Telephone cheating

Someone just posted what is happening here in Brazil. It's VERY common here nowadays. Criminals call us (from inside prisons, most of times) and pretend to have kdnapped a family member. Usually they look for old people to talk, and use a younger member as the "victim". It happened to my boyfriend's grandmother. She received a call telling that they had my boyfriend with them, and they'd kill him if she didn't transfer the money they were asking for. She said she could hear screams in the backgroung, a lot of noises and that the guy was very convincing. She ended up in the hospital because of her blood pressure. It also happened to a neighbor of mine, but in her case, they called her house telling they have kidnapped her sister. When she asked which sister, they told her own name. She just hung up at the moment.

That is just sad. I can't believe people can be so low. I mean why can't people just get a REAL job. Stop scamming, stop all the cheating and theft. I didn't know about this, but thanks for the heads up. I will remember that if they call.

This is a very cruel way of first calling on unknown numbers, then gathering information and then black mailing in the end. I think these people just try to scare you and ask for money. I came accross a discussion in which my friend told me that she received a call from an unknown number telling her that she has won a cruise to caribbean. The person on phone was asking about her credit card information. Thanks God she refused to give the credit card number, otherwise, she would be robbed. I don't know why people adopt such stunts to make money. Their greed for money will never be fulfilled.

Tell your best friends and parents that don't believe strangers says. This is the most important point to remember!!!

That very common nowadays,especially for the fresh graduates.They want to find a job and they submit online resume.You know the resume has every piece of information about the graduate and the family.So,phone cheating is coming.

Here in Brazil it's starting to became common. Another example I saw is they calling someone, and telling that they are a police office, or a firefighter, and they are helping a person that asked to be calling you, or pretending to be a son or daugther, and then usually you let slip the name of the person, and then later the call you again and tell that they kidnapped that person, and asking your for money, and telling you that if you finish the call they will kill them. They are using it to manipulate everyone. Children, seniors, teens, etc...

It is news to me. Cheaters find new ways to cheat the public. The old people must be careful about these cheaters. Yes we have to complain to police when this happens and they take so that it will not happen again. Any how we should be on guard always.

Yes, it's very cruel & very deceitful. I hope you reported this to the Police, as even if they can't do anything now, they can at least alert people that this is happening. I have heeard of various phone scams, but not this one. Unfortunately some people, particularly the elderly, could be fooled by this.

unfortunately cheaters have an enormous fantasy!!! and you are right old people are usually their favourite targets because they are usually alone or not aware of the latest crimes and cheatings..I consider it important to discuss over this subject in order to increase our knowledge and help each others against these criminal minds..it is incredible what they can think..and of course we can only use our intelligence against them...so thank you for pointing out this situation..I have never had an experience like this so far and I hope it won't never happen but in case I will surely inform police

Actually this is not new. This is like one of the most standard form of cheating popularized years back, at least here. It is so hard to be safe when people are out to con you.

I was almost a victim of phone fraud a few weeks ago..but luckily I heard about this scam on a tv show. But it was a frightening thought to think of how many people have fallen for this one...I recieved a call..the man said he was an police officer calling me to inform me that their was a car accident..2 people were involved..and they had me in their cell phone as an emergency contact..they told me I would have to call their Sergent to recieve all the details, because they didn't know..they gave me a number to call and told me to dial *72 to go to the Sergents direct line..that's when it hit me..I remember the bit I watched on tv...the call was coming from the Cook County jail...if I would have dialed *72 every call from that pay phone would have gone onto my phone bill. The question I have is...aren't prison/jail phones supposed to be closely monitored...and how many victims of this fraud are out there? I called my local police and reported the incident..they told me they recieved about 20 other reports of the same call!!

I hope they all get caught and go to jail. What a horrible thing to do. The best you can do is get over on some old folks. Shameless!!

That is just unacceptable. How can people think of things like this, trying to con old people is just unforgivable! I mean it is already a crime to con people, but to old people?! Don't these people have any moral in them? Also, i think you should phone the police because it is a very serious issue, that they threatened to "kill you" which would be very dangerous, even if its not true, you would be scared when you are alone! These criminals should be prosecuted along with a heavy fine to cope with your internal scars! If someone did that to me, i would be so scared and dont know what to do T.T

Everthing can happen in the world.Is't protecting ourselves the only way?

Anyone that tries to con the elderly should be shot! I just don't understand why people do things like that. Get a real job! There are tons of things you can do to make money besides scamming people.