Scammers are the scum of the earth — they prey on the weak, the frail and the gullible. And all for the sake of filling their pockets with cash that they’re too lazy to earn the respectable way, by the sweat of their brow. So it’s no wonder that more and more people are choosing to fight back against charlatans by trolling them and wasting their time.

When one person got a message from an alleged smartphone hacker, they didn’t panic. They didn’t phone the police. And they most certainly didn’t give in to their demands. Instead, what they did was simple. They asked the scammer simple questions about their phone. The best solutions are often the simplest, wouldn’t you agree?

When a phone scammer sent one person threats, they didn’t panic…

Image credits: Summer Skyes 11 (not the actual photo)

…instead, they trolled the ‘hacker’

The scammer’s threats failed the moment they couldn’t answer elementary questions their ‘victim’ posed. It just goes to show that scammers can get shut down almost instantly with just a dash of logic and reason, as long as their marks don’t start panicking.

The United States Federal Trade Commission warns that swindlers and crooks plot and scheme, and defraud millions of people each year. Though technology and the methods might change, the tricks they use are as old as humanity itself: they usually center around getting their marks to give out valuable information or scaring them into sending them money.

Imposters usually pretend to be someone you can trust — like a family member or an authority figure, for example, somebody from the government. That’s why it’s important to stop, calm down, and think things through. Scammers rely on you to make impulsive decisions based on how you feel at the moment, so it’s very important you relax after reading a fraudster’s email or text message, or getting their phone call.

What’s more, never, ever pay upfront, but do conduct a thorough online search about the scammer’s alleged position and company they supposedly represent. And most importantly — talk to someone you trust (your loved ones, your neighbors, etc.) before making a decision that can haunt you for years to come.

If you’re still in the mood for reading about justice being done to scammers, take a look at Bored Panda’s posts about how a guy’s wife spent three days trolling a scammer, how a guy trolled a scammer after receiving a text saying he won 1.2 million dollars, and how somebody had some fun with a scammer from Nigeria who pretended to be his grandmother.

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