Robocalls cost Americans $40 billion every year. They're a nuisance and often clog up your phone call log but they're not all the same. They focus on your credit, distressed family members and helping the less fortunate.
But the one common theme: they prey on victims' emotions so they make a rash decision.
"We have probably robocalls every single day," Sue Sujecki of West Allis said. "It's a frustration to me that they seem to target the elderly."
Sue Sujecki says the calls are extremely believable. They have had them focusing on their grandchildren being in jail, a daughter's tuition needs, or fixing dangerous problems with their home computer. It's led them to be skeptical about all of their calls. Especially when the calls sounded like family calling from jail.
"When I answered the phone, he said, do you know who this is" Dick Sujecki said. "I said, well I recognize this voice. Is this you Zack? He says, yeah this is Zack."
Sujecki said he figured something was up on this call when the person asked for money in the form of gift cards. So he decided to call his grandson's home to talk to his wife and find out if it was true he was in jail.
"He answers the telephone," Sujecki said. "I laugh and say, you're supposed to be in jail in Chicago. He said. no. It's very ingenious all the ways they feel they can extract money from you."
The Sujecki's are trying to enjoy their retirement together. They've been married for 36 years. However, calls like these make them feel like they're constantly being targeted.
"They prey on the elderly and we're the elderly," Sue Sujecki said. "[They think] they probably have some money squirreled away. They want to get it."
Experts say legitimate businesses respect the fact that people aren't always interested. If you feel pressured, it's best to just hang up.
