CARL!! I haven't heard from you in, like, FOREVER! How ya been, kid?"
Guy says, "I'm doing okay, but I've got a problem."
Me: "Well, you know what, Carl? I don't give a SHIT about your problem, but the state police WILL, because I don't HAVE a nephew named Carl, and I'm going to tell them all about YOU!"

Click.

I really love jerking those shitheads around.

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kimbutgar

(20,882 posts)
1. My mother in law gets those phone calls all the time in Sun City Arizona
Wed Jun 3, 2020, 05:07 PM
Jun 2020

She sometimes plays along with them like you did.

lastlib

(22,981 posts)
4. I deliberately didn't tell the guy that Dad was deceased;
Wed Jun 3, 2020, 05:16 PM
Jun 2020

they might've been tempted to take a shot at Mom, and she couldn't deal with it well.

Srkdqltr

(6,129 posts)
3. I get them from time to time looking for grandma as grandson or granddaughter.
Wed Jun 3, 2020, 05:12 PM
Jun 2020

My husband messes with them. The first one I hung up on and called my grandson just to check. One was calling from a correction place in the south.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
5. At one point I was getting prank calls from some teenage girls
Thu Jun 4, 2020, 08:53 PM
Jun 2020

Claiming all sorts of improbable things about my husband - this was about forty years ago. I knew it was more than one because I could hear giggling in the background and they would switch the phone from one to the other.

The third time around I put my hand over the mouthpiece and said, "Hey, officer, do you have that trace yet?" The girls hung up fast and never called again.

I can't wait until I get a call from a grandson or some such nonsense. Since I never had kids a grandchild would be a unique find!

lastlib

(22,981 posts)
6. My sister handled one the same way, many years ago.
Thu Jun 4, 2020, 10:47 PM
Jun 2020

Some schoolgirls started phone-harassing my youngest sister. Calling, and when she answered, yelling obscenities into the phone, or just not saying anything, tying up the phone line--all kinds of crap. Finally, older sister answered, clicked the handset hook, and said, "Officer, this is the call i want traced." They hung up and the calls stopped.

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