New scam tactic?
Discussion
Just had a call from an Indian call centre claiming to be from BT Openreach. Pointed out that I was with Virgin and she tried explaining to me that we still use BT network and started trying to explain issues that could open me up to hackers
She was very quick to hang up when I pointed out that I work for an IT company and have plenty of security functions set up on my work laptop
Heard of all of the Microsoft scams before but not come across this. New variant or has this been going a while?
She was very quick to hang up when I pointed out that I work for an IT company and have plenty of security functions set up on my work laptop
Heard of all of the Microsoft scams before but not come across this. New variant or has this been going a while?
Keep them on the line as long as possible: "Oh, sorry, I'm just restarting Windows 95 on my PC".
Pretend the reception is poor and you can't hear them. Get them to repeat themselves frequently.
Ask them where they are based. Say you've visited there or are based nearby (this works well for those saying they are calling from the UK - London typically. My office always happens to be just around the corner from where they say they are located). Listen to them squirm.
Wait for them to get so frustrated they hang up.
Once the above is complete, call your telephone provider and give them the number of the caller to blacklist it for others.
Feel smug that you've probably wasted someone's time but done so in such a manner that it makes you happy.
(I did the above recently to a caller from 'Microsoft' - kept him on the line for 20 mins before calling Talk Talk to blacklist. They liked the approach.)
Pretend the reception is poor and you can't hear them. Get them to repeat themselves frequently.
Ask them where they are based. Say you've visited there or are based nearby (this works well for those saying they are calling from the UK - London typically. My office always happens to be just around the corner from where they say they are located). Listen to them squirm.
Wait for them to get so frustrated they hang up.
Once the above is complete, call your telephone provider and give them the number of the caller to blacklist it for others.
Feel smug that you've probably wasted someone's time but done so in such a manner that it makes you happy.
(I did the above recently to a caller from 'Microsoft' - kept him on the line for 20 mins before calling Talk Talk to blacklist. They liked the approach.)
Sort of on-topic, i get calls every few days from accident management companies. Had one on sat morning (well spoken/friendly english-sounding girl):
'*Phone rings*
Me: Hello
Them: Hello, im calling from BlaaBlaa Ltd
'*Looooong pause*
Me: Thats nice.
Them: I believe you may have had a car accident"
'*looong pause*
Me: Yeah, ive had loads. I have them all the time.
Them: im sorry about that - i will take you off our database. Goodbye.
WTF?!
Surely im a solid gold earner for them?!
Didnt stop them - had a missed call from the same number yesterday. Next time i will be explaining how the crash i was in was fatal for all parties involved.
'*Phone rings*
Me: Hello
Them: Hello, im calling from BlaaBlaa Ltd
'*Looooong pause*
Me: Thats nice.
Them: I believe you may have had a car accident"
'*looong pause*
Me: Yeah, ive had loads. I have them all the time.
Them: im sorry about that - i will take you off our database. Goodbye.
WTF?!
Surely im a solid gold earner for them?!Didnt stop them - had a missed call from the same number yesterday. Next time i will be explaining how the crash i was in was fatal for all parties involved.
daddy cool said:
Sort of on-topic, i get calls every few days from accident management companies. Had one on sat morning (well spoken/friendly english-sounding girl):
'*Phone rings*
Me: Hello
Them: Hello, im calling from BlaaBlaa Ltd
'*Looooong pause*
Me: Thats nice.
Them: I believe you may have had a car accident"
'*looong pause*
Me: Yeah, ive had loads. I have them all the time.
Them: im sorry about that - i will take you off our database. Goodbye.
WTF?! Surely im a solid gold earner for them?!
Didnt stop them - had a missed call from the same number yesterday. Next time i will be explaining how the crash i was in was fatal for all parties involved.
'*Phone rings*
Me: Hello
Them: Hello, im calling from BlaaBlaa Ltd
'*Looooong pause*
Me: Thats nice.
Them: I believe you may have had a car accident"
'*looong pause*
Me: Yeah, ive had loads. I have them all the time.
Them: im sorry about that - i will take you off our database. Goodbye.
WTF?!
Surely im a solid gold earner for them?!Didnt stop them - had a missed call from the same number yesterday. Next time i will be explaining how the crash i was in was fatal for all parties involved.
I might try that. It sounds much friendlier than what I do - I try and make them as upset as possible. They take offence when you wish bad things for their mum.
Just ask them if they realise they have called a police station. Not only gets them hanging up quick but you don't hear from them these parasites again for over a year (at least).
I used to get masses of these calls. "hello sir im calling from the web server/the web/theinternet/microsoft web etc"
I used to get masses of these calls. "hello sir im calling from the web server/the web/theinternet/microsoft web etc"
daddy cool said:
Sort of on-topic, i get calls every few days from accident management companies. Had one on sat morning (well spoken/friendly english-sounding girl):
'*Phone rings*
Me: Hello
Them: Hello, im calling from BlaaBlaa Ltd
'*Looooong pause*
Me: Thats nice.
Them: I believe you may have had a car accident"
'*looong pause*
Me: Yeah, ive had loads. I have them all the time.
Them: im sorry about that - i will take you off our database. Goodbye.
WTF?! Surely im a solid gold earner for them?!
Didnt stop them - had a missed call from the same number yesterday. Next time i will be explaining how the crash i was in was fatal for all parties involved.
I keep getting them from an automated system (which tries its hardest to sound real), and I keep correcting the grammar of the "girl" on the other end.'*Phone rings*
Me: Hello
Them: Hello, im calling from BlaaBlaa Ltd
'*Looooong pause*
Me: Thats nice.
Them: I believe you may have had a car accident"
'*looong pause*
Me: Yeah, ive had loads. I have them all the time.
Them: im sorry about that - i will take you off our database. Goodbye.
WTF?!
Surely im a solid gold earner for them?!Didnt stop them - had a missed call from the same number yesterday. Next time i will be explaining how the crash i was in was fatal for all parties involved.
Me: "Hello?"
Her: "Hi, this is XYZ Ltd"
Me: "Er, ok..."
Her: "Yeah, I hear you was in an accident?"
Me: "You mean 'were'? You 'were' in an accident. 'Was' is only used when referring to the First Person."
Her: "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?"
Me: "It's 'were', your grammar is all wrong."
Her: "OK, bye"
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