# Phone Rage At "Extended Auto Warranty" Scammer **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777 "2009-07-21T20:45:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/1 "2009-07-21T20:45:28Z")
[Phone rage leads to St. Louis arrest for Fostoria man](http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/07/21/phone-rage-leads-to-arrest-st-louis-for-fostoria-man/) > [@](#): > > A Fostoria, Ohio, man, fed up with deceptive junk mail, made the mistake of losing his temper while on the phone with a St. Louis company pitching an extended auto-service contract. Now he finds himself behind bars, where he is charged with making a terrorist threat. > > According to court documents, Charles W. Papenfus, 43, allegedly told a sales representative during a May 18 telephone call that he would burn down the building and kill the employees and their families. He was indicted for making a terrorist threat, a Class D felony; and he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison if convicted… While burning out a nest of these scammers would be a valuable public service, threatening their families is a bit over the line, methinks… ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/2 "2009-07-21T20:53:31Z")
I’d vote to acquit if i were on that jury. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/3 "2009-07-21T20:56:35Z")
Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. Works wonders. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/4 "2009-07-21T20:57:35Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. If the myriad complaints about them are true, it often doesn’t work with fuckers like this. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/5 "2009-07-21T20:58:12Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. Not with those scammers. A lot of them transmit fake caller ID info as is, they’re certainly not up to obeying DNC requests. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/6 "2009-07-21T20:58:46Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > While burning out a nest of these scammers would be a valuable public service, threatening their families is a bit over the line, methinks… Everyone knows that telemarketers don’t have families. They’re hatched from pods. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/7 "2009-07-21T20:59:19Z")
When you’re threatening to burn down buildings and kill families, the rant is getting out of hand. Still, the guy might do four years for losing his shit at the people trying to rip him off? Hopefully he’ll get a somewhat less severe penalty. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/8 "2009-07-21T21:50:55Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. I’ve told this to a telemarketer and her tell me to put her on my “Do Not Care List.” Since then I try to string the conversation out as long as I can, occasionally putting the telephone down to perform some imaginary task, answer the door, turn off the oven, deal with the baby, whatever it takes, and then blow them off when I’ve wasted as much of their time as I can. Sure, it wastes my time too, but if they’re talking to me they’re not ripping someone else off, and a good deed goes around the world. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/9 "2009-07-21T22:20:13Z")
I feel somewhat less sympathy reading that the guy had only received a mailer (albeit one of those fake “your warranty is about to expire” things) and that he initiated two calls to the business _himself_ to bitch them out, before receiving a call back from the business in response to a voice mail he’d left (during which callback he apparently made the threats). A bit different from a random telemarketing call. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/10 "2009-07-21T22:34:47Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. The auto warranty callers do not honor the list and are suckers of donkey dongs. I can’t say more because I haven’t figured out what the heck the board policies are besides super confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/11 "2009-07-21T22:38:39Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. Clicking on the “Click here to unsubscribe” link will totally make spammers stop sending you mail, too. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/12 "2009-07-21T23:04:07Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > I’ve told this to a telemarketer and her tell me to put her on my “Do Not Care List.” Since then I try to string the conversation out as long as I can, occasionally putting the telephone down to perform some imaginary task, answer the door, turn off the oven, deal with the baby, whatever it takes, and then blow them off when I’ve wasted as much of their time as I can. I noticed my mom does this. She just sets the phone down. She doesn’t hang up, she just sets the phone down and waits for _them_ to hang up. Me? I shout whatever non sequitur pops into my head. Many telemarketers/scammers hang up when faced with “HOW WOULD FACE YOUR EGGS TODAY?” or “I’LL TAKE BABY BANANA PEELS FOR NINE-THIRTY, ALEX!” ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/13 "2009-07-21T23:13:05Z")
I like telemarketers, they’re fun to screw with. Next time one calls, try to sell _them_ something. Or pick up the phone and act like you called them. Or lead them on for 20 minutes, then change your mind at the last minute. Or say you’re going to get someone for them to talk to, then just lay the phone down off the hook and go back to what you were doing. ---
**Author:** ![SmashTheState](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SmashTheState](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmashTheState)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/14 "2009-07-21T23:37:26Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. You have to understand, these people are sociopaths. I ran the net abuse desk at the local freenet for about four years, so I got to deal with these charming individuals a lot. I remember one phone call I had with a spammer where he said that spamming is not illegal, it makes him money, and it costs him nothing. Then he expressed honest bafflement about why everyone wasn’t spamming. The way he put it is, “It’s like it’s raining money.” In another case, I remember the newsgroup alt.sex-abuse.survivors was having trouble with spam because they were in the alt hierarchy and their newsgroup had the word “sex” in it. Since those participating had all suffered serious sexual abuse, being bombarded with porno spam was particularly upsetting for them. After one of the anti-spam folks from news.admin.net-abuse.usenet went to the trouble to track down the spammer and inform him personally about what he was doing, the spammer’s response was to use a bot to plaster the newsgroup with the most disgusting porno ads he could think of with subject titles like “INCEST IS BEST WITH MOM AND DAUGHTER” and make the usegroup totally unusable. I guess he thought it was funny. These are the kind of people you’re dealing with. They are not deterred by “add me to your do-not-call list.” They are not deterred by anything, in fact, except the prospect of harm to their wallets or a baseball bat to the kneecaps. I can totally grok telling one of these worthless fuckers that you’ll do something satisfyingly violent. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/15 "2009-07-22T00:28:45Z")
> [@emcee2k](#): > > I like telemarketers, they’re fun to screw with. Next time one calls, try to sell _them_ something. Or pick up the phone and act like you called them. Or lead them on for 20 minutes, then change your mind at the last minute. Or say you’re going to get someone for them to talk to, then just lay the phone down off the hook and go back to what you were doing. Heh… I know a family who used to do something sorta like this. There were five people (mom, dad, one daughter, two sons) living there at the time. The telemarketer would call and say “Is Mr. [omitted] there?” One of the sons would be given the phone. Telemarketer would go through the whole spiel, and the son would say “Oh, sorry you want the _other_ Mr. [omitted],” and give the phone to his brother. Telemarketer would go through the whole spiel, and the son would say “Oh, sorry you want _Mrs._ [omitted].” They went through the whole family, finally ending with the father who listen to the spiel and finish with “No, we don’t want any. _CLICK_” ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/16 "2009-07-22T01:17:09Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Everyone knows that telemarketers don’t have families. They’re hatched from pods. Don’t be silly. EVERYONE knows they’re shit out of the asses of the elder telemarketers. Young telemarketers are what happens when anal sex goes horribly, horribly wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/17 "2009-07-22T01:26:44Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. Bullshit. It’s automated. There was no option to opt out in the system. If you actually told it you were interested, so you could talk to a person, as soon as you mentioned you wanted out there was an accidental disconnect. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/18 "2009-07-22T01:41:08Z")
The only reason telemarketers exist is to be abused. They should all be impaled for the amusement of the masses. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/19 "2009-07-22T01:45:48Z")
> [@emcee2k](#): > > I like telemarketers, they’re fun to screw with. Next time one calls, try to sell _them_ something. Or pick up the phone and act like you called them. Or lead them on for 20 minutes, then change your mind at the last minute. Or say you’re going to get someone for them to talk to, then just lay the phone down off the hook and go back to what you were doing. Sorta like scambaiting, except over the phone instead of via email? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777/20 "2009-07-22T04:30:02Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Put Me On Your Do Not Call List. > > Works wonders. As **Vinyl Turnip** pointed out, the man initiated the calls in response to a mailer he’d received. Ignoring the mailer and throwing it in the trash works even better. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-rage-at-extended-auto-warranty-scammer/503777.md?page=2)