S/O Beggars, Moochers and Scammers

[RebeccainGA]

I don't know if this is truly a scam, or just something I don't want any part of, but I ahve a lot of credit card debt. and I keep getting mailings from companies who can guarentee a reduction in my debt,and so on. Yeah, I think not. So if I owe 20K (and I'm making up these amounts) they can help me "negotiate" my debt down to 12 or 15, and pay it off. And pay them, I'm sure, a VEry hefty fee to do so. I'm guessing they don't do much more than negotiate with your creditors, which you can try and do for yourself, for free.

But honeslty, i got myself into this, I can get myself out.

Just so you know, those are frequently scams, or at least bad investments - if you want a negotiated settlement, you can call your company directly and ask for it yourself, no middleman. Some are legitimately helpful, but pricy, and some are really scams (will dispute everything on your credit report so your score goes up momentarily, but then they all bounce right back on once the companies verify the debt).

[Virg]

siamesecat2965 wrote:

"I don't know if this is truly a scam, or just something I don't want any part of, but I ahve a lot of credit card debt. and I keep getting mailings from companies who can guarentee a reduction in my debt,and so on."

Stuff like this generally isn't a scam, it's a loan company looking to get you to transfer your debt to them.  They work to restructure it, and the payback to them is that you're then paying them interest instead of your credit card company.  There are shady participants and decent ones, but all in all it's just a debt consolidation loan.  You'd be best consulting with a pro about whether this sort of thing is a good idea for you financially, because even a legitimate company might not give you a better deal than you're getting now, but some online research can't hurt and you might find it beneficial.

Virg

[magicdomino]

I don't know if this is truly a scam, or just something I don't want any part of, but I ahve a lot of credit card debt. and I keep getting mailings from companies who can guarentee a reduction in my debt,and so on.

If it makes you feel any better, I get those calls, and I don't have any credit card debt.

[siamesecat2965]

I don't know if this is truly a scam, or just something I don't want any part of, but I ahve a lot of credit card debt. and I keep getting mailings from companies who can guarentee a reduction in my debt,and so on. Yeah, I think not. So if I owe 20K (and I'm making up these amounts) they can help me "negotiate" my debt down to 12 or 15, and pay it off. And pay them, I'm sure, a VEry hefty fee to do so. I'm guessing they don't do much more than negotiate with your creditors, which you can try and do for yourself, for free.

But honeslty, i got myself into this, I can get myself out.

Just so you know, those are frequently scams, or at least bad investments - if you want a negotiated settlement, you can call your company directly and ask for it yourself, no middleman. Some are legitimately helpful, but pricy, and some are really scams (will dispute everything on your credit report so your score goes up momentarily, but then they all bounce right back on once the companies verify the debt).

Oh I know. I chuck them all. I haven't gotten to the point where I'm missing payments or anything like that. I'm able to pay, and more than the minimum, so I have no need for anything like that. I always figure if it sounds too good to be true, then it it. I got myself into this, I will get myself out, and am on track to pay it all off within a reasonable time frame.

[Elfmama]

I have a package at Fed, ex that couldn't be delivered May 22, according to the email sent this morning (June 11).

We were home that day, the name of the company is NOT Fed, ex, we don't have a local distribution center so they didn't say which one to go to, and for fun I tried to print the shipping label that I was asked to take to the office to retrieve my package, and it didn't print. Everything I have ordered lately is here, and it's far past Mother's Day.

I guess I will ramain parcelless as I don't plan to email them back.

Maybe it was my Nigerian Prince's $1.5 million that I didn't claim.

Luci, that was probably NOT a scam, but a virus!  Never click on ANY link in a spam email!

[Elfmama]

Anyone else getting bombarded with spam for:

* Doctorate degrees
* Kitchen cabinets
* Used cars

Or am I just that special?

I get all that AND rich husbands.  Apparently there are lots of rich guys who want to throw their money away on me.

No rich husbands for me.    All I get are from ladies who are really hot for me, and I just don't swing that way.

[Elfmama]

Beggar, yes.  Moocher or Scammer, no.  Annoying, definitely yes.

Yesterday we received a letter with red letters that said, 'URGENT! THIRD NOTICE!'. 

It was an appeal from the ASPCA. 

I think I posted about this earlier, but after a brief respite our daily calls from the Red Cross have started again. DH has donated blood in the past and they want him to again, but they don't seem to
grasp that the best way to get him to do it is not through constant harassment. I can't really imagine that that would work for anyone.

There are probably a few people who do, "just for the sake of a quiet life".  I'd probably do the opposite.

Mr. Thipu has a rare blood type.  He's been getting calls from the Red Cross sporadically for about 40 years.  These we understand and don't mind.  We would mind if we got the calls every day.

We cannot donate since our 3 years in the UK coincided with the Mad Cow outbreak.  I have a rare blood type also.  It took at least 2 years of telling them twice a month "I'm no longer eligible" before they stopped.  So even being a Mad Cow isn't enough to stop calls, at least initially.

[Elfmama]

My vet always sends a cute postcard addressed to the pet in question.

I usually look at the pet, tell them 'ooh you got mail from the vet!  When are you going to make the appointment?'  When I get the uncomprehending look in return, I heave a heavy sigh and say "OK, I suppose I have to do it for you...' 

Lazy critters.   

Yeah, even without opposable thumbs they could knock the phone off the hook and dial the vet's number, right?

Of course, maybe the vet's staff wouldn't recognize "Mrow" or "*Woof!" as meaning "Next Thursday at 10, please."

*Siberian husky version "Owrowayaroaw!"

[Luci]

I have a package at Fed, ex that couldn't be delivered May 22, according to the email sent this morning (June 11).

We were home that day, the name of the company is NOT Fed, ex, we don't have a local distribution center so they didn't say which one to go to, and for fun I tried to print the shipping label that I was asked to take to the office to retrieve my package, and it didn't print. Everything I have ordered lately is here, and it's far past Mother's Day.

I guess I will ramain parcelless as I don't plan to email them back.

Maybe it was my Nigerian Prince's $1.5 million that I didn't claim.

Luci, that was probably NOT a scam, but a virus!  Never click on ANY link in a spam email!

Of course not

Sadly, I am so paranoid about this that I didn't open an email invting me to my daughter-in-law's baby shower - and got roundly admonished for not responding.

If it says "An invitations for you", I have found it is for a sharky loan or a smarmy realationship. There are still the ones that say, 'If send this ad to 20 people, you will get a free computer from Bill Gates". Right.

I find it beyond tagic that people still fall for things and click on things randomly. We old people have been around far too long to do that, and the young ones should have grown up with computers and know better.

I have no clue where mine came from if it is a virus. I did send the tracking number on to FedEx and got that it couldn't be found.

[Julian]

My vet always sends a cute postcard addressed to the pet in question.

I usually look at the pet, tell them 'ooh you got mail from the vet!  When are you going to make the appointment?'  When I get the uncomprehending look in return, I heave a heavy sigh and say "OK, I suppose I have to do it for you...' 

Lazy critters.   

Yeah, even without opposable thumbs they could knock the phone off the hook and dial the vet's number, right?

Of course, maybe the vet's staff wouldn't recognize "Mrow" or "*Woof!" as meaning "Next Thursday at 10, please."

*Siberian husky version "Owrowayaroaw!"

   They're very good at knocking the phone.  Just not so good at making calls.  Although Molly will listen to the phone if she hears her name, and Morty (the chatterbox cat) will never shut up once anyone's on the phone.

[cwm]

My vet always sends a cute postcard addressed to the pet in question.

I usually look at the pet, tell them 'ooh you got mail from the vet!  When are you going to make the appointment?'  When I get the uncomprehending look in return, I heave a heavy sigh and say "OK, I suppose I have to do it for you...' 

Lazy critters.   

Yeah, even without opposable thumbs they could knock the phone off the hook and dial the vet's number, right?

Of course, maybe the vet's staff wouldn't recognize "Mrow" or "*Woof!" as meaning "Next Thursday at 10, please."

*Siberian husky version "Owrowayaroaw!"

Okay, your husky version has me giggling at my desk. I can honestly hear it in my head.

One of the dogs I dog sit for might be able to set it up on her own, if you dial the phone. Every time I'm on she'll come up and whuffle into it. Scared my sister one time, because sis thought I was dying or something when it was just Heidi running over to say hello.

[staceym]

okay, I don't know if this goes here or under special snowflake - but this is a new one to me.

I follow my favorite singer on twitter and someone just tweeted him this

(leaving blank)   could you please help me?I'm raising money for Student loan payoff . Click to Donate: http://www.gofundme.com/39rdjo    #gofundme

She seriously wants people to donate to her "pay off my college loan" fund??? 

I just looked at her twitter page and it looks like she has tweeted anyone who is famous - I guess she figures they have a few bucks to spare 

[nuit93]

okay, I don't know if this goes here or under special snowflake - but this is a new one to me.

I follow my favorite singer on twitter and someone just tweeted him this

(leaving blank)   could you please help me?I'm raising money for Student loan payoff . Click to Donate: http://www.gofundme.com/39rdjo    #gofundme

She seriously wants people to donate to her "pay off my college loan" fund??? 

I just looked at her twitter page and it looks like she has tweeted anyone who is famous - I guess she figures they have a few bucks to spare 

It's spamming like crazy, but I can't quite say I fault the person for trying

[Miss Misery]

There's a slightly NSFW story over on Jezebel right now: "Don't Ask Writers to Work for Free Unless You Want an Eloquent *bleep!* Off' ", plus lots of reader comments about how someone expected them to be falling all over themselves to do {insert pricey job/favor/request here} for squat in return.

[Elfmama]

okay, I don't know if this goes here or under special snowflake - but this is a new one to me.

I follow my favorite singer on twitter and someone just tweeted him this

(leaving blank)   could you please help me?I'm raising money for Student loan payoff . Click to Donate: http://www.gofundme.com/39rdjo    #gofundme

She seriously wants people to donate to her "pay off my college loan" fund? ?? 

I just looked at her twitter page and it looks like she has tweeted anyone who is famous - I guess she figures they have a few bucks to spare 

It's spamming like crazy, but I can't quite say I fault the person for trying

I read a story once where a big lottery winner kept a running dollar total of the beg letters that she got. (Some places you have to give your real name to the lottery PR people.) "You just won 100 bazillion dollars, so I just know that you're a kind, charitable person who will give me $XXXX for Y reason."  She quit counting when the total reached 3 or 4 times the amount that she won, and the letters still kept coming in. 

Similarly, I suspect that Favorite Singer could give away every penny that he earns, and people would still hound him for more.