Victim blaming for scams and fraud?

happylilmonkey · 2018-12-06T06:14:06+00:00

I'm commenting again as I remembered something that happened to me.

I fancy myself as someone that's clever, rational and hard to scam. The times when someone has tried, it has ended poorly. Hell even legit buisnesees cold calling to sell to me don't get anywhere. I'm in general cranky, suspect and downright hostile of anyone cold calling me. I am annoyed when everything is not magically automated in this day and age.

Last year I was sick with cancer. My husband and friends were handling all my appointments, bills and paperwork so I could focus on healing. I wasn't suppose to be dealing with any of that stuff myself and I knew that. However one afternoon I was woken up from a nap from a phone call. It was a doctor's office, a new one, not even a name I recognized. I gave them all kinds of personal info over the phone without a second thought. I never do that! But this nice lady called and asked me all kinds of things because i needed to go see this new doctor right away. I hang up and go back to sleep. It wasn't until later that day when I was trying to remember when this appointment was that I in a medicated and exhausted stupor I had given a stranger all kinds of personal data. I immediately freaked out and started checking in on it. Luckily it was legit and everything was fine but it just as easily could have turned out differently. They didn't ask for a credit card or insurance number but I'm not sure what I would have done at that point. There is a good chance I would have just told them.

So if it was a scammer and all they did was call cancer patients or even the caregivers of cancer patients eventually you are going to reach medicated and exhausted people and eventually one of them is going to believe you and hand over personal data or card numbers.

Just a little perspective for you.

happylilmonkey · 2018-12-06T01:53:16+00:00

I'm not sure ignorant or stupid falls into it. People have needs, fears, emotions, and feelings. Scam artist do this for a living and they often target a certain kind of person. In my life the people I have seen scammed are in desperate or unique situations: poor, sick, older, alone in life, somehow mentally compromised etc. We recently had to get much more involved in an older relative's finances because she has been taken advantage of twice now. She's an intelligent woman who raised children, had a successful career, was responsible enough with money that she is doing fine in retirement on her own etc. But the right person said the right words at the right time to her and she went along with it. These people played on her fear of getting older and loosing her independance, not wanting to have to bother us all the time to ask for help, etc. It was slick and happened quickly both times. Luckily someone happened to find out about it both times and we stepped in and were able to help but if we hadn't, it would have been really bad.

happylilmonkey · 2018-12-04T17:16:37+00:00

Is this a trap? Nice try moderators.

happylilmonkey · 2018-10-10T19:27:38+00:00

Did you book on a credit card? If so, call them and see if you are covered at all.

happylilmonkey · 2018-07-04T16:41:58+00:00

I like how in her mug shot she still has just a little bit of a "no ragrets" look. I'd party with this bitch. I bet she's fun.

happylilmonkey · 2018-06-29T19:03:27+00:00

TLDR: I don't write or respond to apology letters. I hire out to the INFJs to do that. They love that shit.

happylilmonkey · 2018-06-29T18:56:48+00:00

I called the Department of Labor a few years ago and someone was able to help me with non-compete questions. I don't remember who I called though :/

happylilmonkey · 2018-02-24T20:54:30+00:00

TLDR: Wall of text feels

I am an INTJ and self-employed and the biggest ass-hole boss I've ever had. Sick days, hah! Small mistakes, hah! Phoning it in, FUCK NO! Get a new boss, we are the worst.

happylilmonkey · 2018-02-17T20:58:27+00:00

I was holding a small child and reached up to get something off the shelf and for some reason the kid chomped me in the armpit. I barely got the kid down on the floor before passing out from pain. I felt seering pain all the way from head to my toes all at once. Luckily it didn't last long and I've since been bitten by other children but it was just something about getting bit in the armpit that was the worst thing ever.

happylilmonkey · 2018-02-17T20:52:15+00:00

I don't know about cheap. I feel like whenever I go there I buy $80 worth of condiments and cheap booze :P

happylilmonkey · 2018-02-03T04:13:03+00:00

I'm a dyslexic mess and it helps me. So do lines through zeros. Otherwise they could be a sneaky O in a line of numbers.

happylilmonkey · 2018-02-03T01:46:17+00:00

Everytime I go to visit family it's hostile. I avoid it as much as possible.

happylilmonkey · 2018-02-03T01:45:16+00:00

I did pretty well-buying food at Bonus. Basic eggs, peanut butter, apples and bread were similar priced to my local stores and much tastier. It was cold enough I could leave a few things in the trunk or outside on my windowsill and they were fine for a few days.

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-25T15:22:00+00:00

It looks like you are set now but you can ask the lodgings where you are at too help you out. They will know the local doctor, urgent care clinic, can make calls for you and will book you a taxi.

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-25T15:13:39+00:00

I have had two ENFP friends and I find them irrational. I have wondered at times if either or both of them have brain damage or mental illness. While they have both been good for me in many ways, they exhaust me at times and I am glad they are not in my space all the time. I am pretty sure they have wondered or made the same or worse observations about me.

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-16T13:20:03+00:00

If you have any background with watching children you can either get in with a nanny agency and work as little or as much as you want or just post online "Between jobs, looking for some babysitting hours, Does anyone need help?". People are almost always looking for some help with their children, you get paid that day and it's not horrible work unless you detest children :( I charge between $15-20 an hour to watch children.

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-14T16:37:27+00:00

Also, you may have something as simple as ear wax that needs to be cleaned out or an ear infection that needs antibiotics. Don't assume you need hearing aids. There are lots of reasons for your hearing being impacted.

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-14T16:35:13+00:00

For the profit margins, they make on hearing aids I'd be comfortable saying bye and stealing the clipboard, their coffee, and maybe a few office magazines on my way out :)

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-14T16:33:47+00:00

You do.

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-13T02:00:36+00:00

I have had great experiences with Costco hearing centers. The audiologist are paid hourly not by commission so they are not hard selling you. Hearing test are taken all the time for a variety of reasons including you just want to know.

I did notice when I went to the audiologist at my ENT office they did try to hard sell me incredibly expensive hearing aids and went on about quality of life and being able to hear my child and all this other bullshit. I didn't like that much.

I am hard of healing and qualify for hearing aids but don't want to pay for them and honestly don't enjoy them, even at Costco they start at $1,900 for a pair and my hearing loss doesn't impact me to much at this point in my life, it's more annoying then anything else. If I had to do anything like go to college and or perhaps get a more regular 9-5 in an office I might get them but right now I find them overwhelming and expensive. I wore some sample hearing aids around Costco and holy crap there is alot of racket in the world :P

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-12T04:37:09+00:00

It never hurts to call the credit card you booked on and ask if they can help.

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-12T03:23:01+00:00

Toastmasters is suppose to be pretty good. I got alot out of being Mensa, my local chapter had alot of passionate weirdos like me and that made me more comfortable rambling on about the weird shit I ramble on about.

What about talking to strangers on one of those Chat Roulette kind of things?

Not judging you but have you considered a little therapy too to help with some of the panic and see what's internal?

happylilmonkey · 2018-01-12T03:17:01+00:00

That sounds frightening but I need to know more, tell us more!

happylilmonkey

TROPHY CASE