I get calls all day long over and over. I have had it. So I started doing "my thing". I played dumb and pretended to be senile, etc. I told them my memory was not good but if they give me their contact data, my son or daughter will call and do whatever it is they were asking for. Then I proudly went on to say my son is a FEDERAL PROSECUTOR and my daughter is CRIMINAL ATTORNEY. Wow I never heard someone hang up so fast and I never got another call from them. Make up stories like this or say they are now deceased. it works every time. NO MORE CALLS.
Oh, that's a good one. I'll have to try that one day when dh is not around. I've done the "Hello, welcome to our show. Our listeners are eager to hear your story today . . . " My son was in stitches, my dh was furious because I was "lying."
It sounds like FIL is not capable of managing any money and should not have access to the CC. Time to chop it up or get him a prepaid one with a limit of $500 or less and let him use it.
Is his number on the Do Not Call registry?
If they are legit charities, call them and let them know he no longer has capacity to enter into a contract and any charges will be disputed.
It is shameful how some charities prey on seniors.
Take the card away from him. He is getting robo calls - the technology just dials one number after another until someone actually talks to them. Might be charity and more likely a scammer just trying to get personal info like credit card. Once you give money to a charity that calls, of course they will call over and over. That's the whole point.
Giving away money can negatively impact his ability to get medicaid for a nursing home should that become a need.
find his card, take it away, call the company and cancel the card.......tear up the card and that should solve the problem......in fact if he has more than 1 card do that for all of them. wishing you luck
I wish there was an easy way to end telephone solicitations. Even if we block numbers, these people will generate new numbers in a heartbeat! If we have our names on the DO NOT CALL list, it doesn’t matter. If we don’t answer our phones, they send junk texts messages. There’s no end. It’s like a contagious, incurable disease!
One of the limitations of the Do Not Call list is that so many of the numbers shown on caller ID are fake. I had faithfully been reporting the numbers until one day I decided to block my own number and call back, just to see who really was calling I think probably 75% or more of the numbers are fake and nonexistent.
My dad had a call from a scammer. We were talking and he mentioned this. He had also given his CC this was all within 24hrs. We immediately went to the bank, explained the situation and cancelled the card right then and there. I convinced him that he no longer needed the card. That was the end of my worry. Get rid of every cc he has. This people will continue to prey on him.
Get his landline phone on a VOIP (voice over IP) system like Ooma. He can keep the same phone number, but there are some good call filtering controls not available on most landlines. He does need wifi internet for VOIP.
If it is a cell/mobile smartphone, there are apps that can block most spammers, too.
Maybe give him a cancelled or fake credit card to use.
Get a cell phone and transfer his telephone number to the cell phone service. Update his contact address book on the cellphone to those phone numbers that are ok. Most cellphones now have a feature where you can set it to ring only on approved contacts. All other calls will be transferred “silently” to voice mail. Maybe this might be available on your landline too.
He should not have access to a valid credit card or one with more than a set amount on it. If you have to get him a pre loaded card. You do not indicate where he is living or with whom. If he is by himself, he should not be living alone. if he is living with someone they could monitor calls and stop him from giving info out. .
It sounds like FIL is not capable of managing any money and should not have access to the CC. Time to chop it up or get him a prepaid one with a limit of $500 or less and let him use it.
Is his number on the Do Not Call registry?
If they are legit charities, call them and let them know he no longer has capacity to enter into a contract and any charges will be disputed.
It is shameful how some charities prey on seniors.
Giving away money can negatively impact his ability to get medicaid for a nursing home should that become a need.
Ditch the card.
I don't know what the solution is.
If it is a cell/mobile smartphone, there are apps that can block most spammers, too.
Maybe give him a cancelled or fake credit card to use.
You do not indicate where he is living or with whom. If he is by himself, he should not be living alone. if he is living with someone they could monitor calls and stop him from giving info out.
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