This telemarketing call was weird.

In My Humble Opinion
1

The phone trilled and since the number on the call display appeared valid, I took it. The guy at the other end asked for me. It was an Indian accent, and the noises in the background seemed as if the caller was in a home. I could hear voices and metal clanging as if something had dropped on the floor.

Caller: Sir, we provide a service from the government that will help you in screening out telemarketing calls that you don’t want.

Me: (thinking that sounds interesting because there is nothing more that I would want, but suspicious) How does that work?

Caller: After this call is over, you will receive an automated call and you will be given a 5 digit number that you can use to stop the irritating telemarketing calls.

Me: OK.

I disconnect the line and wait And sure enough, in about 2 minutes the phone rings again. I pick it up and the voice gives me a number and says that I should not share it with anyone. It does not tell me anything else. No instructions or anything on what I am supposed to do with the number.

A minute later the phone rings again and I see the first number on the call display again. I respond to see if I can understand what I am supposed to do with the 5 digit number that I have been given by an automated system.

This is the second part of the conversation with the initial caller-

Caller: Did you get the 5 digit number?

Me: Yes. But what do I do with the number. How am supposed to use it?

Caller: When you get an unwanted call, just lift the handset and punch in the number that you have been given.

Me::confused: What purpose will that serve? I have already taken the call. Keying numbers when talking can do nothing as far as I can see.

Caller: Please give me the number that was given and I will confirm whether the number you have been given is correct or not.

Me: But I was told not to share the number given to me.

Caller: No…No…please give me the number and I will verify if you have the authentic number or not.

Me: But I don’e understand how punching in a number when I am connected to a line already is going to help. And second, why should I give you a number that I have been asked not to share?

Caller: You don’t understand. Please give me the number and I will explain how it will work.

I hang up.

What was this? A scam? An attempt at gathering some information? What?

2

Maybe trying to get you to give up permission for long distance charges? I believe there is still a way to punch codes in for that? I remember scams supposedly from prisons using that method.

3

So… what was the 5-digit number? :wink:

4

Sounds like the Craig’s List Phone Verification Scam.

5

In my second year of university, we got a long-distance plan that required us to dial a 1-800-number, then we’d get a dial-tone and would complete the call normally. It was a great plan, actually, we got a flat rate for long distance and for starving students calling home to beg for money, it was good deal. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there was some other version that allowed someone to call you, you punch in a code and they are forwarded to make a long distance call.

I am aware that our office phone lines were abused somehow this way where people called our numbers and somehow hacked our voicemail service so it forwarded their calls to a number in India. Our business had $6,000 in charges and we had to re-set every password in the entire business.

6

I agree- it does sound like this.

7

That’s what it was!!

Now that you mention it I remember the automated system mentioning Craiglist.

Why I did not go and search for it myself is embarassing.:smack:

Thanks anyways.

8

You certainly shouldn’t feel embarrassed for having asked about it. I’d say you did pretty damn good by not giving him the number and hanging up- a lot of people wouldn’t even have known to do that.

9

Great username/post combo there.:slight_smile:

10

Was there a number for the incoming call on your caller ID?

If so, punch it into Google or go to 800notes.com and see if there are any reports on it.

(800notes.com is a site that you can check when you get weird calls that you suspect are telemarketers and there’s a message board that people share info about who’s calling. It can be helpful for hangups and robocalls, and also helpful for avoiding collection agents)