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‘Hacker’ Says They Hacked Person’s Phone, Their Scam Fails When The Victim Starts Asking Simple Questions
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‘Hacker’ Says They Hacked Person’s Phone, Their Scam Fails When The Victim Starts Asking Simple Questions

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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?

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    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’

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    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.

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    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.

    Internet users had this to say

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    Jonas Grinevičius

    Jonas Grinevičius

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

    Read less »
    Jonas Grinevičius

    Jonas Grinevičius

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

    Read less »

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

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    Rhon
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My 93 yr old father was getting phone calls from his “internet provider” telling him that his computer has been attacked by viruses and he needed to talk with one of their technicians. My father has never had a computer, he hated them . I asked them what their computer was saying about his computer and they tried to give me all sorts of rubbish about it. So, 1. Dad doesn’t have the internet. 2. My husband works for the company that taught the “internet provider” technicians their job. Scammers messed up big time! But boy it was fun stringing them along!

    Martata
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I honestly think people that mess with scam idiots should give training on "how to deal with scammers 101" at day centres so old people know how to deal with them and not be robbed constant.

    Load More Comments
    Rhon
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My 93 yr old father was getting phone calls from his “internet provider” telling him that his computer has been attacked by viruses and he needed to talk with one of their technicians. My father has never had a computer, he hated them . I asked them what their computer was saying about his computer and they tried to give me all sorts of rubbish about it. So, 1. Dad doesn’t have the internet. 2. My husband works for the company that taught the “internet provider” technicians their job. Scammers messed up big time! But boy it was fun stringing them along!

    Martata
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I honestly think people that mess with scam idiots should give training on "how to deal with scammers 101" at day centres so old people know how to deal with them and not be robbed constant.

    Load More Comments
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