11/13/2023 0 Comments Prank phone calls gone wrongPerhaps the most well-known is the “catch question,” à la “Is your refrigerator running?” A few others: There are several classic forms this can take. “Telephone pranks serve … as a means of releasing hostility and frustration with a minimum risk of retaliation,” Dresser writes. The calls are almost always made in groups, her survey found, so there’s a bonding element, and “the caller becomes the center of attention among his peers.”ĭresser, Jorgensen, and Harris all note that a prank call also serves as a sort of low-stakes rebellion, a chance to embarrass the adults that usually have power over them. ![]() In her 1973 paper “Telephone Pranks ,” the folklorist Norine Dresser writes that the pranks “serve several social needs” for kids that age. The few studies on prank calls that exist estimate that the pastime is most popular among kids from ages 11 to 14 or 15. In each case the denouement was highly farcical, and the reputed corpses are now hunting in a lively manner for that telephonistįrom then to now, most people have tended to make prank calls during a brief window of adolescence. Phone scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission online.A Grave Joke on Undertakers.-Some malicious wag at Providence, R.I., has been playing a grave practical joke on the undertakers there, by summoning them over the telephone to bring freezers, candlesticks and coffins for persons alleged to be dead. Customs and Border Protection and seeking any type of personal information, should just hang up. Instead, type the agency name into a search bar and click on their webpage to find contact information.Īnyone receiving any type of call from someone claiming to be from U.S. Check with CBP if you’re unsure about whether a call or email is real. Never call back phone numbers in caller ID, or left in voicemails, emails, or social media messages.Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can make their phone numbers look real even if they’re not.CBP never uses gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. If someone asks you to pay this way, it’s a scam.CBP won’t call you out of the blue with promises of money or threats. Is the caller asking you to pay a fee or share your Social Security, credit card, or bank account numbers over the phone? Hang up. ![]() If you get a call like this, here are a few things to keep in mind: The Department of Homeland Security and CBP does not solicit money over the phone. These calls, whether a pre-recorded message or live person, are phone scams/phishing attempts and residents are urged to not provide the caller with any information. When connected, the scammer then attempts to confirm the target’s banking information. Some scammers are even providing fake case numbers and badge numbers.Ī variation of this call is a pre-recorded message stating that a “shipment of drugs or money with your name on it and has been intercepted.” The target is then instructed to press #1 to speak with a CBP Officer/Agent. ![]() When the scammer is asked for a name, he provides an actual CBP employee’s name and phone number available on the internet for the target to verify. If the target refuses to comply, the scammer threatens that the police will be arriving. Would-be victims are reporting that the scammers are insistent that they must confirm certain details because CBP has intercepted a shipment of drugs with the “target’s” name and address and that cooperation is important to ensure the case is resolved. Customs and Border Protection about a shipment of drugs or money should recognize that it is a scam regardless of how authentic the caller may sound.” To be clear, CBP will not make telephone calls threatening citizens that law enforcement is on the way or promising money for information. “If CBP suspects illegal activity, we will not call a suspect or a victim requesting money or social security numbers. “We are seeing a spike of phone calls from concerned citizens about scammers posing as CBP employees seeking information about suspected illegal activity,” said CBP Houston Director of Field Operations Jud Murdock. Customs and Border Protection employees are continuing to receive numerous calls from people concerned about unsolicited calls from scammers posing as U.S. HOUSTON – Telephone scammers are targeting residents nationwide to gain personal information that would bypass financial security protocols.
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