I just had one of the calls telling me about the HMRC tax fraud case against me, but couldn't speak to anyone because I wouldn't press one. Such a shame. I would have played if they wanted to.
Replies (20)
Please login or register to join the discussion.
Yes, one does need a human so one can take the P.
My kids used to deal with the various house cold callers by making up stories, things like both their parents were dead, they were orphans etc, stringing them along, or saying they would fetch a parent then leaving the phone off the hook and forgetting about it. Cold calls proved to be a valuable aid in teaching my offspring the art of lying/hiding the truth. (though these days they are well past that and now merely just tell us off instead)
I used to get many double glazing calls when living in (nice but rented) student accommodation. A couple of times I played along. Oh yes I'd love some new windows and doors etc, yes of course you can send someone round, and so on.
Sometimes they rumbled me early on but one guy was particularly [***] off. He measured up, we chose the windows and then he presented me a quote for £xx,xxx but said he could 'phone the office' to try and get it down a bit for me. I said not to worry as it looked perfectly reasonable to me and he could hardly believe his luck until i threw in the line "I'm sure the landlord will be fine with it".
Sometimes if you stay on the line, they will answer without you pressing 1. That gives you the opportunity to have fun.
Does Jim Harra press 1?
How and why do sooo many of these calls get past the phone telecom providers screening and spam checks?
Perhaps we should engage the fraudsters talents on the Covid 19 track and trace system.
They rang straight off when I tried to speak / play with them recently. Didn't even take any details.
My current record for winding up an 'accident claim' caller is 20 minutes, and he was particularly slow in not ringing off after I: spelt out my strangely pronounced surname, and told him I was a professional artist (wind up, when he asked). Only gave up after I got bored, rejected and reported the number he used to WhatsApp me for some photos of the accident, and eventually told him what I'd done after 'searching' my computer for said photos.
if I am bored I like to play the "I don't have any" game.
Windows? I don't have any windows (if pushed, its a basement flat)
Internet? I dont have internet
Car accident? I only ever use the train
Timeshare? I cant leave the house.
Phone providers? I don't have a phone. This is my favourite.
I had one of those, we understand that you've had a car accident calls, which seem to have died a death, just lately? Have they?
Anyhow, I played along explaining that the accident was tragic, my car having left a cliff and me losing both legs.
The caller had the cheek to suggest that I should have simply said, that I hadn't had an accident, from the outset! She was even less impressed, when I reminded her, that she started the malarkey!
I usually say I suffered memory loss and ask them to tell me the details of my accident.
I love hearing the cogs whirr in their brains as they weigh up whether it'll be worth taking the case on.
I have used dreadful amnesia before, but then they ring off too quickly if I'm particularly bored and want to string it out.
Windows support callers have been strung out with "I have a really old machine and it takes a lot of goes to connect to the internet" while repeatedly playing the sound of an old dial up modem :)
Sitting on the other side of the made-up fence, I had a cold-calling job similar to this at uni (we had a list of Orange mobile numbers, ringing through them trying to get sufficient personal details to sell them an phone upgrade / new contract. Someone else would then ring Orange to complete the deal).
So I know that it’s a pain in the [***] to receive them, but I also remember having to make those phone calls.
Not being a killjoy or anything.
There's a world of difference between making a cold call for a genuine company - however unwanted that may be - and attempted fraud.
There's a world of difference between making a cold call for a genuine company - however unwanted that may be - and attempted fraud.
Quite. It's the ambulance chasers & Windows support I play with
The just obeying orders excuse did not cut it at Nuremberg nor should it cover cold calling, however you may be able to answer a question-how do they know to phone at the most inopportune moment, precisely when a hot meal reaches the table, a football match is in extra time etc- do they have secret cameras watching their victims?
Sitting on the other side of the made-up fence, I had a cold-calling job similar to this at uni (we had a list of Orange mobile numbers, ringing through them trying to get sufficient personal details to sell them an phone upgrade / new contract. Someone else would then ring Orange to complete the deal).
So I know that it’s a pain in the [***] to receive them, but I also remember having to make those phone calls.
Not being a killjoy or anything.
To be fair, it wasn't really a case of 'having to make those calls' though. It was more a case of being a student, needing to earn a bit of money, and possibly being a bit naïve to the fact that you were probably misleading people into giving away their personal data to sign them up to a contract (I used to get the same calls, they would always say they were calling 'on behalf of O2 etc and needed a lot of pressing before they would admit that werent, and i suspect they were actually doing what you were).
That was pretty much our exact script “Hi, my names’s ALISK, *calling from X* (said incredibly quickly) on behalf of Orange, to discuss your Orange mobile and whether we can renew your Orange contract with Athena latest mobile phone from Orange”.
It was no mistake Orange was mentioned so much in the opening gambit.
No-one wants to be a cold-caller of this type, I would imagine they all do it because they’re desperate for the money, I know I was. My next job at uni was a cold-calling 2nd hand car salesmen to the taxi industry. We had a list of every taxi firm in the country, each took a letter and rang through until we found someone that wanted a ‘new’ car - either new new or one that we’d taken in as a p/x. The target was 4 new & 2 used cars a week. In my 7 weeks I sold 2 new Skoda Octavia's to the same guy. Hated that job, my worst ever. We worked 5 1/5 days and they paid us monthly by cheque. Try banking a chq in 2005 when you work 8.30-17.30 M-F and 9-13 on Saturdays and there isn’t a bank for 2 miles from the office. And you don’t drive.
I’ve had a week of being plagued by reminders to renew my non-existent Amazon Prime account (handily just before their 2-day discount event).
And then a new one popped on Monday to tell me I’d been underpaid on my furlough pay and the Government was very keen to make sure I received the extra money I was due. That one lasted about 10 minutes until I told the caller I worked for the Government, had recorded the call, and I was just about to tell them the call location had been traced when they hung up.
But would anyone believe that HMRC would willingly part with money?
I’ve had several days of automated messages from BT telling me that my broadband is about to be disconnected due to suspicious activity.
Nonsense, of cou____________
I had the HMRC call ages ago. It did say a warrant would be issued for my arrest if i didnt call back or speak to them. I warned my partners they might need to cover my work when i get lifted, but nobody has been to collect me yet.
Does that mean it's still an open case, or that theyve decided not to pursue. Perhaps all the prisons are full. Im not sure what to declare on my 'fit and proper' forms though.......