Someone phones you on landline and asks your name.
Someone phones you on landline and asks your name.
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Discussion

King Herald

Original Poster:

23,501 posts

246 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
As above, a English woman phoned me at home and the first thing she did was ask my name. She spoke proper English, but I immediately thought there was something unfurling and once she knew my name and number I was on a 'list' . I asked her who she was, and she said something about carehome or similar, and to do with kids. She asked my name again, I just gave her my first name, told here there are no kids in the house.

Ten minutes later, same woman again, asks me if some female, forget the name, was available. I told her she'd called ten minutes earlier and she had the wrong number. Then she got a bit stroppy "oh, well, I'm very sorry then" and at that point I put the phone down.

SO, is it considered normal to give your name if a caller asks right off the bat? What is the correct etiquette?

This is the first land line I've had for years, been installed just three weeks, only had one call so far, and that was my dad.

Robbo 27

4,301 posts

129 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Havent had that experience myself, suspect it might have been a one off, or someone doing a 1471.

I thing you did everything right, I might even have been a bit stroppy back, when she asked your name I would have said why do you want to know, or something.

C0ffin D0dger

3,440 posts

175 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
You did the right thing. Some many scams and chancers around now days, if you don't know the caller then give a little detail as possible (i.e. none) until you've ascertained they're legit. The person calling you should understand that.

Abbott

2,864 posts

233 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Dont tell them Pike

Butter Face

35,034 posts

190 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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I did see something in another thread where people were supposedly being recorded saying their name and 'yes' 'no' answers to then be used for nefarious means!

0000

13,966 posts

221 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
King Herald said:
SO, is it considered normal to give your name if a caller asks right off the bat? What is the correct etiquette?
No. Hang up.

paul789

4,264 posts

134 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
A simple "fk off" is the mark of a respectable household, nowadays.

leigh1050

2,461 posts

195 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
I've started to answer any calls like these in my very limited spanight. "Hole Juan Carlos,que,no hablo Ingleton, que ester" has them hanging up pretty quickly.

Pixel Pusher

10,420 posts

189 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
King Herald said:
Ten minutes later, same woman again, asks me if some female, forget the name, was available. I told her she'd called ten minutes earlier and she had the wrong number. Then she got a bit stroppy "oh, well, I'm very sorry then" and at that point I put the phone down.
Just start panting and ask her to keep talking as you're "nearly there"..


Big Rod

6,265 posts

246 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
I never tell anyone my name, (or anything for that matter), or even confirm it if they ask for me by name.

I just ask 'Who's calling?'

ApOrbital

10,592 posts

148 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Pixel Pusher said:
Just start panting and ask her to keep talking as you're "nearly there"..
laugh

Jimmy Recard

17,551 posts

209 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Big Rod said:
I never tell anyone my name, (or anything for that matter), or even confirm it if they ask for me by name.

I just ask 'Who's calling?'
Same. I've had
"But sir, I'm only asking your name, not intimate details."
"Then it's of no importance to you anyway."

And so on until they hang up

Big Rod

6,265 posts

246 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Jimmy Recard said:
Same. I've had
"But sir, I'm only asking your name, not intimate details."
"Then it's of no importance to you anyway."

And so on until they hang up
I must remember the bit in bold.

King Herald

Original Poster:

23,501 posts

246 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Sounds like I 'passed muster' then. phone

I've heard of so many scams and games on-line that just getting a phone call is a little worrying. Nobody really has our number, apart from my dad, my daughter, her school school, and the Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. biggrin

steveo3002

11,223 posts

204 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
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strung one along day claiming my name was bob ar$eholes

Type R Tom

4,333 posts

179 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
I always ask who is calling before I confirm who I am even if they say my name. Gives me a chance to say "he's unavailable" if I don't like their reply.

Six Fiend

6,067 posts

245 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Butter Face said:
I did see something in another thread where people were supposedly being recorded saying their name and 'yes' 'no' answers to then be used for nefarious means!
That's a hoax.

Ari

19,826 posts

245 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Six Fiend said:
Butter Face said:
I did see something in another thread where people were supposedly being recorded saying their name and 'yes' 'no' answers to then be used for nefarious means!
That's a hoax.
Absolutely. It's astonishing that police are prepared to give these hoaxes credence without checking or even applying a little common sense (in the case of the one above, how does saying 'yes' allow the scammers to access anything? It's not like there's a database of people saying 'yes' that they can tap into once they have your 'voiceprint').

It's like that 'secret chalk marks' thing that burglars supposedly leave to let other burglars know if there's a dog or an alarm or whatever - I've even heard of police forces trotting this load of old guff out.

13m

28,176 posts

252 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
paul789 said:
A simple "fk off" is the mark of a respectable household, nowadays.
I was about to deploy that response a few weeks ago, due to 90% of calls on our landline being spam. Just as I was puckering my lips to form an "F" I twigged that the caller really was the headmaster of my child's school and boss to my wife, who was phoning to compliment us on our child's prize for English.



Type R Tom

4,333 posts

179 months

Tuesday 28th February 2017
quotequote all
Ari said:
Six Fiend said:
Butter Face said:
I did see something in another thread where people were supposedly being recorded saying their name and 'yes' 'no' answers to then be used for nefarious means!
That's a hoax.
Absolutely. It's astonishing that police are prepared to give these hoaxes credence without checking or even applying a little common sense (in the case of the one above, how does saying 'yes' allow the scammers to access anything? It's not like there's a database of people saying 'yes' that they can tap into once they have your 'voiceprint').

It's like that 'secret chalk marks' thing that burglars supposedly leave to let other burglars know if there's a dog or an alarm or whatever - I've even heard of police forces trotting this load of old guff out.
People do get caught up somehow, a mate of mine who is a financial adviser (so should be quite smart) posted up on FB the one about typing your PIN backwards to alert the Police. Until I pointed out what happens if your PIN is 1221