While nobody would argue against the need to promote computer literacy in order to avoid scammers, it’s equally important to also promote and empower people to fight back against them. You know, in the form of heckling them back in the same way they tried to do with you whilst saying they’re Tim from Microsoft support. Or something.
Take note from this Redditor who narrowly avoided a scam, but instead of shrugging it off, they took it a step further and proceeded to call the scammer operations multiple times across several days. Like a boss.
Most might think scammers are nigh untouchable. Nope, all you need is a little bit of ingenuity to get back at them
Image credits: May Gauthier (not the actual photo)
Take notes from this guy who, after nearly getting scammed, proceeded to call the scammers back and waste their time
Image credits: Cup of Couple (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Starbucks__Lovers
While the author of the post did feel like it was a small victory, it was a victory nonetheless
Redditor u/Starbucks__Lovers nearly fell victim to a $450 (maybe even more) scam. We get it, the guy’s tired and out of it. Happens to the best of us. But instead of leaving it at that, he decided he can afford to wreak some havoc.
So, he set up some Google Voice accounts and proceeded to call the scammers back. Many, many times. So much, in fact, that folks there started recognizing him after several calls. It took a while for the scammers to pick up on the idea of blocking him, but better later than earlier in this case.
Heck, the guy even borrowed a phone to make some calls just to get under the scammers’ skin even more. This went on for several days until most of the resources were essentially used up. While it was a small and petty victory, it was a victory nonetheless.
And folks online approved. It was only appropriate for folks to point out that there are coordinated campaigns against scammers on Reddit and other platforms, so this is definitely not out of the ordinary. Besides that, some Redditors admitted to doing the same, with one explaining how they often manage to link two of the scammers together and then he listens to the chaos.
There are less proactive ways of dealing with scammers, but a tad bit of chaos within legal limits wouldn’t be frowned upon either
The State Government of Tennessee issued guidelines for how to handle a scammer attack. First and foremost, as soon as you understand that you’ve been contacted by a scammer, but before they’ve breached anything, simply hang up, stop your correspondence, whatever. Just stop.
If you believe that the scammers got at least a whiff of your bank information, contact your bank and make sure your accounts are safe. And, immediately after that, check your computer for malware, change your passwords, and report the scam. Depending on the nature of the scam, you might want to talk to local law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Affairs, Identity Theft or the Better Business Bureau.
However, there are people who take a more creative or even hands-on approach to dealing with scammers. Internet personalities like Jim Browning and IRLRosie tackle scammers on a daily basis. At the very least, they waste as much scammer time as possible so that they can’t target other folks. And if pursued, then entire operations get shut down.
So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Share your takes and stories in the comment section below! And if you need more scams in your life, have at it.
Folks approved of the anti-scam measures, sharing their stories and even pointing out some initiatives that do the same
