SSA scammers have “smoke tests” they perform during their calls to determine if you’re a scambaiter or an actual victim. Here are some tips I’ve come up with to help waste as much of their time as possible.
BEFORE YOU START CALLING
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Create a complete fake identity including a full name, address, DOB, and SSN (see #2). Have the basics of your character’s life story planned out so when they ask questions you don’t sound like you’re making them up as you go. Have good answers for things like where you bank and your account balances, what kind of car you drive, who lives with you, etc. – your answers should sound realistic.
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Make sure your fake SSN matches your fake location and age. Scammers use sites like https://www.ssn-verify.com to validate SSNs and make sure they match the state and date issued. You can create one here: https://www.ssn-verify.com/generate
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When you create your fake address, use a small town address that isn’t visible on Google Street View. For your sake, very small towns are easier to become familiar with on Google Maps so you can sound confident answering questions about where your bank and local stores are. Some scammers tend to check for scambaiters by quizzing them about their area (they use Google Maps as well). No need to go crazy, just spend a few minutes and be prepared to know stuff like where the nearest Walmart is.
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Scammers sometimes ask for a picture of your driver’s license. If you’re handy with Photoshop etc., create a fake license photo to match your character. You can Google “fake driver’s license” and find a number of sketchy sites with images to use as a template (example). Make the photo appear as if it’s laying on a table, slightly askew, and blur it a little so it looks realistic. Your fake license would never fool a cop; but luckily the average SSA bhenchod isn’t very smart. An excellent free alternative to Photoshop is the web-based Photopea.
ON THE CALL
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When the opener “agent” tells you to write down their “bedge ID”, your case ID, warrant ID, etc., DO make note of them - often, one of their first tests is to ask you to read them back. If you didn’t bother to write them down, they’ll know you’re not “serious” and hang up.
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Have loops for driving and store sounds ready to play in the background as you pretend to drive to the store to buy “electronic payment vouchers” (aka gift cards). There are tons of YouTubes you can use for these.
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BONUS: Having fake/already redeemed gift card numbers ready will increase their excitement - as well as amplify their rage when they don’t work!
Google for images of Target, eBay, Nike, Google Play, etc. – whatever they ask for.
Any additional ideas, updates, corrections are always welcome. Happy Scambaiting!