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View Full Version : Your tax dollars at work




acptulsa
04-17-2010, 03:58 PM
Got one of those data mining texts today. Decided to call someone who should be able to do something about it. Would have hunted them down myself, but the government frowns on that sort of thing.

After discovering that you can't reach the Fedgov on a Saturday, at least not in my city of almost half a million souls, I finally turned to the state bureau of investigation. Of course, banking fraud isn't a state matter--the fedgov frowns on them getting involved. But, it was the right move; they gave me a phone number to the FBI that wasn't in the book.

I explained the scam and offered to give them the phone number. The woman told me she didn't want it; she said to delete the text and give them no info. I was slightly dumbfounded. I assured her I wasn't falling into the trap, and asked again if they didn't want that phone number. She actually said that these people move too fast for the FBI, and that there was no point.

I said, wait a minute, you're telling me you can listen to my phone whenever you want but you can't find out who owns an (866) number?! At this point, she condescended to take down the phone number. I felt like I had just had a pacifier stuck in my mouth. I can't help but feel that the only number that was recorded was my own.

If they won't protect us from criminals, I sure wish they'd let us protect ourselves from them... :rolleyes:

phill4paul
04-17-2010, 04:20 PM
Got one of those data mining texts today. Decided to call someone who should be able to do something about it. Would have hunted them down myself, but the government frowns on that sort of thing.

After discovering that you can't reach the Fedgov on a Saturday, at least not in my city of almost half a million souls, I finally turned to the state bureau of investigation. Of course, banking fraud isn't a state matter--the fedgov frowns on them getting involved. But, it was the right move; they gave me a phone number to the FBI that wasn't in the book.

I explained the scam and offered to give them the phone number. The woman told me she didn't want it; she said to delete the text and give them no info. I was slightly dumbfounded. I assured her I wasn't falling into the trap, and asked again if they didn't want that phone number. She actually said that these people move too fast for the FBI, and that there was no point.

I said, wait a minute, you're telling me you can listen to my phone whenever you want but you can't find out who owns an (866) number?! At this point, she condescended to take down the phone number. I felt like I had just had a pacifier stuck in my mouth. I can't help but feel that the only number that was recorded was my own.

If they won't protect us from criminals, I sure wish they'd let us protect ourselves from them... :rolleyes:

If I needed to fund covert ops then money scams, initiated out of country, would be an enticing prospect. If I could persuade the FBI to not investigate these matter TOO thoroughly, thus establishing an aura of ineffectiveness then that would be even better. Better even than drugs for guns. If I needed to fund covert ops.

acptulsa
04-19-2010, 05:18 PM
If I needed to fund covert ops then money scams, initiated out of country, would be an enticing prospect. If I could persuade the FBI to not investigate these matter TOO thoroughly, thus establishing an aura of ineffectiveness then that would be even better. Better even than drugs for guns. If I needed to fund covert ops.

Yes indeed.

Or, just maybe, the scammers just contribute more to status quo candidates than we do...

In any case, it reminds me of the time Woody Guthrie compared the police reactions you'd expect when someone robs a banker vs. when a banker robs one of us.

KCIndy
04-20-2010, 12:53 AM
I said, wait a minute, you're telling me you can listen to my phone whenever you want but you can't find out who owns an (866) number?! At this point, she condescended to take down the phone number. I felt like I had just had a pacifier stuck in my mouth. I can't help but feel that the only number that was recorded was my own.
:

That'll teach ya to cause trouble, you Ron Paul supporting rabble rouser you!!

Now you're on THE LIST! :eek:



Yeah, I'm kidding. Instances like this, you've got to laugh or cry. What the hell's happened to our country??