I'm not suggesting we all rush to sue the cold calling firms but someone has just successfully done it on the basis that they were wasting his time
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Am I speaking to Fred Bloggs?
Hello, my name is David. How are you today? [at this point I usually put the phone down]
Our records show you haven't claimed your free insulation grant. [ignoring the fact that only people who meet certain criteria are eligible]
or
I'm from Microsoft and your computer has reported a fault [a lie]
or
You haven't claimed for the accident you had
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etc, etc, etcComment
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I had three calls yesterday about the insulation grant. One of them claimed to be from the government.
But I did hear on the news this morning that some company has successfully extracted money from a firm that makes a lot of these scam calls by threatening to sue them for wasting his employees' time. That's a hopeful development.Comment
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I still think that asking 'What are you wearing?' (emphasizing the last word so as to make it clear that it's his or her nether garments that are of interest) rapidly brings the call to an end.
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Originally posted by Northender View PostI still think that asking 'What are you wearing?' (emphasizing the last word so as to make it clear that it's his or her nether garments that are of interest) rapidly brings the call to an end.
Like Billy Connolly's advice for what to say going through an airport security frisk: "Touch me there!! Oh, touch me there!!!!"
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Yes, that's a good ploy.* Similarly, if they want to make an appointment, "Can you arrive about seven? My husband/wife/partner is going out at half past six."Originally posted by Northender View PostI still think that asking 'What are you wearing?' (emphasizing the last word so as to make it clear that it's his or her nether garments that are of interest) rapidly brings the call to an end.
* So is Caliban's Connolly idea which I've just seen.
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I got the virus scam call the other day. "Sir I'm from Windows _______. We have detected there is a junk file on your pc which could be causing a virus. Please turn on your computer and I will help you to get rid of it." I said "Dude, why are you doing this? Surely there must be something else you can do? I know jobs are scarce but there must be something." He said "I've just finished my IT course. Tell me, what can I do? What do you suggest I do?" I said "Well surely anything's better. Work in a shop. Anything's better than phoning people trying to convince them there's a virus on their computer and then actively installing a virus. I mean, anything's got to be better than that, right?" "Well at least they pay me sir. Bye" And he hung up.
If he phones 100 people and only one gets fooled they could earn thousands from that person's online bank account. So it's worth it.Last edited by Bumfluff; 27-10-12, 15:41.Comment
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I had a similar one a few weeks ago, to which I answered with an interruption that I already had full double glazing so didn't need any more of it or any more calls from people trying to sell me more of it.Originally posted by Bumfluff View Post
That said, the daft thing here is that people actually respond to these types of call without first asking themselves how any such cold caller could possibly know about problem files on their computers without having first hacked into them to find them!Comment
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I'm not convinced that this isn't an urban myth. Do you have any links to support your claim? Curious, that's all.Originally posted by soileduk View PostComment
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This was substantiated on one of those expose programmes dealing with scams a few years ago, RM.Originally posted by Resurrection Man View PostComment
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I'm sorry, SA, but I think you may have misremembered. It IS a hoax. I used to work in the telecomms industry and couldn't see how this scam could technically work as described.Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
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Indeed - and, as clarified in the link that you provided, no one has been able to come forward with written evidence that these vast charges have actually been made.Originally posted by Resurrection Man View Post
There was a recent case in which a Frenchwoman received a phone bill (from Bouyges, I think) for a little over 17 quadrillion euros (a sum that is said to be some 5,800 times the French GDP) and the phone company initially tried to persuade her (in all seriousness, apparently!) that the invoice was accurate as it was produced automatically, but this was of course a technical error rather than a scam as such and the firm eventually agreed to waive the correct amount of the invoice which was some 117 euros.Comment
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We are ex-directory and still get these calls - I imagine most of them are computer generated and just try a series of numbers in succession. We have caller display on the landline and any 0845 call is simply not picked up (especially around 6 to 8pm, when most of them seem to be). Some do go to answerphone, but most just disconnect. Answerphone messages are easily deleted.
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That's because no phone line has an 0845 number. When you dial an 0845 number, the system puts it through to a phone with a proper number. In any case, most of these cold callers are withholding their calling line identity.Comment
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