How Dumb Do They Think I Am?

[MTY]

I do not text for the simple reason that I have no desire to text. This month I received 700+ minutes fo text messages wanting to buy my house, sell me insurance etc.. I just delete them as soon as they come in.

In yesterdays mail I received a letter and a contract to sign. My place consists of two parcels. The house is on one, and the other is forestry. The letter and contract were for the purchase of the parcel in forestry.

Forestry is just the tax designation, you can do what you want with it, but if you log it you have to pay stumpage. Taxes are lower, but they get their money when it is logged. If you build on it, the tax designation changes to residential. So, it is usable land.

The offfer and contract were for approximately 30-35% of what the land would sell for. I suppose some people would sign, but I have no idea why.

Today's mail was a solicitation to consolidate debt. The proposal was, if you have $15,000 in debt we can settle that and you only have to pay $275 for 72 months. That came out to $4800 in interest. Again, why would anyone see this as a good deal? I'd sell a kidney first.

This has been my first exposure to this nonsense in years. Are people really hoping that by fishing like this they can screw over a desparate person and make that person's life even more miserable? What a world!

 

[Caniborrowsomeammo]

I get letters all the time offering to buy some of my properties dirt cheap and that's in Kalifornia, change my property management, get cheap insurance, take out loans, extend the warranty on my refrigerator and cars.
They must get gullible people that respond, why else would they do it?

 

[bstorric]

I do not text for the simple reason that I have no desire to text. This month I received 700+ minutes fo text messages wanting to buy my house, sell me insurance etc.. I just delete them as soon as they come in.

In yesterdays mail I received a letter and a contract to sign. My place consists of two parcels. The house is on one, and the other is forestry. The letter and contract were for the purchase of the parcel in forestry.

Forestry is just the tax designation, you can do what you want with it, but if you log it you have to pay stumpage. Taxes are lower, but they get their money when it is logged. If you build on it, the tax designation changes to residential. So, it is usable land.

The offfer and contract were for approximately 30-35% of what the land would sell for. I suppose some people would sign, but I have no idea why.

Today's mail was a solicitation to consolidate debt. The proposal was, if you have $15,000 in debt we can settle that and you only have to pay $275 for 72 months. That came out to $4800 in interest. Again, why would anyone see this as a good deal? I'd sell a kidney first.

This has been my first exposure to this nonsense in years. Are people really hoping that by fishing like this they can screw over a desparate person and make that person's life even more miserable? What a world!

Unfortunately these predatory practices actually do get people to fall for it…especially elderly people who aren’t quite what they used to be mentally. Those people and “businesses” preying on susceptible folks are some of the worst sort of people. There is a special place in hell for those people. I hope when they get old or if they fall on hard times…someone scams their ass into the ground

 

[bstorric]

Also I don’t know how this happens to elderly folks specifically but I’ve seen it with my paternal grandfather. He donated to a certain political party and they relentlessly called and sent letters asking for more and more. He was starting to develop dementia and luckily my father had power of attorney and kept track of his finances and saw he was giving significant amounts of money to this political party and intervened. The worst part was that my father called and spoke to someone at the call center and he explained the situation. They basically said, well your father (my grandfather) is an adult and should be allowed to donated however much and to whoever he would like

 

[deermanok]

I get bombarded daily, text messages, phone calls, emails.
Everything from offers for loans, products, etc, etc, on and on.
My favorite is my daily car warranty has expired call.
These companies are just fishing.
If they make 100 casts and get 2 or 3 bites, they still make money.
It's the poor, unsuspecting consumer that suffers.

 

[moose23]

This is interesting…I too get mail, emails, and phone calls. But I’ve never received a text message with these offers. Maybe my carrier doesn’t permit it???

 

[toytruck]

I'm getting call's every day, sometimes more from the NRA. I became a life member some years ago. Now they want to go to the next level which I didn't know about. I thought the "for life" was the highest one good go!

 

[edmehlig]

Ditto

 

[moose23]

Same with me about NRA life membership!! I think there are 3 levels of life membership. I’m good at the one I’m at now.

 

[Firewater Forge]

I love it when my friend Dan Smith from Microsoft support (with a suspicious accent of the Indian subcontinent) calls to inform me that my "syskey" has expired and will be happy to renew it if I pay in itunes gift cards. He's so helpful and kind. I just cannot understand why he has such a "romantic desire" to have a sexual relationship with my mother when I refuse his services.

 

[toytruck]

Same with me about NRA life membership!! I think there are 3 levels of life membership. I’m good at the one I’m at now.

They are just as bad as telemarketers if you ask me....

 

[Chundoo]

I recently sold a piece of desert sand in AZ (normal sales procedures) then 3 months later I got one of those letters offering to buy it from the same person that already bought it for about 25% of what he already paid. Gave me a good laugh.

 

[sheriffjohn]

Elderly people are targetted for phone scams because they were taught to be polite. Some are simply lonely, happy to listen when anyone calls or pays attention to them. When a scammer actually gets to the point where a conversation begins to take place, they are quite adept at controlling the conversation, steering the victim to divulge personal info, and convincing them to do something.

A difficult thing to accomplish is to empower elderly victims to simply hang up before the conversation begins. Donor lists are marketable, sold and traded among telemarketers and scammers (as are credit card numbers, banking info, and personal information). Worked these cases for decades. It's a billion dollar criminal enterprise.

 

[MTY]

Many years ago, probably close to 40, I was working trouble for the phone company. I had a trainee with me, and we received a repair call stating no dial tone.
When we got to the place, the trainee started to get his tools on. I told him it was not necessary. About once a month the widow whose phone was out would call in just to have company. As soon as you got to the door she would be guiding you to the table for cookies and a visit. There was never a phone problem. I felt so sorry for her.
These are the type the scammers like to get their claws into.

 

[D55]

Many scams out there and the Govts. state local and federal are also some of the offenders. As to the op's statement on stump fees, I know a guy in WV who when he timbered his property claimed a loss on the timber, what he said made sense. WV charges a natural resource tax, but, He claimed he already bought and paid for the timber then when the guy who (cut) timbered it charged him 60%, don't know the dollar amt., he claimed he lost 60% of the value of the timber and claimed 0 profit. They never came after him. Maybe we have to be smarter than the foxes.

 

[davek42]

You can block the texs, Do not respond to them at all because that lets then know its a live phone number there texing.
I add the number thats texing me to my contacts, then block that number.
After a while all my junk texs have stoped

 

[brownisdown]

I never answer my phone on a call or text number I do not know.I instantly block the call and then delete it.

 

[Blackrock]

My solution is a bit simpler. I no longer carry a cell phone. The so called smart phone was making me stupid...hard to do mental math, not remembering people's phone numbers, etc. No more wasting time on Pinterest or games or other sites. No social media. My wife has one and good enough for both of us. And we save money. Besides, when on the water, at the range, or in the woods I do not get any pesky calls/texts about 'when you done..?" Not a solution for many but I'm happier now...

 

[vintovka]

cell phone = electronic leash

 

[fishdfly]

I do not turn mine on.