Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’ • Hacker News Board

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#21

Post by jerf » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 4:18 PM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #5

On one hand, it'a easy to see this as an educational and cultural failure. On the other hand, many of our policies treat screwing over foreigners more lightly than screwing over fellow Americans.

That is a fundamental part of being human. Anyone who thinks they or their culture is immune to it is deluding themselves. Anyone who thinks they or their culture is better at it than others needs to tread carefully, because the part of the very meme we're talking about here is about how your culture is better at things than others, so isn't it kinda convenient that one thinks so?

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#22

Post by it_learnses » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 4:32 PM UTC

cmdrfred wrote: post #11

I'll get downvoted, but if I'm a father with no opportunity in rural India. This is exactly what I'd be doing. You might be a better man to allow your children starve in a pile of there own filth, but I'm not him.

sorry why did you decide to father children if you can't afford to raise them?

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#23

Post by kylehotchkiss » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 4:41 PM UTC

cmdrfred wrote: post #11

I'll get downvoted, but if I'm a father with no opportunity in rural India. This is exactly what I'd be doing. You might be a better man to allow your children starve in a pile of there own filth, but I'm not him.

If you work hard in India, it's still pretty likely you can feed your kids. It might not be good work, good food, or a good house, but being a scammer is not the only way to take care of your family.

I just saw an photo this week on the People of Nepal Facebook page, and it was of a man who wanted a better life for his kids so he slaved over a little tea shop in a small city/town, and was able to send his kids to school and he talks about how he can wear their expensive watches and mingle with people at parties. (https://www.facebook.com/StoriesNepal/photos/a.4783809322603...)

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#24

Post by plandis » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 4:42 PM UTC

This seems like a case where none of the alleged criminals have probably ever interacted with Americans.

It's easy to vilify a group you truly know nothing about.

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#25

Post by x1798DE » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 5:29 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #10

eganist wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a nutshell: people trained with American accents made calls to American taxpayers suggesting that they owed backtaxes and would be sued if they didn't pay up.

I got one of those calls and it sounded very credible. I called the number back and then I got a little nervous when the guy on the other end of the line seemed very uninterested and unprofessional. I don't how how far I would have gone if he had acted better.

> I called the number back and then I got a little nervous when the guy on the other end of the line seemed very uninterested and unprofessional.

Didn't you think you were calling a government office? They aren't exactly known for their customer service, whereas scammers are known for having a slick feel to their operation. Interesting that that was your tip off.

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#26

Post by cmdrfred » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 5:39 PM UTC

it_learnses wrote: post #22

cmdrfred wrote: post #11

I'll get downvoted, but if I'm a father with no opportunity in rural India. This is exactly what I'd be doing. You might be a better man to allow your children starve in a pile of there own filth, but I'm not him.

sorry why did you decide to father children if you can't afford to raise them?

Lack of sex education / social expectations and arranged marriages / lack of access to birth control.

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#27

Post by bdcravens » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 5:43 PM UTC

cmdrfred wrote: post #11

I'll get downvoted, but if I'm a father with no opportunity in rural India. This is exactly what I'd be doing. You might be a better man to allow your children starve in a pile of there own filth, but I'm not him.

You're on Hacker News, so I'll assume some degree of technical acumen, and have Internet access obviously. Is this the best opportunity you have? Is it more financially rewarding than low-end development work?

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#28

Post by cmdrfred » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 5:44 PM UTC

bdcravens wrote: post #27

cmdrfred wrote: post #11

I'll get downvoted, but if I'm a father with no opportunity in rural India. This is exactly what I'd be doing. You might be a better man to allow your children starve in a pile of there own filth, but I'm not him.

You're on Hacker News, so I'll assume some degree of technical acumen, and have Internet access obviously. Is this the best opportunity you have? Is it more financially rewarding than low-end development work?

I'm not in India.

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#29

Post by strict9 » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 5:46 PM UTC

Unfortunately it's not so much the 'rich' that fall for this, but the elderly.

Recently heard this story from my bartender, who had a family member lose some dough in this scam. The "rich American" part is just a weaselly justification for committing a crime, and doesn't deserve the prominence in the article it received.

Re: Mumbai call centre scam: ‘Nothing's wrong in duping rich Americans’

#30

Post by bdcravens » Fri, Oct 07, 2016, 5:48 PM UTC

I like to have fun with them. On more than one occasion, I strung them out for 15 or 20 minutes, and eventually ended the call on a nice satisfying note. I've even had them call me back angry for wasting their time :-)