I'm having a nice afternoon nap, the phone rings.... A genuinely concerned sounding gentleman from an Indian call centre informs me that he's from Microsoft, and that my computer has viruses and malicious software!
8-0 with his guidance I download some software which cleanses my computer, I need only enter my finanical details!
That last sentence is a lie, but that is would have happened had I fell for this scam, I've heard of it before. Even if I hadn't heard of it, I've used computers for 20 years, my father is a self taught expert, I have IT qualifications, and I'm not THAT stupid.
What really happened: "I'm an IT technician." (I lie, though this could have been a potential career path years ago) "You're full of it, I'm onto you..." (In so many words). The cold caller still tries to go through with the ruse, I put the phone down.
Part if me wished I'd took a bit further, asked him what version of windows I was using, how did he know there was something wrong with my computer? To try and catch him out. But then again what would have been the point? His auto dialler would contact the next victim regardless of the outcome of that conversation... I can only hope that they will not ring again, as other cold callers have done in the past:
1. Company trying to get me to claim for free government sponsored loft insulation. I live in a new build, legally required to have loft insulation installed. I've told them a few times.
2. Another Indian call centre, asking for Mr Road every time. These people used to ring almost every day, asking for someone who does not live here, never did live here. One day I decided to say "Yes I'm Mr Road...", they tried to get me to sign up to anything and everything: LoveFilm, British gas, Oxfam, it just went on and on everytime I said "NO!". They must have been after commission from these companies, or just your credit card details.
Fortunately, calls from any dodgy company have dwindled, though they still like to call at inconvenient moments. Signing up to certain services to stop these calls has not solved the problem.
Anyway, has anyone else had any cold caller experiences they would like to share? Have you been plagued by them? Have you managed to beat them?
Google Voice.
Done.
Google Voice looks interesting, unfortunately not available in my country!
Ahh bummer! Yeah it's amazing. I don't give out my personal phone number anymore. I only give out my gVoice... then I can filter out the ones I don't want (and it has call-screening so even if I do answer a cold call I just send them to the "this number is no longer in service" message). And you can then flag the # as spam (I add it to a "blocked callers" contact as well) and never again will that number ring my phone!
Hopefully Google will expand to your country (though I'm sure there's probably something similar in your area?)
Back in the day (before cellphones, a few of us remember those days) my brother and I used to have great fun with telemarketers. We'd answer and then ask them to please hold... We'd put the phone down (leaving the line open) and then proceed to have the dirtiest, raunchiest, nastiest conversations you can dream up in your twisted minds. Then we'd pick the phone up and be like, "are you still there?" and if they were "okay... just one more second..." and then unleash even more vial putrescence! Then we'd pick up and say, "I've considered your offer and I am not interested. Please remove this number from your call list" and hang up.
The best thing you can do when faced with a cold caller:
1. tell the cold caller how naked and lonely you are and how no one ever calls you.
2. ask them personal, intimate questions.
3. start screaming and crying about how they aren't answering your questions and how evil the world is.
I haven't actually ever done this, mind you. I just think it would be really funny.
This is one way to deal with the problem:
http://youtu.be/YvJQxgtJW94
(What happened to being able to embed YouTube videos? :/ )
That tops it all. Brilliant (laugh)
I thought of this when I read this thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllDWSbuDsQ
I also have Google Voice, but I've turned the prescreening off because my friends and family were just hanging up. As far as anyone knows I've had the same cell number for the last five years even though I've been through at least six different carrier-provided numbers. None of the carriers I've used have provided number-based call blocking though, which is a great feature of GV. I do get the occasional caller, but they usually end up getting my voicemail as I have next to no coverage inside my house. Then I just block their numbers.
The most recent one I talked to was trying to sell me health insurance. I was actually busy at the time he called, so I didn't have much time to mess with him, sadly. He was definitely from India though.
monkey, not sure if you know; but there's a feature (in the settings of Google Voice) that enables you to turn on call screening only for numbers that aren't in your contacts.
So my friends and family (and business relations that are in my contacts) bypass the call screening completely. Only "unknown" numbers must get past Zuul, the GatekeeperTM.
With my cell phone, I only pick up if I know the caller / they are in my contact list. If I don't recognize the number, I'll let voicemail pick it up. If they don't leave a message, it wasn't that important anyways.
Quote from: dactylopus on Wed 09/10/2013 03:42:32With my cell phone, I only pick up if I know the caller / they are in my contact list. If I don't recognize the number, I'll let voicemail pick it up. If they don't leave a message, it wasn't that important anyways.
The problem with that, and why I use Google Voice, is that if the caller
is a telemarketer, and they get your voicemail, they know it's a valid number and it stays on the list. I send 'em to the "This number is no longer in service" message so they then think the number is invalid and remove it from the list. Another great (unintended?) consequence of the call-screening is that when I
do answer the line and it says, "call from" and then the recording is just empty I know it's a telemarketer because they don't want to say who they are 'cause they know people will just hangup on them. Kind of like [scum-bag, worthless dregs of society] email spammers disguising the names of the product so it'll get around spam filters. They
know they are spamming you.
@danthat:
Quote
New way to stop cold callers: exclaim incredulously that you work for the same company and OMG how odd. Ask them to take you off the system.
It's amazing how quickly their tone of voice changes once they think you're "one of them", the bullshit filter disappears. Fun.My other method is pretending to be an automated voice-activated Answer Service. Getting them to shout YES into their headsets is hilarious.
This won't stop the super illegal ones but if you're in the UK try signing up for the telephone preference service. If you are on that and they carry on calling you then you can report them to the service.
I've never bothered to say anything to cold callers on the phone, but I told one of those people who stands outside shopping centres and tries to get you to sign up to paintball that a paintball killed my sister*. Confused and upset them long enough for me to get away.
* Not that I ever had one.
there are lots of things you can do with them
*actually listen to them and buy EVERYTHING they offer
*ask them to tell you about their mother
*pretend that you want to buy EVERYTHING they offer twice but when it comes to sign the deal you act as if the connection is getting bad *krrrrzzzz* what? *bzzzzz* I can't hear you... *click*, nevermind they called you at home
*talk in funny voices
*all the other stuff people did an recorded and that was posted in this thread
My friend, sorry to
hear read that you were distributed by our neighbours. Btw, I read a very interesting and funny article regarding how to deal with telemarketers one or two months ago. Here it is for you to enjoy: Respond-Creatively-to-Telemarketers (http://www.wikihow.com/Respond-Creatively-to-Telemarketers)! ;-D
There are some really nice suggestions here. Let me add one of mine too (I'll not be held for any consequence this may follow :P):
Next time, a telemarketer calls you and says he's from India. Say:
Han, Colonel Ahmed. Bhaarat per humla kay liye tay'yari mukammal karli? (means: Yes, Colonel Ahmed. Have you completed preparations to attack India? 8-0).
The telemarketer will get shocked and will ask you what did you say. Tell him:
Oh, toh tum Bhaarati ho? Tay'yar raho, hum Pakistani tum per hamla karnay aa rahay hain (followed by a wicked laugh) (means: Oh, so you are an Indian? Be prepared, we Pakistanis are coming to attack you :P).
Hang the phone while you're still laughing. (laugh)
Spoiler
Since both countries have a history of enmity and rivalry, these lines will keep telemarketer shocked for quite a while. If anyone from Pakistan ever calls you, you can swap the countries' names and change Colonel Ahmed to Colonel Vikram to get maximum fun from that person too! ;)
I may get into trouble for that Adeel! I might start an international incident! (laugh)
I know an older gentleman, an otherwise longtime and savvy computer user, who fell for this trap and was in serious trouble. He has become a little more gullible in his older years. That's the real crime. They prey on the elderly. (wrong)
Quote from: Oldschool_Wolf on Fri 11/10/2013 15:27:04
I may get into trouble for that Adeel! I might start an international incident! (laugh)
On the bright side, you will never be disturbed by
cold callers again! (laugh)