Phone Scammers
So this isn’t specifically about nonprofits, or volunteerism – but if you’re reading this, you’re probably involved with one of those. One of the things I want to provide for my readers are things to make their lives better. This will make your life better. It will free up your time so you can get back to the good work your doing. How often does your phone ring and on the other end of the line is one of a myriad of phone scammers trying to steal your money or your financial information, and wasting your time?
Oftentimes they’re rude. They’re threatening. They can be downright abusive. You can hang up on them. Some trying humoring them. And finally you tell them to take you off their list. Of course they never take you off their list, so what are you supposed to do about it?
The Cure for Phone Scammers
So I was listening to a podcast the other day, and the host referred to this gentleman, Roger Anderson, as “the greatest hero in American history.”
Roger has developed an internet-based program that fights phone scammers for you. For 50 cents a month, his phone robots will answer calls from known scamming numbers, and pretend to be you for as long as the scammer will talk to them (or in some cases, you have to transfer the call to the robot.)
The scenarios are hilarious, you really have to listen to them for yourself. They have both male and female voices, so you can pick one that the scammer might think is actually you. Here’s an example of a vacation scammer talking to one of the robots.
After the telemarketer hangs up the phone, you get an email recording of the call.
And, oh yeah, they have it for the office too. It will sound like an office worker, offer to take a message, and generally give the telemarketer the run-around.
So take a look at Roger’s website, fittingly, it’s jollyrogertelco.com. For fun, it’s pirate-themed. It works with some landlines and Google Voice directly. Everybody else will need to transfer the call, which they make really easy to do.
Think about how great this would be for you, and then think about how great this might be for the more vulnerable people in your life, grandparents, and the elderly. Those who are generally more susceptible to con artists.
Anyway, I heard this on my way to camp on Friday, and thought, I want to tell everyone I know about this.
So now I’ve told you. Tell your friends. And have a great weekend.
You’ve earned it.
Photo by rejon 