OT: just a suggestion

We're receiving several calls a week from "card holder services" as I'm sure all of you are who still have landlines. Instead of just hanging up I've been pressing 1 for more info and setting the phone down. I hang it up when the phone beeps at me. Since there's often a several minute wait to get to a scammer ("You're number 27 in line - please wait") I figure I've at least tied up their line for that long.

Occasionally I actually wait for an answer and keep the scammer going for a while before I tell him/her what I'm doing. I've gotten some very creative cussing that way :-).

I wonder. If all of us afflicted by this scam did the same, would we make their scam unprofitable? Or at least less profitable? Seems they'd have to rent more phone lines to keep up their volume.

Reply to
Trenbidia
Loading thread data ...

There will always be a line of people willing to make cold calls and the cost is pretty darn low compared to most other methods.

If it makes you feel better playing games with these people have fun.

If I answer the phone and there is silence I hang up and don't waste any more of my time. If you call me you better say something when I say hello.

Reply to
Leon

Sometimes I tell the caller I'm going to put the phone down and that when they're done talking to themselves they can hang up. Occasionally I'll ask if they will give me their home phone number so I can call and bother them when it's convenient to me. If a caller has a heavy accent I'll say "I'm sorry, I can't understand you" and ask him to repeat himself until he gives up.

Reply to
Just Wondering

I led a guy on once a long time ago for an hour and 15 minutes selling aluminum siding. Then I told him my mobile home lot number and address. He was one pissed off mofo.

Reply to
Steve Barker

I have fun with the guys who call and want to fix my computer. I can go a long time describing my screen before they catch on that I don't run windows - nobody can cuss better than a Spanish speaker :-).

Reply to
Trenbidia

On Wed, 16 Dec 2015 00:20:28 +0000 (UTC), Trenbidia

I had one on the line for 45 minutes. I was not even at the computer but strung him along. He had me reboot the computer and did not flinch when I told him the screen now said Windows 95. He did not flinch when I suggested we pray for the computer and chant. Finally hung up when I told him to wait while I lit the incense to burn.

I'd have thought these guys would make there own Do Not Call List. Actually, it would be Do Not Call This Asshole list.

The home security guy gave up after a half hour. I told him I wanted just the equipment, not the contract for service and I was going to hook it up to call Jared next door. He would come over if I had a problem. I even cried when I told him I really, really, wanted it.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

When the pseudo-Microsoft techies call, I usually ask them: "Does your Mother know what you do for a living?" Graham

Reply to
graham

Card services evidently is trying a new bizarre way to scam us.

The wife said she got a call yesterday from them on our land line and the caller ID showed *our home phone number* --- WTF?

Its over my head as I don't see the logic in that. Other than to get you to pick up whats the point?

John

Reply to
John

I like the ones who call me at work--there seem to be two kinds, the "Police Association" looking for a handout and the ones selling an extended car warranty.

"This is about your warranty" "Excuse me but who exactly are you trying to reach". "MAY I SPEAK TO THE VEHICLE OWNER". "Of course, but you're going ot have to help me out--there are more than 4000 private vehicles, a dozen security vehicles, an assortment of construction machines, and two aircraft at this location--to which vehicle owner do you want to speak". Usually the response at this point is "click", but occasionally I get "I NEED TO TALK TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE". "That would be the CEO, I can transfer you to his secretary". At that point they generally go away while I'm looking up the number.

"I'm calling on behalf of the AFPO . . ." "You have reached the headquarters of one of the 100 largest businesses in the world--all of our charitable donations are made through our foundation. Would you like me to transfer you?" Again they generally either give up at that point or go away while I"m looking up the number.

I would think that they would recognize at some point that they were getting a corporate office.

Reply to
J. Clarke

John wrote in news:j18cy.242$ snipped-for-privacy@fx08.iad:

Perhaps that's the point. Once they start talking, it's harder to hang up.

People look up caller ID too. You can do a Google search for a phone number and confirm whether the number is scammy or not. Sometimes they call from a number within the area codes I'm likely to answer.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

John wrote in news:j18cy.242$ snipped-for-privacy@fx08.iad:

Not new. And getting you to pick up is exactly the point - many people will ignore a number they don't know, but almost everyone will respond to their own number.

The root cause of the problem is a technical flaw in the phone system that let's scammers appear to be calling from any number they like. It would not be especially hard to correct that flaw, but the phone companies have no incentive to do so (no money in it).

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Trenbidia wrote in news:n4pmp3$iqt$ snipped-for-privacy@speranza.aioe.org:

Better still... go to nomorobo.com and sign up for their robocall blocking service. We did that more than a year ago, and haven't received ANY calls from "cardholder services" since.

Not. One.

Reply to
Doug Miller

But then what would every one in this thread have to talk about if they did that. ;~)

Reply to
Leon

Reply to
Trenbidia

Spoofing caller id is rather easy, the info is of course available upon the net.

Reply to
Markem

I like the way Tom Mabe deals with cold calls ;-)

formatting link

I've been using 'Phonetray Free' call blocker software for about 3 years and absolutely love it!

A forum discussion with screen shots:

formatting link

Clean, free copy available for download:

formatting link

Reply to
Spalted Walt

it's not a flaw, it's a feature

sometimes I take to trying a *69 callback unavailable #s are not called

Reply to
Contrarian

wow! People actually download executables from dropbox and run them? No wonder we have such a horrible problems with virii and spam.

Reply to
Scott Lurndal

The copy of 'Phonetray Free v1.39' that I downloaded from

formatting link
(the creators of Phonetray) back in 2012 has a MD5 checksum of:

MD5: 238655BDA5B26B3FD532E3693824C5B7

formatting link

The dropbox link is the EXACT 'Phonetray Free v1.39' w/same checksum that was freely available from Traysoft's website until they started charging $30, for essentially the same product.

HTH

Reply to
Spalted Walt

the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine download works as well...

formatting link

Reply to
Spalted Walt

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.