Author Topic: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...  (Read 3920 times)

foghorn

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Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« on: November 10, 2018, 05:57:54 AM »
I assume that most of you (like me) are receiving many robocalls per day from Scammers trying to get information out of you to rip you off.  The most common topics for me have been:

- Lower the rate on my credit card to pay off my debt faster (I do not carry a credit card balance).
- Extend the warranty on my car (they ask about a car I do not own).
- Debt forgiveness services (I carry no debt).
- Vacation packages that are too good to be true.

In all cases (of course) - they are looking for information to scam me.  Credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc.

As these calls have become so frustrating, I have actually started to take the calls (when I have the time) and pretend that I am interested.  I feed them bad information (all made up).  My goal is to keep them on the phone as long as possible in order to waste the one resource they have - time.  During the time I have them trying to get something out of me, I know that they are not scamming someone else that may actually fall for their act.  I think of it as my "good deed of the day". 

By the time the scammer starts to figure out what I have done, I have been called some of the nastiest things you can imagine - which is great.  It tells me that I achieved my goal of wasting their time and frustrating them. 

I am curious if anyone here is doing the same thing?  Once you do it a few times, it really can be a lot of fun.  Or, maybe I just have too much time on my hands.


Dave1442397

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2018, 06:08:40 AM »
I've never bothered, but have you ever heard the Lenny calls? Everyone needs Lenny to answer those calls :)

https://youtu.be/ngYsK9aZPoA

IsThisAGoodUsername

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2018, 06:55:17 AM »
I'm not Pro-telemarketer, but the people working these jobs are real people who have to suffer. It's not (necessarily) their fault.

I'm on an Android device and I love the free app Hiya. (I think it's a paid app in the Apple App Store.).  I've used it for several years and it has significantly cut down on the number of telemarketer calls.  I like it because it's very good at pre-identifying inbound calls and automatically blocking them or sending them to voicemail (which robocallers rarely leave a message). If you're interested, check it out.

Midwest

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2018, 07:26:26 AM »
I'm not Pro-telemarketer, but the people working these jobs are real people who have to suffer. It's not (necessarily) their fault.

I'm on an Android device and I love the free app Hiya. (I think it's a paid app in the Apple App Store.).  I've used it for several years and it has significantly cut down on the number of telemarketer calls.  I like it because it's very good at pre-identifying inbound calls and automatically blocking them or sending them to voicemail (which robocallers rarely leave a message). If you're interested, check it out.

I'm on the do not call and get 5 or 10 of these a day on my cell phone.  Numbers are spoofed so it looks local.  It is their fault and the fault of their employers.  They are wasting my time and in some cases impact public safety - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/06/your-money/robocalls-rise-illegal.html

Please do not make excuses for people participating in these illegal schemes.

IsThisAGoodUsername

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2018, 07:28:51 AM »
I'm on the list, too. I'm not sure if it helps.

I've auto-blocked all phone calls from (XXX) XXX which match the first 6 digits of my cell phone. That helps.

GuitarStv

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2018, 07:45:04 AM »
I am on Canada's do not call list.  If our home gets a telemarketing call, it's because the telemarketer is not following the law.  95% of the time it's for services like air duct cleaning, maid service, lawn care, replacement of our owned water heater/furnace with a rental, etc.  I'm very polite to the person on the other end of the phone, and always book service.  For the address, I give the local police division address and I tell them that we'll be changing our number shortly and give them the non-emergency police division number.

The has radically reduced the number of calls that we get from telemarketers without the need to be rude to anyone.  The people who are calling our home are breaking the law to try to make money.  The best way to fix the problem is to waste their time (and therefore money).  If enough people did this, it wouldn't be profitable to run a business that way and the calls would stop entirely.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2018, 08:29:31 AM »
I get the 'lower your rate to pay off debt faster' and once in a while I get a guy from claiming to be from Microsoft and that they 'see' that my computer has a problem and they can help me fix it.

Sometimes I ask them "why do you JERKS keep calling?" They swear at me! LOL!

I have told the Microsoft guy "yeah, yeah you've called me a million times and you are a scammer!" The guy will try to argue he is not a scammer and tell him YES YOU ARE!

I registered with NOMOROBO and I get one ring calls mostly now. It is beyond annoying all day long getting the one ring. NOMOROBO intercepts the call but I still get the one ring and most times it says caller blocked.

Quite often these JERKS change their number but for some reason they keep the last four digits. I keep seeing 7191 and I know it is them. Caller ID keeps changing but those last 4 digits seem to hang around.

No, I do not think these people are legit in any form. They are out to scam and get personal information such as Social Security number, bank account numbers, passwords and charging money to fix your computer over the phone so they can get to information on our computers.

jim555

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2018, 08:32:51 AM »
I had a scammer call me about a program I was already in.  He was an imposter.  I asked him for my account number.  Then I went off on him.  Hope they arrest this d-bag.

kei te pai

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2018, 02:06:54 AM »
I just tell them I am sorry they cant get a proper job, and it is very bad karma to be so dishonest. ( The fix your microsoft lot). Seems to get rid of them.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2018, 04:07:06 AM »
I like it when I pick up the phone once in a while to answer the phone and you can hear chatter in the background. I can just imagine these JERKS in some abandoned building like rats at desks.

My phone usually starts ringing on Monday-Friday at about 8:34 in the morning. I get the one ring and then sometimes it is every half hour for several hours. Then at odd times for the rest of the day. OMG!

markbike528CBX

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2018, 04:41:16 AM »
Foghorn and GuitarStv have nice ideas on this.

My version of this is to sign up for a local (Safeway) grocery card and put down the local store contact info, with an assumed name.  It's not Slartybartfast,but close.

I liked the youtube Dave1442397 message.  This is too interactive to be recorded as stated. I'd believe a keyword activated "Siri" copy.

I've been getting a robo message that garbly say that I have 4 (no more, no less) serious charges against me and if I don't call back, the cops (not police) are coming for me.  lots of different area codes.   I haven't noted the last 4 numbers as others have. 

I'd call back, but I don't have time, I'm retired.



Roadrunner53

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2018, 04:51:50 AM »
Hahaha, I have gotten the calls saying that I had some serious charges against me too and that they would call the cops on me if I didn't call back. I have had that one about 3 times. No, I did not call back because I have no charges against me! Plus, the idiot that recorded that message spoke in broken English. I would call the cops before I would call that number back! DUH! BTW, no cops came to arrest me either!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2018, 05:49:05 AM »
Hahaha, I have gotten the calls saying that I had some serious charges against me too and that they would call the cops on me if I didn't call back. I have had that one about 3 times. No, I did not call back because I have no charges against me! Plus, the idiot that recorded that message spoke in broken English. I would call the cops before I would call that number back! DUH! BTW, no cops came to arrest me either!

The Canada Revenue Agency is about to take serious legal action against me!!!  Sure, right.

iris lily

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2018, 09:09:31 AM »
I just watched a few of the “This is Lenny” youtube videos. In them, recordings of a nice English elderly gentleman respond to telemarketers. They are funny. You have to watch a few to hear the predictible responses from Lenny. Some of the telemarketers get angry, but at least one of them figures out the scam and laughs.

Sugaree

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #14 on: November 14, 2018, 09:10:55 AM »
Hahaha, I have gotten the calls saying that I had some serious charges against me too and that they would call the cops on me if I didn't call back. I have had that one about 3 times. No, I did not call back because I have no charges against me! Plus, the idiot that recorded that message spoke in broken English. I would call the cops before I would call that number back! DUH! BTW, no cops came to arrest me either!

They tried that with my dad and he told them to hurry up and send them because he had to work that day and didn't really want to.  The woman called him a MFer and hung up on him.

Dave1442397

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2018, 01:13:13 PM »
I just watched a few of the “This is Lenny” youtube videos. In them, recordings of a nice English elderly gentleman respond to telemarketers. They are funny. You have to watch a few to hear the predictible responses from Lenny. Some of the telemarketers get angry, but at least one of them figures out the scam and laughs.

Yes, you have to listen to a few of them to realize just how good the programming is. I had a really long one running in the background once, and "Lenny" must have repeated himself ten times before the telemarketer finally gave up.

GuitarStv

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2018, 01:19:16 PM »
I just watched a few of the “This is Lenny” youtube videos. In them, recordings of a nice English elderly gentleman respond to telemarketers. They are funny. You have to watch a few to hear the predictible responses from Lenny. Some of the telemarketers get angry, but at least one of them figures out the scam and laughs.

Yes, you have to listen to a few of them to realize just how good the programming is. I had a really long one running in the background once, and "Lenny" must have repeated himself ten times before the telemarketer finally gave up.

Some places have rules that as long as a person is on the other end of the line you're not allowed to hang up the call.  At least the job that I had telemarketing after high school was like that.

driftwood

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #17 on: November 15, 2018, 09:20:15 AM »
Those calls used to piss me off but now I turn them into jokes on the caller.

When I was stationed in England I'd get a call a week and they'd say "we heard you were recently in an accident that wasn't your fault".

My goal was always to see how fast I can get them to hang up.  Some replies used:
"It was definitely my fault. I didn't like that guy and I was trying to drive him off the road"
"Technically, it was my GF's fault, her head was in my lap and she was distracting me"
"Yeah, being drunk and snorting coke off the steering wheel while driving wasn't the best choice"

Roadrunner53

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #18 on: November 15, 2018, 09:46:25 AM »
Today is a slow day for me with the telemarketers. Normally by now they have called about 4 times. Today has been only one call so far. Normally the first one come in at 8:10-8:24 am. Today started about 9:45. No idea why they were late calling today and only one call so far.

Funny when you tell them they are scammers they say no they are not. Then when you call them JERKS they say F_ _ K You. Mmmm, would a legit company say that to someone they were trying to sell something to them? Normally, I do not answer the phone but if I am in a bad mood, I answer the phone and ask them 'why do you JERKS keep calling?". Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside when they get angry, hahahaha.

I wonder how many people they actually scam? It must be a lot because they wouldn't continue to do it if not.

All I can say is to talk to everyone you know to reinforce not giving any information over the phone. If they say it is the bank tell them you will call them back. Find the number on the back of your credit card and call a legit number, not the one they give you. No Social Security numbers ever to a caller. I basically don't believe anyone who calls me that is a stranger.

MilesTeg

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2018, 12:28:56 PM »
I am on Canada's do not call list.  If our home gets a telemarketing call, it's because the telemarketer is not following the law.  95% of the time it's for services like air duct cleaning, maid service, lawn care, replacement of our owned water heater/furnace with a rental, etc.  I'm very polite to the person on the other end of the phone, and always book service.  For the address, I give the local police division address and I tell them that we'll be changing our number shortly and give them the non-emergency police division number.

The has radically reduced the number of calls that we get from telemarketers without the need to be rude to anyone.  The people who are calling our home are breaking the law to try to make money.  The best way to fix the problem is to waste their time (and therefore money).  If enough people did this, it wouldn't be profitable to run a business that way and the calls would stop entirely.

This is brilliant, though luckily I do not have to worry about emergency calls of any kind from possibly unknown numbers (e.g. from school/etc.) so I just ignore all calls that don't show up in my address book. But, I might answer some time just to do this...
« Last Edit: November 15, 2018, 12:34:52 PM by MilesTeg »

Curmudgeon

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #20 on: November 15, 2018, 02:03:30 PM »
Sometimes, if I'm doing something around the house that doesn't require a lot of focus, I'll play this game.  I'll pretend that I'm typing their commands into my computer, but having trouble, or am very interested in their service, but can't hear everything they say because of a bad connection, etc.  Same deal - I figure the more of their time I waste the better off we'll all be.

What I would like to see Google (or Amazon, or MSFT, or AAPL, or anyone with the Software expertise and computing power to spare) do is to come up with a digital assistant that would do this for me.  Imagine if someone calls, and I could just forward the call to Alexa, who would play the same game - just occupy their time for as long as they can.  If enough people signed up for this service (and, it could easily be free), then it would no longer be profitable for anyone to run scams like this - they'd spend hours on the phone before they could connect to an actual person, not a bot.

mm1970

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #21 on: November 15, 2018, 02:14:40 PM »
I'm on the list, too. I'm not sure if it helps.

I've auto-blocked all phone calls from (XXX) XXX which match the first 6 digits of my cell phone. That helps.

I've thought about that but then I'd be blocking my spouse.  And my boss.

Eh, anyway - if it rings and it has those spoofed #'s and it's NOT my spouse or my boss, I don't answer.

Tass

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #22 on: November 15, 2018, 02:18:08 PM »
A friend recently told me her go-to response is "Who do you think you're calling?" Some of them will actually guess a name.

I never actually pick up these calls, but I've thought about doing so and asking "Now, which credit card are we discussing?" or some similar detail requests. I want to hear them scramble.

Dancin'Dog

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #23 on: November 15, 2018, 03:11:38 PM »
I was in a bad mood the other day and went off on a telemarkerter/scammer so bad that he actually called me back, so I could tell him to screw his m****r again. He must have enjoyed it the first time. 


I don't remember what I was mad about, but I still remember the pleasure of yelling at him.  The rest of my day was pretty nice after blowing off some steam on the scammer.  :)


I'm looking forward to the next one.  LOL 


This morning a guy called for "Suzy".  I said "sorry, wrong number."  Then he says "maybe you can help me" and starts begging for the local police.  I was afraid to cuss at him, so I politely hung up.


Do you guys get that wrong number call from the cops begging?  I've gotten it quite a few times.  I need to come up with a good reply.  I'm sure you guys have some creative ideas to share? 

DeepEllumStache

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #24 on: November 15, 2018, 03:40:28 PM »
Back in college we got these (pre cell phone days, no caller id, and we assumed it was the university selling our names with the numbers) so my roommate and I would have fun. One time I picked up the phone and when they asked for my roommate, I started sobbing that he died two days before.

Raenia

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Re: Messing with Telemarketers - Good Deed Of The Day...
« Reply #25 on: November 16, 2018, 06:52:47 AM »
This morning a guy called for "Suzy".  I said "sorry, wrong number."  Then he says "maybe you can help me" and starts begging for the local police.  I was afraid to cuss at him, so I politely hung up.

Do you guys get that wrong number call from the cops begging?  I've gotten it quite a few times.  I need to come up with a good reply.  I'm sure you guys have some creative ideas to share?

I've gotten that one a lot.  When I'm in a good mood, I tell them I've moved out of state and prefer to support my local officers.  When I'm in a bad mood, I tell them if they don't know who they're calling, I can't help them, and then hang up.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!