How to mess with scammers?

[Ritterskoop]

Roomie got a call this morning from a woman who said he has a complaint against him.

Impossible, for starters.

He handed me the phone, as I tend to run interference for him when it's practical.

She said for him to call a place in Bethesda MD called Litigation Consultants, and gave a claim number.

I googled the company name and number separately, and both came up with people saying it is a scam, not to give a credit card number, etc.

I am way pissed.

They are scaring old people and trying to take their money.

I called the local BBB, and they said I can do a complaint online that will go to the local BBB. Then she said I can also call the NC Attorney general's office, which made me go yay!

I presume I will have to report a specific incident to the Att. General, so I am going to call the bad guys and mess with them. Here's where you come in. What kinds of things do I say to them?

I can probably get in trouble saying I am Mr. roomie's legal representation. But if I'm not doing anything illegal, I'd like to start that way.

What else? Should I say he has just died? Moved to Laos? I want to get him off their call list, no matter what.

Which reminds me. We both signed up with the national do not call registry a few years ago - does that have to be updated, or how did they get his number?

I'm off for a few hours to walk with Mom - looking forward to creative ideas. Thanks.

[Rexer25]

How about...

you are with a Nigerian firm that recently went bankrupt. The firm's name was Litigators and Consultants, LLPCTLC, and since the firm's names are similar, you are trying to convey the Nigerian's firm's hidden assets to the MD firm, and all you need is their bank account number, and permission to deposit...

I'll cogitate and come up with something better.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

Roomie got a call this morning from a woman who said he has a complaint against him.

Impossible, for starters.

He handed me the phone, as I tend to run interference for him when it's practical.

She said for him to call a place in Bethesda MD called Litigation Consultants, and gave a claim number.

I googled the company name and number separately, and both came up with people saying it is a scam, not to give a credit card number, etc.

I am way pissed.

They are scaring old people and trying to take their money.

I called the local BBB, and they said I can do a complaint online that will go to the local BBB. Then she said I can also call the NC Attorney general's office, which made me go yay!

I presume I will have to report a specific incident to the Att. General, so I am going to call the bad guys and mess with them. Here's where you come in. What kinds of things do I say to them?

I can probably get in trouble saying I am Mr. roomie's legal representation. But if I'm not doing anything illegal, I'd like to start that way.

What else? Should I say he has just died? Moved to Laos? I want to get him off their call list, no matter what.

Which reminds me. We both signed up with the national do not call registry a few years ago - does that have to be updated, or how did they get his number?

I'm off for a few hours to walk with Mom - looking forward to creative ideas. Thanks.

If you really wanted them to shut up. Request their mailing address and say that you wanted to put in a written request for verification of the debt under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Then you can write them and ask for verification of the account and/or tell them never to ever call you again.

[MarleysGh0st]

I called the local BBB, and they said I can do a complaint online that will go to the local BBB. Then she said I can also call the NC Attorney general's office, which made me go yay!

I presume I will have to report a specific incident to the Att. General, so I am going to call the bad guys and mess with them. Here's where you come in. What kinds of things do I say to them?

If you just wanted to mess with their heads, that's one thing, but if you want the AG's office to take legal action against them, it might be better to wait until you talk with someone from that office. They might not have the interest or resources to tackle this case, absent a victim who has suffered some actual damages from these scammers. OTOH, if they do have an interest in putting them out of business, they might have specific suggestions of what to do. Do you and your roomie want to cooperate in setting up a sting for these creeps?

[Ritterskoop]

Mom says someone used to call her old school asking for the serial number on the photocopier/fax. I said was it so they could fax stuff to them and she said they wanted to sell them paper, which they buy at local office stores like everyone else.

So she got on the phone with them and started reading them numbers. Just kept reading them numbers until they realized it wasn't a serial number, and hung up.

I will try the AG office first. I still like the notion of calling the bad guys and telling them Mr. Roomie was killed in a car wreck today and I am very upset etc. etc.

[Ritterskoop]

I found good advice and thought I would pass it along. Not all of this will apply to future scams, but some of it will:


If you receive calls from these scammers, be sure to do the following:

1) Give them nothing. And tell them nothing other than to "cease all communication" with you.

2) Report the calls online to the Federal Trade Commission here: https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.star ... _CODE=PU01

3) File a complaint with the Maryland attorney general at http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/complaint.htm

4) File a complaint with your state's attorney general. The contact information for each state's attorney general is listed at www.naag.org Just scroll down to the national map and click on your state.

5) Since these crooks are using a telephone phone to make illegal threats, report them online to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov