Last Tuesday at about 9pm, my phone rang. It was a longtime client in Ravenna — Carol — and she was crying. A man had just called her, said he was a sheriff’s deputy in Cleveland, and told her that her grandson had been in a car accident, was in jail, and needed $4,500 in gift cards “before midnight” or he’d spend the weekend in lockup.
She’d already driven to the Walmart on Route 14. She was sitting in her car in the parking lot when she called me, gift cards in her hand.
I’m Bill Davis. I run Bill’s Home Tech in Atwater, and Carol is one of dozens of folks in Portage County who’ve gotten that call this year. Sometimes a different version. Sometimes the same one. The script changes; the panic doesn’t.
Carol didn’t lose a dollar. She listened to me, hung up, called her daughter, and the grandson was fine — at home, watching the Cavs game.
I want every person reading this to be Carol. So let’s go through the five phone scams I’m seeing the most right now and exactly what to do when one of them shows up.
Why phone scams keep working
Before the list, one quick thing. Phone scams aren’t about you being smart or not smart. The people running them are professionals. They have scripts. They train for it. They use real names of real grandkids they pulled off Facebook. They spoof phone numbers to look like they’re calling from your area code.
When the phone rings, your brain doesn’t have time to think — it just reacts. That’s the whole game.
The fix is having a plan before the phone rings. So here’s the plan.
Scam #1: The Grandparent / Bail Money Call
The pitch: “Grandma, it’s me. I’m in trouble. Don’t tell Mom and Dad.”
Why it lands: They use real first names. They cry. They sound young and panicked. Sometimes a “lawyer” or “sheriff” gets on the line right after to add pressure.
The tell: Real police, real lawyers, real hospitals never demand payment in gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Ever. Not once in human history has a Cleveland courthouse accepted Apple Cards as bail.
What to do: - Hang up. You can always call back; a real emergency will still be there in five minutes. - Call the grandkid’s parents directly using a phone number you already have saved. - If you can’t reach them, call the grandkid’s number you have saved — not a number the caller gave you.
Scam #2: The Amazon “Suspicious Charge” Call
The pitch: “We noticed an unauthorized $899 charge on your Amazon account. Press 1 to dispute.”
Why it lands: Almost everyone has an Amazon account, so the odds of you panicking are good. Once you press 1, a “fraud specialist” answers and walks you toward giving them remote access to your computer or your bank login.
The tell: Amazon does not call you about charges. They send an email. They don’t transfer you to a fraud specialist. They don’t ask you to install software.
What to do: - Hang up. - If you genuinely want to check your account, open Amazon yourself in your browser or app. Look at “Your Orders.” If it’s not there, it didn’t happen.
Scam #3: The Medicare “New Card” Call
The pitch: “We’re sending you a new Medicare card. We just need to verify your Medicare number and Social Security number.”
Why it lands: Medicare did send out new cards a few years back, and people remember that. The script piggybacks on that real memory.
The tell: Medicare already has your information. They are not going to call you to ask for it. They communicate by mail.
What to do: - Hang up. - If you have a real Medicare question, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself. - Never give your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank info to anyone who called you.
Scam #4: The IRS “You Owe Back Taxes” Call
The pitch: “This is the IRS. You have unpaid taxes. A warrant has been issued. Pay today or face arrest.”
Why it lands: The word “IRS” makes adult brains lock up. Add “warrant” and most people will agree to anything to make it stop.
The tell: The real IRS sends letters. They do not call to threaten arrest. They never ask for payment in gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfers.
What to do: - Hang up. - If you’re worried, call the IRS yourself at 1-800-829-1040 or check your account at irs.gov.
Scam #5: The “Your Computer Has a Virus” Call
This one’s growing fast in 2026 because so many seniors have been getting laptops from their grandkids during the holidays.
The pitch: “We’re calling from Microsoft. Your computer is infected and is sending out spam to your contacts. We need to fix it right now.”
Why it lands: They sound technical. They use jargon. They might know your name. If you let them, they walk you to a website and have you install software that gives them total control of your computer.
The tell: Microsoft doesn’t call you. Apple doesn’t call you. Google doesn’t call you. Period.
What to do: - Hang up. - If they already got remote access — unplug the computer from the wall, then call me. We need to wipe their software and reset your passwords from a different device. Don’t panic; this is fixable.
If you’d like help locking your phone down
I can install free call-blocking on your phone, set up scam-screening with your carrier, and walk you through how to recognize these calls in about 30 minutes. Most of my Portage County clients do this as part of their first $99 in-home visit.
Give me a call at (330) 200-8042 or book a visit at billshometech.com. Mornings tend to be open this time of year.
The one habit that beats every scam on this list
If a stranger calls you and creates urgency — “right now,” “or else,” “don’t tell anyone” — that’s the scam. Every time. Without exception.
The fix is simple: you don’t have to be polite. You don’t owe a stranger your time. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. Hang up. Call your daughter, your son, your neighbor, or me. Talk it through. The bad guys count on you being too embarrassed to ask.
I’ll tell you what I told Carol that night in the Walmart parking lot: You did the right thing. You called. If she had handed those gift cards over, I would have told her the same thing — because shame is the second weapon scammers use, after panic.
You are not stupid for almost falling for it. You are smart for stopping. That’s what I’m here for.