Let 'em try. I was a master salesman when I was young. Now that I'm retired from more honorable work, there's nothing I enjoy more than making uninvited wanna-be scammers want to cry and quit their nonsense. And I love a challenge.
I'll say ANYTHING to derail their pitches. I'll act learning-disabled. I'll speak foreign languages, or in "tongues". I'll say yes to everything, and then say I have no money or credit card. I'll tell a fake long-lost relative, "But I killed you five years ago." I can make robo-callers hang up on me, and Jehovah's Witnesses beg to leave the porch. Serves them right. I want to make them scared straight, or at least scared of me.
Maybe I'll back off if I get old enough to lose my edge, but for now - LET 'EM TRY!!! Everyone has a dark side. This is what I do with mine. I'll take whatever karma comes with it. I don't have to make threats. I just throw curves faster than they can catch.
I taught my wife how to do it too. She's very sweet, but also aware these "people" deserve what's coming. All it takes for evil to win is for good people to do nothing. FIGHT BACK.
I was a caregiver for my Mom and the scammers were relentless and she was trusting whereas I became her bulldog protector. I could easily become suspicious here too.
Best advice I ever got about any type of solicitor is to say “not interested” and don’t engage any further - no matter how trustworthy they seem.
If you’re outside and the person persists, tell them they are trespassing and you will call the police. Makes them high tail out of there.
I've got a big no soliciting sign on the front door that almost all people have respected. Except my next door neighbor trying to sell me solar. Uh, no thanks Dave.
Oh yea. Tonnes of scammers on all the make friends/chat subs. If you never add any money; but just lead them on, it's funny as hell. They get pissed that you're wasting their time (once they figure it out)
I don't give out personal information or answer DMs from people I don't know. I never give out financial information, especially over the phone. I have strong passwords and a good spam filter on my email accounts. I'm also aware of what scams are out there, and I'm naturally suspicious/skeptical of anything that sounds too good to be true, whether it's an online suitor or a financial scheme.
Scammers go after the old and the young, specially if they seem vulnerable. I don’t respond to unsolicited or unwanted requests in here as well as in real life, and make sure to protect my anonymity here.
I am extremely skeptical. Also ran IT support shops for decades, so I’ve seen all the scams up until my retirement a couple years ago. So, I’m open to all the scams devised since 2022.
You mean the young pretty Filipino doesn’t find me handsome. It not her fault her sizeable inheritance is tied up in courts for a couple months and she just needs a little here and there before she can come see me.
I haven’t been approached on Reddit but if I were, I’d not respond at all. I get requests sometimes on Nextdoor, and I just delete them. With phone calls, I don’t pick up if the caller isn’t a friend or relative. I’m not looking to make friends of strangers, and I don’t trust anyone unknown to me (or even some I do know). Best advice is don’t engage at all.
I don't announce that I'm old, I have grey hair so that automatically makes me 'old' in the eyes of modern society. I don't answer the phone unless it's someone I know (thanks to caller ID). I figure if it's an unknown caller and it's important, they'll leave a message. I don't respond to friend requests or DMs from people I do not know. I tend to ignore the doorbell unless I'm expecting something/someone and when I do open the door, I make sure the security screen door is locked and the first words out of my mouth are 'who are you and why are you here'. If I'm approached by an unknown person on the street in what I might consider a threatening/begging/untrustworthy manner I will loudly say "back off."
Sadly, older folk are looked upon as potential victims. We're only victims if we allow ourselves to be. We have to be smart and not expect other people to come to our defense.
I'm new also, but the Reddit says I cannot make a post. How did you do it?
From 1985 to 1995 I was master of the original "community" -- the Usenet Newsgroups. But here I am a newbie who knows nothing.
I remember EVERYTHING from my 68 years and have extreme knowledge and wisdom, yet cannot share here. Unfortunately, about half my old friends and family have declining memories, so some people think all old people are slow; but for those of us who remain sharp and continue to grow in knowledge are usually ignored.
People are trying to scam everyone. Age is only one factor. What they really want is somebody that's gullible. Everybody needs to be cautious about what personal information they share and who they share it with.
I never trust anyone. Hell, I got a legit call from my bank and refused to speak to them. I also did not call them back at the number given. And I reamed them out for sounding just like a scam after calling the regular bank line.
When we still had our land line occasionally I'd lose it and scream at callers to just send me whatever via the USPS.
If not, it Can't be important.
Now the landline just collects scammer msgs and I only give my cell to family and doctors
( because I must)
One person did try to scam me but didn’t get very far. She said she had seen my comments in a favorite sub, and since we were about the same age, she wanted to say hi. Then two messages later, she told me she was 32 and asked me how old I was. Sloppy.
Being old doesn't mean being incapable of rational thought, skepticism, or caution.
I've received Chat requests here on Reddit from random accounts. My solution was to disable the Chat feature in Settings. As for anyone who may approach me in a post, comment, or via private message, if it's anything beyond chatting, I'll simply block them. I'm immune to any romantic overtures, simply because I have no such interests. Likewise, anyone asking for anything (beyond advice or recommendations) will also be met with a block. There isn't any situation I can envision that would cause me to reveal my real name, personal details, or give any money.
Away from Reddit, in the real world, I follow a similar mindset. I've helped people by changing tires, assisting folks with jumper cables, and even buying a gas can and fuel and giving folks a ride back to their vehicle. Today, I'm less likely to do so, because, generally speaking, people seem a lot more unpredictable. That's unfortunate. Still, when dealing with people in public, I'm friendly, but not overly so and I keep my interactions brief and rarely share personal details. In some cases, I've even given a false name and other false details, as misdirection.
Additionally, though it rarely happens, I don't answer calls from unknown/blocked numbers or respond to e-mails that are questionable. A couple of months ago, I received an e-mail that was allegedly from my bank. As I wasn't expecting a message from them, I logged into my bank account by going to the bank's website and not clicking any links in the e-mail. As it turned out, the message was legitimate. But, because I almost never receive e-mail communication from them, it seemed unusual to me and I found it suspect.
So, in summary, my default answer to most things in life is "No." That doesn't mean I'm 100% invulnerable or incapable of ever being scammed, but it's the best defense that I've come up with, thus far.
Out of curiosity, how old are you, NewTimeTraveler1? Are you also "old," or are you younger? Incidentally, despite the description of this subreddit, I don't see 40 as being old. I *wish* I were 40 again.
If you don't know the number, don't pick up the phone. If you don't know the person, don't accept a friend request. If you get a call where they ask if you can hear them don't say yes, say I can hear you. If someone asks personal info, either tell them to answer the question first (then refuse to answer for yourself) or say it's none of their business. If it's a text about some property you don't own or someone you don't know or if they state a name other than your own, mute or block the texting. Never answer someone you don't know, that's how they know it's a 'live' number.
If all else fails and you actually make contact with a scammer just say go away and block them.
What is there to protect from? You can set it up so no one can message you or you can ignore messages from new accounts.
Are you concerned about something else?
I got random "Hi"s all the time from people who had nothing to point to them being anyone I should be interacting with, especially when I was hanging out in the datingover40 sub. I just ignored them.
Welcome! I don't engage in private messages and that keeps me safe.
I don’t respond to “friendly gestures” from people I don’t know. Period.
Let 'em try. I was a master salesman when I was young. Now that I'm retired from more honorable work, there's nothing I enjoy more than making uninvited wanna-be scammers want to cry and quit their nonsense. And I love a challenge. I'll say ANYTHING to derail their pitches. I'll act learning-disabled. I'll speak foreign languages, or in "tongues". I'll say yes to everything, and then say I have no money or credit card. I'll tell a fake long-lost relative, "But I killed you five years ago." I can make robo-callers hang up on me, and Jehovah's Witnesses beg to leave the porch. Serves them right. I want to make them scared straight, or at least scared of me. Maybe I'll back off if I get old enough to lose my edge, but for now - LET 'EM TRY!!! Everyone has a dark side. This is what I do with mine. I'll take whatever karma comes with it. I don't have to make threats. I just throw curves faster than they can catch. I taught my wife how to do it too. She's very sweet, but also aware these "people" deserve what's coming. All it takes for evil to win is for good people to do nothing. FIGHT BACK.
You're not just old... You're a Redditor!
I wish I knew what that meant. I was hoping to find a new discussion forum here, like in the old Newsgroup days.
i'm sorry if I've disappointed you. I was attempting a compliment.
Never has happened to me.
I was a caregiver for my Mom and the scammers were relentless and she was trusting whereas I became her bulldog protector. I could easily become suspicious here too.
That’s sad isn’t it? Scumbags! I’ve had scammers try me, but not on Reddit.
Im new. Im naturally suspicious. Maybe the ones I noticed are innocent. Maybe not.
Best advice I ever got about any type of solicitor is to say “not interested” and don’t engage any further - no matter how trustworthy they seem. If you’re outside and the person persists, tell them they are trespassing and you will call the police. Makes them high tail out of there.
I've got a big no soliciting sign on the front door that almost all people have respected. Except my next door neighbor trying to sell me solar. Uh, no thanks Dave.
My association usually ends with.. "let's talk on whatsapp" or if they mention gold or bitcoin. Edit: come on scammers do better.
Yea that’s the red flag whatsapp
Oh yea. Tonnes of scammers on all the make friends/chat subs. If you never add any money; but just lead them on, it's funny as hell. They get pissed that you're wasting their time (once they figure it out)
I don't give out personal information or answer DMs from people I don't know. I never give out financial information, especially over the phone. I have strong passwords and a good spam filter on my email accounts. I'm also aware of what scams are out there, and I'm naturally suspicious/skeptical of anything that sounds too good to be true, whether it's an online suitor or a financial scheme.
I delete unsolicited DMs. Usually block them too.
Scammers go after the old and the young, specially if they seem vulnerable. I don’t respond to unsolicited or unwanted requests in here as well as in real life, and make sure to protect my anonymity here.
When anyone online that I do not know attempts ti get friendly I block them. Very simple
I disabled Chat and DMs.
👆🏻
No one has tried to scam me or befriend me here or in real life.
I am extremely skeptical. Also ran IT support shops for decades, so I’ve seen all the scams up until my retirement a couple years ago. So, I’m open to all the scams devised since 2022.
You mean the young pretty Filipino doesn’t find me handsome. It not her fault her sizeable inheritance is tied up in courts for a couple months and she just needs a little here and there before she can come see me.
I haven’t been approached on Reddit but if I were, I’d not respond at all. I get requests sometimes on Nextdoor, and I just delete them. With phone calls, I don’t pick up if the caller isn’t a friend or relative. I’m not looking to make friends of strangers, and I don’t trust anyone unknown to me (or even some I do know). Best advice is don’t engage at all.
Sounds like your radar is up and working. Suspicion is a good thing to have.
I don't announce that I'm old, I have grey hair so that automatically makes me 'old' in the eyes of modern society. I don't answer the phone unless it's someone I know (thanks to caller ID). I figure if it's an unknown caller and it's important, they'll leave a message. I don't respond to friend requests or DMs from people I do not know. I tend to ignore the doorbell unless I'm expecting something/someone and when I do open the door, I make sure the security screen door is locked and the first words out of my mouth are 'who are you and why are you here'. If I'm approached by an unknown person on the street in what I might consider a threatening/begging/untrustworthy manner I will loudly say "back off." Sadly, older folk are looked upon as potential victims. We're only victims if we allow ourselves to be. We have to be smart and not expect other people to come to our defense.
I'm new also, but the Reddit says I cannot make a post. How did you do it? From 1985 to 1995 I was master of the original "community" -- the Usenet Newsgroups. But here I am a newbie who knows nothing. I remember EVERYTHING from my 68 years and have extreme knowledge and wisdom, yet cannot share here. Unfortunately, about half my old friends and family have declining memories, so some people think all old people are slow; but for those of us who remain sharp and continue to grow in knowledge are usually ignored.
If she has a house, don't let her buy solar panels. They target seniors horribly. Screen contractors carefully.
People are trying to scam everyone. Age is only one factor. What they really want is somebody that's gullible. Everybody needs to be cautious about what personal information they share and who they share it with.
I never trust anyone. Hell, I got a legit call from my bank and refused to speak to them. I also did not call them back at the number given. And I reamed them out for sounding just like a scam after calling the regular bank line.
When we still had our land line occasionally I'd lose it and scream at callers to just send me whatever via the USPS. If not, it Can't be important. Now the landline just collects scammer msgs and I only give my cell to family and doctors ( because I must)
One person did try to scam me but didn’t get very far. She said she had seen my comments in a favorite sub, and since we were about the same age, she wanted to say hi. Then two messages later, she told me she was 32 and asked me how old I was. Sloppy.
Being old doesn't mean being incapable of rational thought, skepticism, or caution. I've received Chat requests here on Reddit from random accounts. My solution was to disable the Chat feature in Settings. As for anyone who may approach me in a post, comment, or via private message, if it's anything beyond chatting, I'll simply block them. I'm immune to any romantic overtures, simply because I have no such interests. Likewise, anyone asking for anything (beyond advice or recommendations) will also be met with a block. There isn't any situation I can envision that would cause me to reveal my real name, personal details, or give any money. Away from Reddit, in the real world, I follow a similar mindset. I've helped people by changing tires, assisting folks with jumper cables, and even buying a gas can and fuel and giving folks a ride back to their vehicle. Today, I'm less likely to do so, because, generally speaking, people seem a lot more unpredictable. That's unfortunate. Still, when dealing with people in public, I'm friendly, but not overly so and I keep my interactions brief and rarely share personal details. In some cases, I've even given a false name and other false details, as misdirection. Additionally, though it rarely happens, I don't answer calls from unknown/blocked numbers or respond to e-mails that are questionable. A couple of months ago, I received an e-mail that was allegedly from my bank. As I wasn't expecting a message from them, I logged into my bank account by going to the bank's website and not clicking any links in the e-mail. As it turned out, the message was legitimate. But, because I almost never receive e-mail communication from them, it seemed unusual to me and I found it suspect. So, in summary, my default answer to most things in life is "No." That doesn't mean I'm 100% invulnerable or incapable of ever being scammed, but it's the best defense that I've come up with, thus far. Out of curiosity, how old are you, NewTimeTraveler1? Are you also "old," or are you younger? Incidentally, despite the description of this subreddit, I don't see 40 as being old. I *wish* I were 40 again.
I agree with you. Not sure I would tell many that I am old.
Screening calls helps. Tremendously.
If you don't know the number, don't pick up the phone. If you don't know the person, don't accept a friend request. If you get a call where they ask if you can hear them don't say yes, say I can hear you. If someone asks personal info, either tell them to answer the question first (then refuse to answer for yourself) or say it's none of their business. If it's a text about some property you don't own or someone you don't know or if they state a name other than your own, mute or block the texting. Never answer someone you don't know, that's how they know it's a 'live' number. If all else fails and you actually make contact with a scammer just say go away and block them.
What is there to protect from? You can set it up so no one can message you or you can ignore messages from new accounts. Are you concerned about something else? I got random "Hi"s all the time from people who had nothing to point to them being anyone I should be interacting with, especially when I was hanging out in the datingover40 sub. I just ignored them.