Ask HN: Extremely brazen phone scammer – what to do?
I received a call from an obvious scammer (something about my social security number being stolen, etc), and in their recording they didn't provide an option to be put on a no-call list which has happened in other cases. The only option I was given was to dial "1" to talk to one of their agents. I dialed 2, and was instantly greeted by someone who had an almost accent-free English but was on a poor phone connection. He said "hello," and I said "would you please remove me from your list." He said he'll do that if I paid him $2k. I declined and said I need to be removed or I'll contact the police. At that point, he reiterated his offer, but added that he'll call me every single minute until I give in. I responded that I am not falling for this and that I'll file a police report, at which point he started using foul language and told me "that I am f*cked."
What surprised me about the call was the rudeness. I was expecting someone on the other line hoping that they are not going to get themselves in trouble and politely apologizing for calling the wrong person. Instead, the person I talked to was clearly convinced that they cannot get caught. Given the digital nature of our world, I am a bit surprised that's the case if you come across a sufficiently motivated person.