Mom and step-dad getting scammed...

[SeansMom]

I think we finally have some of it under control, but step dad who is 75 yo sent tons of money because he was going to "win" 10,000,000 dollars. Right. Now, they continually get phone calls. I talked to their phone company to no avail.

Does anybody know which carrier will put this message on their phone: I "You have reached a number that does not accept solicitors. If you are a solicitor, please hang up now. If you are not a solicitor, dial 1." My friend had this on her phone when she had cancer, but since she's passed on I can't ask her what company it was. I think it would be worth it to change companies and have this as they seem so vulnerable to scams.

 

[candykisses]

I company I work for offered that feature. It was called Do not Disturb. We stopped offering it about 2 years ago.

There are a few things that the phone company should be able to do for you if your Dad has a traditional phone line. At least we have been able to, as I personally have handled problems like this on several occasions.

We also suggest that that the police be notified.

 

[bettymae1121]

I have AT&T digital and there is an option where you can block all calls except certain numbers that are on the "allowed" list, you can have up to 20 numbers "allowed". You do it all online when you log into your account, you don't have to call AT&T to set it up. It wouldn't work if you needed to allow more than 20 numbers to ring through, but in that case they also have a feature that allows all calls unless you put them on the "blocked" list. Again you only get to block upto 20 numbers though, but usually once a company finds out they are blocked they stop calling, so after a few weeks you can delete the old numbers and add new ones as needed.

 

[clutter]

Have you put their number on the national Do Not Call list? I realized we never did that for my parents (and they don't do internet). That slowed down some of the calls for my dad.

 

[WeLuvDCL]

AT&T (Bellsouth) has it - It's called Privacy Manager Service and it requires Caller ID
http://www.bellsouth.com/global/promos/prod_serv.html

It would be cheaper to just get caller ID with an answering machine. If the caller ID is not someone you know, let the answer machine get it. Use a message that states you are registered on the Do Not Call list and if this is not a solicitor please leave a message so we can pick up the phone or call you back later.
The company should remove your number from their list after hearing that you are on the Do Not Call list so eventually, hopefully, the calls will greatly decrease.

 

[beavismom]

The problem is that scammers don't care about that message or that you are on the "do not call" list. Your Mom and Stepdad are on a "sucker list" now and although it is a hassle the best thing you can do is change their number. The scammers can be particularly vile to the elderly.

 

[EKW]

You might consider talking to them about whether they are willing to give you Power of Attorney. I've posted here numerous times about crap my elderly aunt had pulled on her...by supposedly reputable companies!

I found myself to be powerless because I was "just" her niece. Even as their daughter, you would have more standing if you have legal power. Why aren't your parents willing to change phone numbers?

At this point, I think the best option would be to call their phone company and explain what you need. If you can't get your folks to give you power to speak for them, see if you can't convince your mom to call, change the phone number, and add the services you want. I had an option of any 3 "perks" when I signed up for my package. What you're looking for was one of them.

Does your father seem to understand that he was scammed? You might encourage him to be screened for signs of dementia. My aunt had signs going back into her 60's...which, for over a decade I dismissed as being cantankerous. Turns out, it was dementia.

One idea...something I used with her...was adding an answering machine that has a blinking light to let you know when you have a message. Then, turn the ringer off. Have your mom check the messages. Dad might be angry if you refuse to give him the password, but it would be for both of their benefits!

 

[SandrA9810]

If going the Power of Attorney route, make sure your parents are still enough in their right mind to make the decision. They'll probably have to meet with a lawyer privately to determine that they are competent and making the decision on their own. If not, you would have to go before a judge to be granted guardianship over them. With a much longer process.

The sooner you get this done, the better. On top of that, you'll be able to make all the phone calls and handle their affairs. At this point it might be hard to get your dad to consent to changing the phone number or adding caller ID, since he's still waiting for his big payout.

 

[robinb]

The problem is that scammers don't care about that message or that you are on the "do not call" list. Your Mom and Stepdad are on a "sucker list" now and although it is a hassle the best thing you can do is change their number. The scammers can be particularly vile to the elderly.

This. As if those blood suckers would give a rat's butt what kind of message is on your parent's voice mail !

 

[Praying Colonel]

The problem is that scammers don't care about that message or that you are on the "do not call" list. Your Mom and Stepdad are on a "sucker list" now and although it is a hassle the best thing you can do is change their number. The scammers can be particularly vile to the elderly.

Yep--and many of these calls probably aren't even coming from inside the U.S.

 

[smokeyblue]

I would never suggest that anyone get a call blocker. I work at a hospital and our calls come up as "Unknown Caller" to anyone that doesn't live in the local calling area. I have had occassions in the last couple years that I was calling to notify a family member of an emergency and I was not able to get through.

 

[pooh98378]

Another vote for changing the number. It's my understanding that once a person has been scammed, their number is often put on a list that is circulated among other scammers.

 

[Shmily1]

My aunt has been being scammed by these people for years. The group that has her number is in Nigeria. They are constantly sending her money from Western Union (yeah, right!!). I called the FBI and they have an entire program for these guys. I would call them.