New Fiscal Year: New Round of Phone Scamcalls

Last month, I got a call from a number I didn't know. So I didn't answer.  That's normally how it works.

I answered one last week, though, just because I was bored. The gentleman was calling me with an invitation to a *job interview* at the Pentagon!

Go figure.

But last month, my bus was late so I called the unknown number back just for giggles ... an elderly woman answered and proceeded to cuss me out for calling her from my 'blankity blank' Pakistan call center and trying to scam *her*. This lady had called me because she was calling *me* back to bitch about my scam call to her.

We're friends now ... on Facebook.

I've now started calling these numbers back, too, since I've learned more about this "spoofing" thing.  I'm working on a routine just in case I get lucky and I get a spammer in a call center one of these days.

15 minutes ago, I called a number from a call I missed about 5 minutes earlier. They answered:

"Hello, Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, can I help you?!" 

Gaaahhh!!! Yep.  Nope, they hadn't called me, the lady on the other end of the phone (that's a dated expression, right?) told me that someone has been making 'scam calls' with their number and she was very sorry and nice and apologetic. I thought about becoming Facebook buddies with a prosthetics clinic, but that's kinda creepy, right?  So we politely finished our chat and I thought I'd tell you about it.

As a matter of fact, as I finish typing this, that same number for fake body parts (now blocked) is calling me back; caller ID: "Spam Risk." BAM.

FCC's advice (and mine):

If you don't know the number, don't answer ... unless it's for a job interview.

Gaaaaaaaaah!!!

"Conversation in the Metro"

A girl on her cellphone is having a ... conversation ... with someone on her cellphone.

It's a loud ... conversation. She's behind me as we walk through the tunnels:

Girl on cellphone: "I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "So I said, 'Marie, you ...' I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "And then ... I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "And Marcus, he just ... I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "So - Listen! I know, right?"

I probably should have been laughing to myself but, this kid had one of those voices that made me wince. It hurt. 

So I picked up the pace and tried to discreetly up my stride in an effort to reduce her volume a little.

Girl on cellphone: "That was ... I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "Yeah, and ... I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "Marcus was there, too ... I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "And then Marcus, he ... I know, right?"
Girl on cellphone: "No. Really. I know, right?!"

It wasn't working. 

Since my first attempt to avoid the droning one-sided-yakathon-screecher-conversation failed, I took a shortcut through a parking garage.  Leaving the tunnel should have, A-squared plus B-squared equals, given me about 10 yards or better when I cut back into the tunnel by the Korean guy's store. I thought that would easily take care of Little Miss Monologue.

And -- it didn't work.

I must have slowed down or she sped up during my shortcut-trick. 

Or she ran, more likely, because she was obviously sent by the Devil to annoy me.

Yep.  As I reentered the tunnel, there she was.  Right behind me.  Again.

Girl on cellphone: 

"Hey! Weren't you just in front of me before?"

Me: 

-- JM --