OT: Social Security Admin or scam?

[Charlie Self]

Actually, it probably isn't a scam, but I'm fuming. A few weeks ago, I got a questionnaire about the new SS "drug benefit" and figure I may answer it some day. Or not.

Today, I get a call from someone representing herself as from the SSA with a survey that will take 2-1/2 minutes.

Memorized patter, with an Indian/Pakistani accent.

I guess the U.S. government is now outsourcing to India, if this is not a scam.

Jesus wept. It wasn't bad enough when they tried to have China produce the berets for the Army.

I'm writing of blockheads, solid oak, so it's semi-on topic.

[George]

You're living too narrow a life. There are thousands of Indian/Pakistani/Arabic accents out there in the US. Most have jobs, some with firms hired by Uncle Sam. Mom got the real SSA application paperwork and the boiler-room call, but it sounded like a pure "Joiszy" accent on hers.

Ask for a Spanish speaker next time.

[fredfighter]

Or next time ask the speaker where they are located.

[David Merrill]

My first reaction was 'SCAM' but maybe not; see

any case I would at least demand that the caller provide proof that they were indeed the SSA, keeping in mind that a scam artist might be better prepared to do that convincingly than the SSA itself. My best advice is don't trust anybody calling a senior citizen. I'm just about one myself now but, more particularly, I'm recalling how my elderly mother was hounded by all kinds of persons/organizations trying to extract money in any way they could. Some of the mailings were cleverly disguised to look like official US Government origins. She's been dead four years now following two additional years in a nursing home and we still get mail solicitations addressed to her; but we live in a different part of the country from when she last lived with us.

My personal rule is 'don't cooperate with anybody who calls me unless I know them and are expecting a call'. Usually that means I hang up following the first few words of the spiel but, at most, I might agree to call back, not to any number the caller provides but to that organizations number from the phone directory or the internet.

David Merrill

[Tom Watson]

I'm all for it, so long as we take it to its obvious conclusion and outsource Congress.

Tom Watson - WoodDorker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (email)

(website)

[Lobby Dosser]

Be patient, they're already outsourcing lawyers.

[aswr]

[aswr]

[George E. Cawthon]

If they asked for your social security number, it is a scam! And, the bbb here says there currently is such a scam ongoing and the interviewer is threatening legal action for some infraction.

[Henry St.Pierre]

"Charlie Self" wrote in news:1126991406.692023.310470 @g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

You may answer it or not? You have been remarking for some time about how your medication(s) is really impacting your cost of living, comfort, quality of life etc. I love your bitching about the VA. Were you really at Parris Island? Hank

[Charlie Self]

Yes, you may answer or not. What has that to do with anything. You can always refuse to answer anyone about anything over the phone. Just hang up, which is what I did. I'm not exactly sure where you read anything, from me, about medicine "impacting" my cost of living. My medical costs, thanks to VA, are far lower than for most people. I wasn't happy when GWB's boys more than tripled that cost immediately after his first election, but that still leaves prices relatively low, so they don't much affect my cost of living.

Oh. Yes. I went through Parris Island, in early '58. But Parris Island is not the sum total of a tour in the Marines.

[Upscale]

I've never seen you mention anything about medicinal costs either. You may at one time have mentioned something in passing, but either way, I think he's just trying to bait you.

[Swingman]

When you've actually spent a slice of your life serving your country you've thereby earned the right to criticize any part of it you damn well please.

[Norman D. Crow]

[Ron Magen]

Putting the 'scam or not' aside for a moment . . .

I'm the first to admit that my Farsi is non-existent . . . but then again I'm not 'operating' in the Middle-East. A bit of an accent I don't mind, HOWEVER if you are working - in a 'people communicating' position - you should have a GOOD COMMAND & COMPREHENSION of the language of THAT country.

I don't mean to 'interpret' for Charlie, but what really gets to me is when it is on 'your' dime, that this happens. You call 'Tech Support' for computer/software assistance and get a heavily accented, barely understandable voice, reading a 'script' {which may - or may NOT - have anything to do with your problem}. It gets worse when you try to explain that HIS answer has nothing to do with YOUR question . . . and are angrily informed that you can only be on the line for 7 minutes !!

It's bad enough when the 'local number' for Verizon Customer Service is across the country {I'm in PA, they are in AZ}, but at least they speak clear English {so far !!}.

Regards {with my fingers crossed}, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop {PS - Be careful what you wish for . . .}

[Odinn]

On 9/18/2005 8:31 AM Ron Magen mumbled something about the following:

Ummm, when did the US establish a national language?

[Charlie Self]

We've ALWAYS had a national language, English. What we don't have is a legally official language, and I'm coming to think that is a mistake, as more and more groups come in and insist on having things done their way, in their language. Diversity in that sense makes for absolutely nothing but confusion.

[Chris]

Seeing that the Constitution was written in only one language; good enough for me.

Or are you saying that because he was an English speaking CUSTOMER in the US, he should not feel the need for customer service to speak English?

Chris

[George]

So much for social responsibility. Every man an island. To hell with unity!

[Odinn]

Are you that stupid? Before English came to North America, there were several different languages that existed here before then. English wasn't the only language that came over before a good portion of North America became the US, there was German, French, Spanish, Dutch and several other languages. When the US was formed, there still existed all these languages, and we've added several more since then. Which one is the national language? Apache? Cherokee? Lakhota? Choctaw?