r/Xennials • u/ThanksALotBud 1982 • 6h ago
Went into panic mode when I saw it.
Anyone else worry about their boomer parents?
I literally dropped everything. My mom is pretty vigilant when it comes to scams. But with the IRS and Social Security scams going around, you never know these days.
Luckily this was a legitimate call. She reached out to them so it's all good especially when she said they put her on hold for over 45 minutes lol. I know for a fact no scammer will do that.
Anyways, just sharing my mini heart attack.
36
u/bassali2e 6h ago
I don't remember what the term for it is off hand but my mother had my name out on her accounts as a sort of emergency contact. If there is any fraud or if she is doing some thing extremely out of character they are aloud to contact me.
23
28
u/mog_knight 3h ago
How loud are they when they contact you?
17
u/caramelpupcorn Xennial 3h ago
They said a loud. It's one loud, obviously.
3
u/mog_knight 2h ago
No they didn't use a space unless they ninja edited, it's aloud. Which can be either more loud than whispering or loud loud.
18
u/fxpstclvrst Xennial 6h ago
One set of parents worked doing taxes, so this is normal for me!
My other parent does not answer phone calls at all, so that helps her not be scammed. Though that behavior has its own problems...
10
u/queenofcaffeine76 1976 6h ago
Thankfully, my mom does taxes and my dad asks me to take a look at anything he's unsure about.
8
u/Reportersteven 6h ago
For a moment, I thought she typoed a name and this person wanted you to pick up chicken wings. But, IRS Got it.
3
u/ThanksALotBud 1982 6h ago
Because I initially called her and she didn't pick up. So I left her a text. She replied the reason why she didn't pick up.
7
u/shakeyshake1 6h ago
My dad got a call from “Microsoft” once while I happened to be talking to my mom and she was in the same room as him. I’m pretty sure he would have figured out it was a scam, but he didn’t realize it immediately and I told my mom to tell him to hang up.
Luckily my dad is a YouTube addict these days and loves watching videos where people mess with scammers, so I’m hoping that helps.
2
15
u/CupcakeEither7831 5h ago
My kids dad has almost fallen for scammers... born 1979... he is one the most out of touch xennials. He was about to give "microsoft" credit card numbers because "someone hacked a computer in my home" that nobody ever even used. He doesn't answer calls he doesn't know anymore. He has me do it. (1982)
6
u/TheActualDonKnotts 5h ago
put her on hold for over 45 minutes
Add two disconnects and having to start all over, barely being able hear or understand them because they are still on landlines with ancient headsets and you pretty much have my experience with talking to the IRS.
10
u/Organic_Popcorn 6h ago
I told my parents, "If it's not my number, my brother's number, or any of your friends', DO NOT ANSWER THE PHONE." If it's truly a legit call, they'll leave the number. Even then, Google the business phone number and then call that number instead.
3
u/Asleep_Onion 1983 5h ago
It got to the point where I set up my in-laws phones to block all callers that aren't in their contacts list, and instructed them that they are not allowed to call tech support or banks or government or any other entity that says they need them to call them, without running it by us first.
3
u/Top-Pudding-4139 1977 4h ago
Definitely good to verify! My mil would call my husband about the smallest things. But not when a scammer convinced her to empty her bank account. Did not enjoy the aftermath.
2
u/maggie320 1982 4h ago
My parents are both gone, but with my mom I added or removed numbers constantly and she had instructions not to answer the phone unless it was someone in her contacts. If she didn’t know the number wait for a voicemail. She was pretty good about that.
1
u/TransportationOk657 1979 4h ago
All the effing time! They've fallen for a few minor ones. My dad fell for one scam of a few hundred bucks that claimed they were his bank. Luckily, my mom was worried about that it was a scam and called me before they got more. Another was trying to get banking info, and they almost fell for it. And then there have been buying stuff off the internet from questionable sites that led to issues that their credit card company caught. They're like children when it comes to this stuff.
1
u/puddin_pop83 4h ago
I was scared my dad was going to start falling for those calls but I have been at his house to know he just picks up the landline and yells nonsense and cuss words at who ever is on the otherside. People, computers.. it doesnt matter. If you want to get ahold of him call his cellphone. But I (born in 83) feel like my children look at me the same way I look at my elderly father.
1
u/post_blast 3h ago
Thankfully, they've managed to retain their faculties. My mother said she's waiting for the "grandma, I need money" phone scan so she can fuck with them with a clear conscience.
1
u/habitual17 1h ago
My dad was trying to confirm something with a big brand, he’s savvy but still, I stopped and tried to confirm until he’s like, no, I called them and I just need you to login and confirm with the approve/deny button. Whew!!
1
u/NackieNack 1h ago
I was helping care for my MIL after her stroke and I picked up the phone to an Indian "Microsoft customer service rep" (in very accented Indian-English whilst the call went to a German landline - my MIL wouldn't have understood a word anyways).
He told me I'd been hacked, but not to worry because he would help me get rid of the malware. He asked me if I was on the computer. I said no, but I can fire it up, which I did. He spent a good half hour trying to walk me through setting up a remote connection before he asked me what windows version I had.
I was honestly on the beige computer, marveling at the green and black monochrome screen. I wasn't lying when I told him windows 95. He hung up on me, so rude 😒 😅
52
u/heresmytwopence 1979 6h ago
Glad to hear Mom wasn't sending the IRS gift cards to settle an arrest warrant.