Now and then the caller ID says "FLORIDA." Don't know anyone named Florence Rida. Don't think the entire state is gathered around a speakerphone. Most likely it's a perky robot offering a credit card with a daily interest rate of 437 percent, so I ignore it.
If caller ID said "Minneapolis Police Department," though, I'd pick up, wondering whether I should say "Who's hurt?" or "What'd I do?"
According to the city of Minneapolis, that ID might be spoofed. The city's website warns of a scam: Callers identify themselves as working for the IRS and advise that the Minneapolis Police Department is going to 'put them behind bars.' "
Of course, that's ridiculous. The MPD does not enforce IRS back taxes. The IRS sends around a black van and two men in dark suits put a bag over you and off you go; totally separate from local law enforcement.
But some people get rattled, and hand over bank info. I'd be tempted to tell them I use the Bank of Zimbabwe and give a 47-digit account number. I know it's long. They've had inflation. Read it back to me. No, not 324958203. It's 324948203.
I got a call from the city last week. Caller ID looked legit. The guy said he had called before to see what type of tree I wanted to replace a dead one, and I'd said I'd ask my wife.
Leave it to me and I'd ask for a Sugar Pine or a Birch Fir or something stupid.
Well, he was calling back to see if we'd made a decision. Yes: the city was calling up because they hadn't heard back, and were concerned. I was stunned, but happy: what a fine city to live in.
The previous tree died from underwatering, I admitted. So they're depositing money to buy a longer hose! If that wasn't a good reason to give them my bank account numbers, don't know what is.
James Lileks • 612-673-7858
