A 92-year-old South Carolina resident, affectionately known as “Bumma” by her family, found a unique way to deal with relentless scam callers who wouldn’t stop trying to cheat her. Instead of falling for their scams, she decided to turn the tables on them by engaging in nonsensical conversations that eventually led the scammers to give up. This became a source of entertainment for Bumma and her granddaughter, who captured these interactions on camera and shared them online for others to enjoy.
Bumma, who lives alone but with a sharp mind and a great sense of humor, received a lot of spam and scam calls, prompting her to come up with creative ways to deal with them. In one video, she hilariously tells a caller that she doesn’t need the products being sold because she believes she will be raptured soon and taken up to heaven. This unexpected response caught the scammer off guard and led to them hanging up the phone, making Bumma victorious in her attempt to outsmart the scammer.
With each new attempt from scammers, Bumma continued to use her wit and humor to throw them off their game. In another video, she requests a senior discount from the caller, causing him to become frustrated and accuse her of wasting his time. Despite the attempts from scammers to convince her otherwise, Bumma remained steadfast in her comedic responses, leaving them confused and defeated in the end. Her ability to handle these situations with humor and grace made her an inspiration to others facing similar challenges.
One of the most dramatic encounters captured on video involved a scammer trying to convince Bumma that a loved one had been involved in a serious car crash and needed bail money. Bumma, pretending to be hysterical, played along with the scammer’s story, eventually causing him to hang up when she claimed she didn’t have the money to send. This clever tactic of pretending to be emotionally distraught proved to be effective in warding off the scammer and protecting Bumma from falling victim to their schemes.
Despite Bumma’s success in outwitting scam callers, it is important to recognize that elderly individuals are often targeted by scammers due to their vulnerability. In 2022 alone, nearly 70,000 people were collectively conned out of $1.3 billion from various scams, highlighting the prevalence of this issue. By sharing Bumma’s story and her creative approach to handling scam calls, there is a hope to raise awareness about the importance of vigilance and staying informed to protect oneself and others from falling victim to fraudulent schemes. Bumma’s resilience and humor serve as a reminder that it is possible to fight back against scammers in a lighthearted yet effective way.
