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It's Sunday afternoon - primetime for those lousy call-centre companies and their canv-ass calling techniques. So I wasn't surprised when I picked up the phone, said hello, and had to wait a few seconds before the operator at the other end (who always sounds like a slurred robot) responded. I wish I'd hung up then - that couple of seconds can mean the difference between escaping a long, boring phonecall that takes ages to get away from, or having to endure it!
This particular call was different to your standard "Windows/Insurance/Gas company" fare. This one was offering a prize! Apparently a member of my family - who the bloke just so happened not to name - had participated in a survey and was being offered a nice, new phone in return. "Sounds great, huh?" - That's what he actually said. I said: "umm, yeah.", unwittingly letting myself in for a barrage of questions to "confirm my details". Confirm my details - what for? You already have my phone number, so it's probably pretty easy to find my name and address, which if I was taking part in a survey requiring me to give out my phone number, I would have given you anyway.
And I know I didn't take part in any surveys, and neither of my parents would have either. My brother might have, but he's a tool and it's only to be expected.
So I concluded from this that it was probably a scam, and it's best to hang up. Which I should have done in the first place - those f**kers don't respect anyone's privacy, and have no qualms about inconveniencing you to offer any of their crappy services. He was asking questions to confirm my phone number and address - then he asked for my name. Muuuuuuuuuuuuuh *belms at mystery-caller* You should have my name, Joey, why do I have to confirm it!? So I hung up the phone. I don't even care if it was a genuine offer - it's sunday and I reserve the right to be pisssed off.
But I didn't give anything important away, just in case it was a scam. They had my surname, address and telephone number - that's the sort of thing you can find off 192.com, or by doing a Domain check. No biggie. I didn't give them my first name, which is probably the most important thing out of what they were asking - without it they'll look like a bunch of dumbasses if they try to rip me off. Who doesn't know their own first name? It freaked my paranoid parents out a bit, because they thought someone was tapping into our phone account and making long distance calls at £120 per minute. And I have to admit, it annoyed me that someone would try such a thing. It must take some heartless assholes to do it - think if it had been an elderly lady - there's a lot of things you can do to someone if you get into their trust.
Anyway, stay alert and...er...fight the good fight, or something.
This particular call was different to your standard "Windows/Insurance/Gas company" fare. This one was offering a prize! Apparently a member of my family - who the bloke just so happened not to name - had participated in a survey and was being offered a nice, new phone in return. "Sounds great, huh?" - That's what he actually said. I said: "umm, yeah.", unwittingly letting myself in for a barrage of questions to "confirm my details". Confirm my details - what for? You already have my phone number, so it's probably pretty easy to find my name and address, which if I was taking part in a survey requiring me to give out my phone number, I would have given you anyway.
And I know I didn't take part in any surveys, and neither of my parents would have either. My brother might have, but he's a tool and it's only to be expected.
So I concluded from this that it was probably a scam, and it's best to hang up. Which I should have done in the first place - those f**kers don't respect anyone's privacy, and have no qualms about inconveniencing you to offer any of their crappy services. He was asking questions to confirm my phone number and address - then he asked for my name. Muuuuuuuuuuuuuh *belms at mystery-caller* You should have my name, Joey, why do I have to confirm it!? So I hung up the phone. I don't even care if it was a genuine offer - it's sunday and I reserve the right to be pisssed off.
But I didn't give anything important away, just in case it was a scam. They had my surname, address and telephone number - that's the sort of thing you can find off 192.com, or by doing a Domain check. No biggie. I didn't give them my first name, which is probably the most important thing out of what they were asking - without it they'll look like a bunch of dumbasses if they try to rip me off. Who doesn't know their own first name? It freaked my paranoid parents out a bit, because they thought someone was tapping into our phone account and making long distance calls at £120 per minute. And I have to admit, it annoyed me that someone would try such a thing. It must take some heartless assholes to do it - think if it had been an elderly lady - there's a lot of things you can do to someone if you get into their trust.
Anyway, stay alert and...er...fight the good fight, or something.
I get a few of these sometimes, and i like to go along with them, then freak them out by asking them when my order of chinese noodles will arrive and start to get angry when they question me.
You should try it.
You should try it.
It's Sunday afternoon - primetime for those lousy call-centre companies and their canv-ass calling techniques. So I wasn't surprised when I picked up the phone, said hello, and had to wait a few seconds before the operator at the other end (who always sounds like a slurred robot) responded. I wish I'd hung up then - that couple of seconds can mean the difference between escaping a long, boring phonecall that takes ages to get away from, or having to endure it!
This particular call was different to your standard "Windows/Insurance/Gas company" fare. This one was offering a prize! Apparently a member of my family - who the bloke just so happened not to name - had participated in a survey and was being offered a nice, new phone in return. "Sounds great, huh?" - That's what he actually said. I said: "umm, yeah.", unwittingly letting myself in for a barrage of questions to "confirm my details". Confirm my details - what for? You already have my phone number, so it's probably pretty easy to find my name and address, which if I was taking part in a survey requiring me to give out my phone number, I would have given you anyway.
And I know I didn't take part in any surveys, and neither of my parents would have either. My brother might have, but he's a tool and it's only to be expected.
So I concluded from this that it was probably a scam, and it's best to hang up. Which I should have done in the first place - those f**kers don't respect anyone's privacy, and have no qualms about inconveniencing you to offer any of their crappy services. He was asking questions to confirm my phone number and address - then he asked for my name. Muuuuuuuuuuuuuh *belms at mystery-caller* You should have my name, Joey, why do I have to confirm it!? So I hung up the phone. I don't even care if it was a genuine offer - it's sunday and I reserve the right to be pisssed off.
But I didn't give anything important away, just in case it was a scam. They had my surname, address and telephone number - that's the sort of thing you can find off 192.com, or by doing a Domain check. No biggie. I didn't give them my first name, which is probably the most important thing out of what they were asking - without it they'll look like a bunch of dumbasses if they try to rip me off. Who doesn't know their own first name? It freaked my paranoid parents out a bit, because they thought someone was tapping into our phone account and making long distance calls at £120 per minute. And I have to admit, it annoyed me that someone would try such a thing. It must take some heartless assholes to do it - think if it had been an elderly lady - there's a lot of things you can do to someone if you get into their trust.
Anyway, stay alert and...er...fight the good fight, or something.
This particular call was different to your standard "Windows/Insurance/Gas company" fare. This one was offering a prize! Apparently a member of my family - who the bloke just so happened not to name - had participated in a survey and was being offered a nice, new phone in return. "Sounds great, huh?" - That's what he actually said. I said: "umm, yeah.", unwittingly letting myself in for a barrage of questions to "confirm my details". Confirm my details - what for? You already have my phone number, so it's probably pretty easy to find my name and address, which if I was taking part in a survey requiring me to give out my phone number, I would have given you anyway.
And I know I didn't take part in any surveys, and neither of my parents would have either. My brother might have, but he's a tool and it's only to be expected.
So I concluded from this that it was probably a scam, and it's best to hang up. Which I should have done in the first place - those f**kers don't respect anyone's privacy, and have no qualms about inconveniencing you to offer any of their crappy services. He was asking questions to confirm my phone number and address - then he asked for my name. Muuuuuuuuuuuuuh *belms at mystery-caller* You should have my name, Joey, why do I have to confirm it!? So I hung up the phone. I don't even care if it was a genuine offer - it's sunday and I reserve the right to be pisssed off.
But I didn't give anything important away, just in case it was a scam. They had my surname, address and telephone number - that's the sort of thing you can find off 192.com, or by doing a Domain check. No biggie. I didn't give them my first name, which is probably the most important thing out of what they were asking - without it they'll look like a bunch of dumbasses if they try to rip me off. Who doesn't know their own first name? It freaked my paranoid parents out a bit, because they thought someone was tapping into our phone account and making long distance calls at £120 per minute. And I have to admit, it annoyed me that someone would try such a thing. It must take some heartless assholes to do it - think if it had been an elderly lady - there's a lot of things you can do to someone if you get into their trust.
Anyway, stay alert and...er...fight the good fight, or something.