The call came in at approximately 3:38 pm on Tuesday afternoon. A female robo-voice said “When you receive this message, leave your work aside!” Wow! That got my attention! I was told that I needed to press 1 to talk to a federal agent so we could discuss our matter. Oh my heavens! A federal agent? To discuss our matter?? What matter? She said that my call would be directed to the “Concern Department”. (SERIOUSLY?? The “Concern Department”??)
The female robo-voice went on to warn me that “they” would be forced to take legal action if I failed to comply. I was once again directed to press 1 to talk to the “Concern Department”. (And once again, I thought SERIOUSLY?? The “Concern Department”??)
I got a hearty chuckle about the “Concern Department”, and thought who in the world would fall for this? But when I searched online for “the Concern Department”, there it was on the Federal Communication Commission’s website. The FCC says that they receive more complaints about unwanted calls than any other issue. This tells me that since a lot of people receive these calls there have to be a lot of people who fall for the scammers’ tricks.
But wait a minute – aren’t robocalls illegal? The Federal Trade Commission tells us that “a robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless the company trying to sell you something got written permission, directly from you, to call you that way. To get your permission, the company has to be clear it’s asking to call you with robocalls, and it can’t make you agree to the calls to get a product or service. If you give permission, you have the right to change your mind later.” The article goes on to say that, “A few types of robocalls are allowed under FTC rules without your permission, like political calls about candidates running for office or charities asking for donations.” If you are receiving a lot of robocalls, chances are good that many of the calls are illegal.
If you get one of these calls, hang up. Do not press 1. Do not call them back if they leave a number. There is nothing to resolve so don’t fall for their threats. Be proactive and check out the article “How to Block Unwanted Calls” from the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
We know that scammers will prey on anybody – young, old, male, female – it doesn’t matter. Those who have cognitive impairments, hearing challenges, and those who are isolated are more at risk. Scammers will threaten, bully, and they may show up at your house. Don’t fall for these tricks, and be vigilant with your family members.
Think about the motives for these calls. Scammers want your money and they want access to your personal information. Don’t give them the opportunity.
Stay safe. Be cautious. Be informed.
