never ending scam callers!

[davidc4430]

is anyone else getting daily calls from indian call centers just lately?

i'm getting at least 1 per day and often 2 or 3.

i just do my 'let them listen to abc radio' trick. within  a minute they have hung up, but they just keep coming.

its different each time, solar, computer, electricity, ect

[davidc4430]

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@springyzone wrote:

I'm glad you told us that as I was wondering if it was worth going back onto a silent number, just to avoid the problem.

Seems like that won't work.

My other thought was it would be good if we as users were able to individually block phone calls from some countries in the world. I suppose Indian migrants wouldn't want to block India but the rest of us might! Then I remembered that wouldn't work as so many of our companies have now outsourced their phone work to india and countries like it!

I get a lot of phone calls where they obviously do not know our names as they say good day ma'am and then ask to speak to the account owner. When I ask who that may be, they act as if I don't understand English and start explaining that an account owner is the person who is in charge of the account.

But I do get the occasional call where they know my surname and start off with 'Am I speaking to Mrs X?

When I suspect a scam call I sometimes just say no. Nothing else, just no. Then wait.

That totally throws them.

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nearly all of my non charity calls know my surname. i'm guessing if your number is in the phone book they have acress to your name.

if you can look up yourself online in the whitepages online then they can too.

[lyndal1838]

You are right about that David.

Our phone account is in my name but we put an entry in the phone book with my husband's initial and the last part of a hyphenated surname.

I often get calls asking if I am Mrs X so they must be getting it from the phone book as everything else is in the full name.

[imastawka]

I have a silent number and don't get them on the landline.

Only family have my mobile number, so I know when it's a scam caller   

[lyndal1838]

I am the same....only family has my mobile number (and my solicitor. lol)

I have a very favourite Indian caller called Kevin who uses my mobile number.   When he first called I was polite and told him I was not interested in changing my electricity provider but he kept calling.....as many as 6 calls in a day, even though he was asked not to ring back.  After I hung up for the 6th time he started ringing my number and hanging up on me.

I can't imagine that he does not realise I know the number he is calling from.  Now I treat it like a game....I answer the call and immediately hit the button to disconnect the call.   If he wants to waste money on calls like this then I am happy to oblige.

[springyzone]

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@davidc4430

But I do get the occasional call where they know my surname and start off with 'Am I speaking to Mrs X?

When I suspect a scam call I sometimes just say no. Nothing else, just no. Then wait.

That totally throws them.

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nearly all of my non charity calls know my surname. i'm guessing if your number is in the phone book they have acress to your name.

if you can look up yourself online in the whitepages online then they can too.

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True. But interestingly enough, I found that not one of my telstra technical department callers ever knew my name. It was always Good morning ma'am, this is telstra tech dept, may I speak to the account holder please?

I'm wondering if they had some auto system that just went through all the numbers without actually looking at the phone registrations.

[davidc4430]

there seems to be no one size fits all with these calls, some use your full name, some just your sir-name and some just use a generic term like account holder.

but they are all scammers offering a service you dont need or want.

they all have the same basic script.

the worst one of course is the 'your computer has been infected and only we can fix it'

if every call id had telling me that was true id have been getting new computers every week for years.

but, no, ive never had a virus when they assured me i did.

yes, ive had viruses, some really bad ones, but no one ever called me to tell me when i did.

most are just a time consuming annoyance, going on another computer, finding the solution then fixing it.

in worst case senarios taking the computer for a full scrub of the operating system and re-install of everything.

then having to set up stuff again.

[davidc4430]

the calls have stopped, none for a week or more.

yes i know they will start again but its peaceful for the moment.