Telephone Scam
Complaint
JR
Country: United States
Caller identified self as Rev. William Bentley. He had a foreign accent. He was calling from tel. #276-883-2325 to my landline. He stated I won $2 million and all I had to do was pay $1505.00 and go to Las Vegas to collect it. When told no, he said he could have someone deliver it to my house. He said he was from megamillion sweepstakes company in Las Vegas. The # is linked to Lebanon, VA.
Comments
I had just received several calls from a private number telling me I had won a 2017 mercedes, that I need to go to Walmart to pick up a receipt. It is hugely irritating to me when I'm called "sweetie" from a stranger, and he called me that over and over many times. On his 9th call (the only other time I answered), he said it once again, and I hope I left his ears ringing in agony.
After I hung up on him the first time, he called back 2 more times but I ignored it knowing it was the same "private number" calling. He called again the next morning but I didn't answer because it was "private number" again. I guess he was determined to get through to me because 3 hours later he called again, only this time the caller ID said "unknown" number. I answered. I couldn't believe my ears as he was trying to assure me it wasn't a scam and at the end of that sentence, he said "sweetie".
First of all, if I was winning a new car, why wasn't it a 2018 Mercedes? Second, what official from any sweepstakes would call someone "sweetie", ever? Third, why the heck are we meeting at Walmart? Oh yeah, Walgreens was the alternative, and he knew it was closer to my home. I wasn't taken back by the fact that he knew that. Most of us who live in a city, live within a few miles of either, or both, stores.
After all this happened, I found myself fantasizing about how I could do things differently, should this happen again. I could pretend to go along with him and ask a police officer to escort me to Walmart, and bust the person I was to speak to, which is probably the "fall guy" to the actual scammer who's hidden away somewhere. I could have pretended to go to Walmart and let him think I was there, while still at home just to see what was to happen next. I could go along with everything he was telling me to do, but keep asking him to repeat because I didn't understand, and I mean to the point that he begins to get frustrating and tired of repeating. Say what? No understand!
I must be bored, right? Not really. I just wish there was a clever way to turn the tables or catch these jerks. I feel for those who fall for these scams. Seems like this issue has gotten worse over the years, which tells me it must be paying off for them.
Come on Tech heads! Please, come up with a good way to deal with this problem, especially targeting private or unknown numbers. It's a growing problem that needs to be addressed. Personally, I would prefer it if only the numbers I put on my contact list, were the only calls I can receive. What a lovely thought.
I don't know if this will work but next you get a call from this company if you have time like me. Block your number by dialING *67 ( the) - number that called you, and ask for John Millar, if a guy answers. Susan Davidson if a women answers. And please let them know politely to call me "Robert" back. Robert is patheticly waiting for them to call back. See how many times you can call befor the call is rejected. PLEASE I DO NOT IMPLY USING ANY VULGARITY OR HARASSING MANNER. Maybe they'll get tired of this hoax. Maybe. But it's a try.
Plus a Mercedes-Benz scammer no I didn't do it