Ah - I use the “send me it in writing” ploy on these guys all the time, but I never knew why it worked. But I like RealityChuck’s approach - plays with their heads more.
About 3 months ago I received a box of 12 pens in the mail inscribed with Sharktooth Racing along with my home address. I had used that name years ago during the early days of NASCAR sims and online racing. The only thing I can figure they someone bought an old address list and hoped to cash in. An enclosed statement said my other 20 dozen pens would be ready in a few weeks and that I could pay the $134 due at anytime. I kept the pens and tossed the rest. A month later I got a large funky looking calculator from the same folks with a similar offer, my order for 5 dozen calculators was ready to ship as soon as I paid the $106 that I was due. I made a phony check in Paint Shop Pro with about 20 versions of the “F” bomb as a backround on the check. I sent it and have heard nothing since. The so called company based out of San Diego is not listed as a business in California and the BBB has nothing on them. I figure it is a scam based in Tijuana.
Bwah!
I’ve got the toner scam calls in the past, at two jobs. I’m almost wistful now, because to toy with them would bring some joy to my deary office day.
If they call again, I’m going to say straight-faced that we don’t have a photocopier.
Because they are the work of the Devil. And then ask if they’ve been saved.
Or else use the Model No. 3 line.
Naaaahhh I think he wanted to get your goat umm I mean SHEEP!
At my office we get a LOT of toner calls. My boss thinks it’s funny when I play with them, and other scammers.
However, once I ordered toner and a drum roller (legitimatly), and because we’d just moved, the Xerox people called back to confirm that the shipping address was correct. Unfortunatly, I was not at my desk the first time they called, and one of my coworkers who grabbed the call gave them an earfull, thinking they were scammers. Oops.
I worked in an office for a short time, just to do something different. My job wasn’t difficult or time consuming, so I’d cover the phones for lunch sometimes. The regular woman told me to watch out for the toner scammers.
Sure enough, I got the call.
Me: Good morning, this is _ _BM, how may I direct your call?
Him: Is this Ashley?
Me: No, may I give her a message?
Him: She ordered some toner and I didn’t get all the information I needed.
Me: {Silence}
Him: Are you still there?
Me: Yes…
Him: Can you tell me the model of your copier?
Me: That’s going to take some time… Probably a couple hours.
Him: Why??
Me: We have, let’s see… 116 copiers and 140 Fax machines.
Him: I don’t und…
Me: If you’d listened when I answered the phone you could have moved on to your next victim… The Company name I said quite clearly was XXXXX XXXX Business Machines. We sell copiers, faxes, and SUPPLIES, even toner, especially toner. Are you stoned or just stupid?
Him: click.
Huh! I have learned something new. What a bizarre scam.
I think someone tried some sort of fax scam on us a few weeks ago, although that didn’t go far:
Dork: Hi, may I speak with ridiculous butchering of hubby’s name of hubbysdomainname.com?
Me: He’s not in right now; may I take a message?
Dork: I have some important new information about his domain and web space. May I have your fax number?
Me: If it’s so important, just mail it to us.
Dork: ::stumblestammer:: It’s important new information about upgrades to his domain [or some such bullcrap]. May we have your fax number to send it to you?
Me: We don’t HAVE a fax. Just mail it to us.
Dork: You don’t have a fax number…?
Me: No. Just mail us the information.
Dork: click
Left me wondering WTH was going on. So what would they have done with the fax number? Sent me 8,000,000 pieces of fax-spam?
I’ve recently come across an eBay scam.
I maintain two eBay accounts with two different e-mails: one for buying and one for selling. I don’t mix them up.
Twice the past month I’ve gotten threatening e-mails from people who “sent the money and didn’t receive the item.” Both of them were sent to my buying account e-mail. When I clicked on the item number, I got a page asking for the name and password.
Like I’m really going to trust that one!
“Sure, it’s 1-800-328-7448.”
263 343
I handle the computers where I work, so I get all the toner and ribbons calls transferred to me. These are all fly-by-night companies operated out of boiler-rooms…
When they call nowadays, I just tell them that we recently converted over to a paperless office and we don’t use toner or ribbons anymore. They usually stammer and stumble for a bit, and then hang up…
Awesome!
You are all my heroes 
Tell me about it! :mad: I own a number of domains and I’m always getting snail mail from companies attempting to trick me into re-registering my domain with their (overly expensive) service. They make it sound like I’m in imminent danger of losing the domain if I don’t immediately send them a check.
I also receive letters from companies with names like “Search Engine Registration Authority” or somesuch. They include dire sounding pronouncements about how my domain is not registered properly with the search engines and how I need to send them a payment to immediately remedy this distressing situtation. Basically, they want me to pay them to submit my domain name to Google, Yahoo, etc. Something I’m perfectly capable of doing on my own. :rolleyes:
Of course both of these kinds of notices immediately end up in my shredder. But the fact that I keep getting them tells me that they must be working often enough to make it worth their while.
Another thing that happens to domain owners is the following: You receive an e-mail from someone interested in purchasing one of your domains and asking for a price quote. When you give them a price (figuring they’ll dicker) they respond stating that the price seems fair but before they purchase it want an “official doman name appraisal” to be sure that it’s really worth the price. They say that there are a lot of fly-by-night appraisers out there but there is one they trust, “XYZ Domain Appraisers” and that you should get an appraisal from XYZ and email them the results. Of course, XYZ will charge you an exorbitant fee for the “appraisal” and you will never hear from the “purchaser” again.
Yeah, I get a lot of those (I own three domains) and I always send 'em back with a link to this place:
http://www.xentrik.net/submit/
Yeah. I’ve never gotten a response, though.
~Tasha
Hmm… and then you’d be in the market for more toner? May I have your fax machine number? :dubious:
You should start giving model numbers off of other things on your desk:
“What model printer do you have there?”
“It looks like a Samsung SCH-3500.”
“That’s a cell phone.”
“Oh, sorry about that. Then it’s a Panasonic KX-1451B.”
“That’s your desk phone.”
“Oh, sorry again. How about a Dell GX620?”
“That’s your computer.”
“Oh, right. Well I have a Papermate L-5?”
“That’s your pen.”
“Damn, I’m really trying to find this printer thing for you but this is tough.”
Hampshire, that’s brilliant. I’m going to try that next time. I already stole Hal’s answer, what’s one more?
I just got such a call, put it on speaker, and said “It’s a Hamilton Beach 12 cup.”
What?
Our coffee machine. It’s a Hamilton Beach 12 cup.
I said copy machine.
Right, our coffee machine is a Hamilton Beach 12 cup.
No, no your copy machine. The machine you use to make copies.
We only make one type of coffee around here. Unless someone brings in a bag of special roasts. I like hazelnut.
The guy hung up.
Now think back.
Has anyone called your office and said, “I just need to know what you tell scammers when they ask for your serial number?”
Dude, you’ve been had.
I always get rid of the printer ribbon and toner callers by telling them that we’ve converted to a completely paperless office.
They really don’t know what to say to that.