| Adder |
08-09-2013 05:39 PM |
Almost, but I'm not quite that dumb
Ever since I got a new landline phone number after moving back to Minneapolis, I get periodic calls from someone purporting to be calling from an online pharmacy (using different company names at different times, if memory serves). The first time, I asked them not to call again and told them I'm on the do not call list and their call was illegal. This did not deter them. They were even so aggressive to call back immediate after I hung up on them.
So, obviously, something smells pretty fishy there. From time to time I'd think about keeping track of the calls and reporting them to the FTC or whoever, but I never really got around to it. The calls weren't that frequent, and it's not that hard to hang up. But I figured whoever used to have that number had maybe done some business with them.
Even fishier, of course, was that sometimes they would immediate ask "don't you want some pain medications?" Ah, so that's the deal. They're seeking addicts. Huh, wonder if they even pretend to send the drugs after you give them your credit card over the phone? The sale can't be legal, so why even bother? I'm not curious enough to want to try to find out.
But then comes the clever bit. Last night, there's a message on the old-school answering machine attached to the line (which we never use). It's someone claiming to be Special Agent Mark Thomas from the DEA calling for Bob Loblaw (name changed to protect the innocent) and wanting to ask some questions about online drug purchases that Bob had made.
Huh. Well, that makes some sort of sense (aside from calling out of the blue), because this wasn't the first time I'd heard Bob's name. Several years ago a collections agency called for that person, and it took a little doing to convince them they had the wrong number.
So that would all make sense. Maybe Bob had a problem and Bob used to buy narcotics over the phone, or try to. Maybe the DEA's now catching up to him.
So, I'm thinking, I'll call Agent Thomas back and tell him he's got the wrong number. Except that the phone number he left got cut off the message (again, old school answering machine). So, well, he had a 415 area code, so must be the San Francisco field office of the DEA. I'll just call the switchboard and ask for him. No problem.
Except, small problem. There is no Special Agent Mark Thomas at the DEA's San Fran field office. Huh. Time to Google. And look! People using that name have been trying to get people to send them money and making threats, and it's been happening enough that the DEA put out an alert about it.
So there you have it. Call to push the drugs. If that doesn't work, or stops, threaten them with a fake DEA agent. Pretty creative.
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