All, I didn't want to hijack the thread below. Had a buddy get scammed last week. At this time the targets are businesses. The phone number is the actual number to the Electric company. So it is either an inside job or a very sophisticated operation.

Phone call came from electric company saying we are going to turn off your power at your shop if you don't pay us for the new meter we installed. He was distracted with some personal issues that day and paid up using some form of electronic payment @ a CVS Pharmacy.

After thinking about it he calls the electric company at the same number the next day and gets a different person that is really from the electric company. She informs him that he has probably been scammed, since they would not have charged him a new service fee, because he was a long time customer.

To make matters worse, the same %^$#@ that he talked to the first time called him a few minutes later and said that only part of the funds had came through and he needed to send it again.

The next day they tried this on my wifes place of employment. They were told to pound sand.

To keep this tractor related, we store some of our tractors in one of the buildings he don't use for the business.

I sure hope he reported this to authorities, otherwise this scam will continue.

Some scammers are sophisticated enough that they can piggyback any phone number they want to. Simplest is if someone calls on the telephone demanding money, simply hang up and call the number back to see if it is for real.

I just love these thing or the "well through you in jail one" Got some of them years ago not so much now a days. I usually ask them when they will be coming over!!! OR another good one is let them ramble and then start talking in French, German etc. like you speek no English!!!

I agree to tell them anything they ask, for example my bank account number is, are you ready to write this down?? I'll read it slow. It is 39-896-8-332-55-879-355-0-683-9933-733-85-56-12248-6--68849 til the end of time.

I got one from the county tax office real phone number. Told me I had to pay my taxes now. I told them I would be down later today. Lady said no you
must pay now or we will send the sheriff after you.The it hit me. So I told the lady my sister in law is the county tax collector. Which is true. The
Sheriff is a good friend of mine. She told me to do some things to myself and hung up.

I also get calls from all over the country. Never answer them

It is not a big trick to spoof the caller ID to make the number appear to be anything you wish. I can call you and it would appear to be from the White House if I want it to. Most kids can do it.

My elect. COOP has an online bill pay. If you owe something it will show up there and you can pay electronically.

(quoted from post at 06:37:48 03/20/17) I agree to tell them anything they ask, for example my bank account number is, are you ready to write this down?? I'll read it slow. It is 39-896-8-332-55-879-355-0-683-9933-733-85-56-12248-6--68849 til the end of time.

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NOT a good idea!

Sometimes all they are looking for is you to say the word "Yes." They already have your information. Once they have these, the possibilities are endless.