# What's the point (with insulting Indian phone calls)? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 11, 2019, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927 "2019-07-11T21:23:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/81 "2019-07-15T17:02:08Z")
I never have any of these experiences because I simply don’t answer any calls unless they are from a known contact. My theory is that, if they are legitimate, they will leave a message, and I will then call them back. If not, they won’t bother. That’s worked great for me. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/82 "2019-07-15T17:08:00Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Why would anyone want to spend time insulting potential customers, especially if it become obvious that the call recipient isn’t going to fall for your scam? In a world where you can get cussed out by anonymous 10-year-olds on XBox Live for no reason at all, you’re surprised that actual low-life criminals sometimes do the same thing? Some people just enjoy calling someone a C^&k-S\*&\*\*&ing MotherF@#\*\*\*er on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/83 "2019-07-15T17:37:52Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I disagree. There’s a difference between \*\*sPam \*\*calls and \*\*sCam \*\*calls. The contractor cold-calling me about potential home repairs is a \*\*sPam \*\*caller, and is deserving of a polite, “No, thanks, not interested–please take me off your call list,” and he gets one from me. He’s annoying, but he’s just trying to make a living. > > The scumbag who’s trying to convince me the IRS is after me unless I pay a fee, or my computer is full of viruses and I need to give them access so they can “fix” them, is a \*\*sCam \*\*caller. They’re trying to injure me. They’re trying to steal from me. They are criminals. Therefore, I owe them absolutely no civility, kindness, or understanding. They’re lucky I don’t blow an air horn into the phone, instead of just laughing at what idiot scammers they are and hanging up. Since we’re on a Do Not Call List, even the spam callers are in violation of the law, and deserve no consideration. (However, I don’t get many of these.) As for the scammers, if I can make life even a little bit harder and more frustrating for people who are trying to steal money from the old or naive, that’s great. Not answering the phone at my mother’s house is not an option, since if I don’t pick up she will. Of course, this will waste the scammers time even better than I could, but I don’t like to see my mother get confused. This said, if I answer what seems to be a solicitation, I just tell them we are on a Do Not Call list, ask their name, and say that I am going to report them. They usually immediately hang up. Not that this probably does any good in preventing them from calling again. I don’t screw with them unless they become obnoxious. I will admit to being more suspicious of strangers who call who have an Indian accent than others. However, this almost bit me in the ass one time when I got such a call and was a bit abrupt in demanding the guy’s name. It turned out it was the son of my mother’s pharmacist who was very generously delivering her prescription and was calling on his cell because he couldn’t get anyone to answer the door.:smack: I thanked him profusely when I went down to let him in. ---
**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 15, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/84 "2019-07-15T20:03:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I’m just surprised the OP has gotten several such calls. I’ve taken quite a few scam calls and only had one that became abusive. I’ve had a fair number of such scam calls, and every single one of them became abusive after they finally (after several mumbling, backtracking, and random verbal-comma delays) get the last digit of the [test-dummy credit card number](http://www.getcreditcardnumbers.com/) I’m reading and try to use it. ---
**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 15, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/85 "2019-07-15T20:06:31Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > They’re desperate enough to feel forced into a criminal job I take it India has neither prisons nor workhouses. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/86 "2019-07-17T03:02:40Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > I’ve had a fair number of such scam calls, and every single one of them became abusive after they finally (after several mumbling, backtracking, and random verbal-comma delays) get the last digit of the [test-dummy credit card number](http://www.getcreditcardnumbers.com/) I’m reading and try to use it. After asking you if the number is correct several times? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/87 "2019-07-17T03:07:21Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I will admit to being more suspicious of strangers who call who have an Indian accent than others. However, this almost bit me in the ass one time when I got such a call and was a bit abrupt in demanding the guy’s name. It turned out it was the son of my mother’s pharmacist who was very generously delivering her prescription and was calling on his cell because he couldn’t get anyone to answer the door.:smack: I thanked him profusely when I went down to let him in. I got a call – on my private phone – from somebody in a call centre – with poor (VOIP) line quality – with an Indian accent – asking me about the ‘fault’ that I had. I nearly hung up in disgust. Fortunately I remembered in time that I _did_ have an active fault report on our business line, and they couldn’t actually call me on our business line because it had a fault… ---
**Author:** ![Fuji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Fuji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/88 "2019-07-17T10:32:56Z")
You guys are making me all nostalgic, here. I left the USA for Ireland over 13 years ago, and haven’t had an unsolicited phone call since. (Yes, I have had a working phone throughout that time.) The right to remotely harass and annoy hundreds of strangers every day: just another shining example of American exceptionalism. Freedom! :rolleyes: ---
**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 17, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/89 "2019-07-17T13:38:49Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > After asking you if the number is correct several times? My personal best in that regard was hemming and hawing a bit before admitting that, oopsie, I had indeed read the number wrong, after which I (slowly) read off a completely different test-dummy credit card number. The scammer actually rose to the level of being almost _entertainingly_ irate when he finally figured out that I was jerking him around. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/90 "2019-07-17T18:37:02Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I have no love for spam callers and don’t think they should be shouting obscenities over the phone even at time-wasting giggleshits, but that doesn’t mean it’s ethical to be a time-wasting giggleshit. Behave like a grown-up and just immediately say “No thank you, not interested” and hang up as soon as you realize it’s a spam call. In other words just lie back and enjoy it. ---
**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 17, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927/91 "2019-07-17T20:06:16Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > if you really want to do something useful in preventing spam callers from stealing money from the innocent, get out there and help the innocent learn how to recognize and counter their tactics If someone wants lessons in techniques for keeping the scammers on the line and jerking them around, I’ll be glad to offer a few pointers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-with-insulting-indian-phone-calls/836927.md?page=4)