I Hate Scammer Phone Calls!!!

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c.n.budz

c.n.budz

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Location
Pistol Wavin' New Haven, for now...
Though I can't imagine that anyone actually enjoys them.....

Lately I've been getting 10-20 calls per day on my cell from a car warranty scam. The calls always come from different out of state numbers. I usually don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize and these callers never left messages, so after searching the numbers online and finding out it was a scam, I decided to answer one last week...

Here is our conversation...

Scammer - Sir I'm calling because your car warranty is about to expire.

Me - (knowing that I never had a warranty on the car I have now) - Really?? That's not good... Can you help me out? I drive a 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo(actually I drive a 2004 Volvo)

Scammer - Yes sir, I have all your vehicle info on my screen right now and I can definitely offer you a new extended warranty.

Me - Oh, you have all my vehicle info on your screen?

Scammer - Yes I do.

Me - So you know that I've been in 4 major accidents with that (fictitious) car?

Scammer - Yes, I see that.

Me - And you can still offer me a warranty?

Scammer - Of course, I just need to get your payment info and we'll be all set.

Me - No problem, my checking account number is 1 2 GO F##K YOURSELF YOU ********* SCAMMER. I DON'T OWN A PORSCHE AND IF I HAD A 2008 IT WOULD STILL HAVE THE FACTORY WARRANTY!!!! YOU'RE NOT EVEN A PROFICIENT LIAR!!!!

Keep in mind this guy asked for my payment info without even going over what this "warranty" would cover..... How stupid do they think people are??
 
Oh I got a good one the other day....

Him: Hello sir, have you noticed that your computer has been running slowly recently?

Me: Umm, not really.

Him: We have received a report from you computer here at (insert stupid company name) that you computer has been running poorly and maybe infected with many viruses.

Me: Oh, really?

Him: Yes, sir, if you sign up today we will be able to imediately fix that...

Me: My computer told you that?

Him: Yes, sir.

Me: No it didn't, you are lying. Why do you call people telling them lies?

Him: (Getting agitated and defensive) Sir, if your computer did not tell us this then how did we know your computer was slow and your name and phone number? And how did we know that your computer was infected by a virus?

Me: Well, if my computer told you all this it must have forgotten to mention that it is a Mac and there are no know viruses for the Mac OS.

Him: Oh, you have a Macintosh?

He hung up. Quite fun actually.
 
We get them here at work now at least one every day for the vehicle warranty. One day Wachovia called each phone in the office one by one about special offers and it was a real person. Got one at home last night saying "I know you are interested because we spoke to you before". Nope, wasn't me....delete.
 
For scammers and telemarketers, I just hand the phone to the 4 year old. He loves to tell complete strangers Thomas the Train stories. LOL
 
I tried to get the warranty re-newed on my 76' Pinto. They also advoised me that there was a recall on the vehicle.

I gave them that LifeLok dudes info and a bogus CC number.
 
I like to ask them to hold while I get my credit card and then set the phone down and walk away.

Or just keep BSing with them until they get pi55ed and hang up.
 
I don't have a land line and rarely get a call on my cell... but when I did have a land line and in the rare case I get a call now I do as homercidal mentioned.

I ask if they can hold while I get my credit card..."Oh of course...", they say. I just put down the phone and walk away. This is probably the worst possible scenario for telemarketing. They don't get the sale, they lose time, and their effective percentage tanks.
 
A bit off topic but one of my co-workers here answered the phone and it was a guy making an inquiry to an apartment for rent. My co-worker set up an apointment to show the apartment and then hung up. LMAO
 
I had a guy calling to say he had a Florida vacation for me. I went along with it answering all questions, "Yep, that's my name! Yep, that's my address!" Finally he got his supervisor on the line and we do this for a couple of times. Then he asks, "Are you even interested in this? "Nope".

"Then why the hell are you wasting my time?!"

hehehehe. Sucks don't it. I didn't mind. I was playing on the computer and had nothing better to do.
 
I've been doing reception at a real estate office, and we get the same telemarketing schemes regularly. One of the most common ones is some lady with a thick southern accent will say "A chiropractor's office here in Edmonds (a nearby town) is offering free chiropractic exams to up to 5 members of your company, blah blah blah" The first couple times I used to call them out on it, asking them about local things that you'd know about if you lived in the area, etc. Now, as soon as I hear "Chiropractor" I say "not interested." The majority of the time, I hear a click before I finish saying "not." They hate wasting their time.
 
I got a call from someone at my cable company (Cox) yesterday, saying "I see that you have never signed up for the Starz movie package, and we're running a promotion." When I told him if I wanted it, I'd already have it, he kept on. The third time I said "No, I don't want it!", and he kept talking, I just hung up.

:mad:

At least he was a native-English speaker, unlike AT&T's phone reps. Did I mention that I absolutely hate AT&T? :mad::mad::mad:
 
I have nothing against legitimate telemarketers just doing their jobs, sure they're annoying but I doubt they're really loving their jobs either and they usually have a sales manager hawking over them making sure they keep selling when the customer makes objections. I just can't stand the scammers that try and prey on the naive and stupid.
 
I have been getting that stupid car scam too. Actually I was woken up this morning by them. My original warranty still has 3 more years and if I wanted to extend it I'd get it through HONDA. Seriously, this has to be illegal.
 
Then there are the companies that you've done business with and they keep calling. Got a call from FedEx yesterday.

Fe: hi, I'm calling about the FedEx for Groo-it
Me: Grok-et
Fe: Sorry. We are offering you an additional discount on your shipping.
Me: (cutting in) Have you even looked at my account?
Fe: What? Of course!
Me: And you didn't notice I make less than one shipment a month?
Fe: Err
Me: So, I might save almost as much as you've wasted of my time with this call??
Fe: Your discount would be
Me: CLICK
 
I'm going to start telling people that I drive the Powell Motors' The Homer
800px-the_homer_by_carlos_bisquertt.jpg
 
The thing about these car warranty scammers is that they are legal because they are actually selling a warranty. Unfortunately for the poor saps that fall for the scam, the warrantys have so many exclusions and exceptions that they are basically worthless. We have gotten several customers with them lately and these people really got hosed. The latest example was an intake gasket leaking coolant. The claim was denied due to the fact that leaks are not covered if they are caused by the failure of a gasket!
 
I got a scam call just the other day.

Her: Do you realise that your electicity bill is over due for payment?
Me: Piss of scammer
Her: No, really, it is. We sent you a final demand already
Me: I bet your other job is doing phone sex, what are you wearing.
Her: You must pay immediately or we will cut your service.
Me: OK, This is Mary isn't it...Yeah, it's either Mary or one of her friends......Hey! it's gone all dark!!!......Mary! how the hell did you do that!!? .......Mary? Are you there?
 
mr_goodwrench said:
The thing about these car warranty scammers is that they are legal because they are actually selling a warranty.
Click to expand...

Not always. I and my coworkers have been getting calls on our cell phones for the past month. It is an automated message saying that my warranty is going to expire. Calling a cell phone with an automated commercial solicitation is illegal. The problem comes intrying to file a FCC complaint. You need the company name and phone numbers. The number in your caller ID is a bogus number and if you ask an scammer operator for the company name they hang up.

As for the person who complained about getting a call fro fed/ex, there are ways to fix that. It's legal for them to call you once you have done business with them, but if you tell them to stop calling you and they can not continue to call you.

https://www.donotcall.gov/faq/faqbusiness.aspx
 
I used to answer phones for a plumbing company with about 30 lines going to one central office. We'd get sales calls all the time, sometimes two or three at once. I started cross connecting the lines so they could talk to each other because I was tired of telling them all "no". You would see the two lines hold on for a few seconds, then they'd hang up.
 
conpewter said:
I sometimes like to screw with the Nigerian email scammers. I have yet to get them to send me money though, I'll keep trying.
Click to expand...

Ever heard of the scam baiters? They convinced a scammer to go to the border of Darfur (very dangerous spot) to get the money from them. This American Life did an episode with them. This American Life about 6 minutes in.
 
this is why i google a number before i answer it..... If i can't do that... I just don't answer. 9 times out of 10 I am not expecting a call from a number not in my phone. I typically screen most of my calls.... even for people I know, mostly work but hey... whatever.
 
Austin_LSU, I agree that the fact that they are calling is putting them in violation of the law. That wasn't really my point. I was just saying that they are techically 'legitimate' companies because if you take their bait, they will actually sell you a real warranty. That warranty just won't actually cover anything that might go wrong with your vehicle. Maybe I just worded it poorly. My point was that while I would expect that anyone on here would be savvy enough not to fall for this scam, there are plenty of people out there who are not. They seem to prey on older people who may be a bit less skeptical and will take them for a ride. I you know someone like that such as a parent or grandparent, please warn them about this scam.
 
working at a car dealer you here about someone had by these guys at least once a month. its a matter of odds you throw the hook enough someone will bite.
 
I've only gotten on of these on my cell. I don't ever pick up numbers that I don't know or aren't in my phone. I figure if its important, they will leave a message or call back. If I don't recognize the area code, i google the number. This came up as a common car scam number. I hope they call back now. I'm in the mood to **** with some scammers!
 
i just got thru cursing some guy out that was tellin me my warranty on my car was up... all my cars have been done been payd for and well out of warranty... but to my surprise... the guy retaliated and cursed ME out and hung up on ME... lol.. i was in shock.
 

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