Early morning menace
Today’s Sound Off is about early callers:
Dear Heloise: I was always taught that you should never call someone before 9 a.m. or after 8 p.m., unless it was an emergency. It was just good manners to respect that person’s privacy and time with their family.
However, in the past two weeks,
I’ve been getting calls from scammers trying to get me to buy something I wouldn’t spend a dime on, or just sheer fraud, and even friends who call me as early as 6 a.m.
When did we lose our manners? I’m retired, and I enjoy sleeping late, which for me is 9 a.m. I had a neighbor call me, and when I pointed out that it was 7 in the morning, she told me I was wasting the day by sleeping late. Frankly, it’s nobody’s business how late I sleep, and if I “waste the day,” then that is my choice.
As for telemarketers who violate the Do Not Call registry, I already know it’s nearly impossible to catch them, and the majority are scammers.
I just wish people would use a little common sense when calling another person. -- Leo T., Rockford, Illinois
Leo, first, if you are not on the Do Not Call registry, go to its site (donotcallcompliance. com) and register. If you have been on the list for 31 days or more and are still getting calls, you can report them to the Federal Communications Commission, or you can call 888-382-1222 to report them. Violators can be fined. Capture the phone number with caller ID. -- Heloise SEND A GREAT HINT TO:
Heloise
P.O. Box 795001
San Antonio, TX 78279-5001
Fax: 1-210-HELOISE
Email: Heloise@heloise.com
FAST FACTS
Items you should carry in your car’s trunk:
-- A road kit with flares and an aerosol fix for flat tires.
-- A clean towel and/or blanket.
-- Jumper cables.
-- You might want to include a spare tire. Many new vehicles don’t come equipped with one. -- In snowy country, pack a heavy sleeping bag. It may save your life.
SCAMMING TO GET YOUR MONEY
Dear Heloise: Lately there have been numerous calls all across America from people claiming to be collection agencies. They will try to get you to share banking information, Social Security number and other personal information. They may threaten to ruin your credit or tell you that you’re going to jail. Ignore them. The IRS and other government agencies do business by mail -- not phone. NEVER give out a password or let them tell you they’ll call the police.
They may ask you to pay in gift cards or cryptocurrency, but don’t pay them a dime. No matter what they say.
If anyone calls and claims to be from or to represent a hospital, clinic, lab or X-ray service, tell them you won’t pay a cent until they can send you a complete list of services performed, with correct dates of each service and the list of doctors who performed and ordered those services. If they refuse or say they can’t for any reason, then they’re scammers. Hang up on them! -Martin G., Albany, New York
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