10pm calls from Indian scammers

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Geek of Coastguard
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#1086360 10-Jul-2014 12:13

DaveDog:
xpd:
DaveDog: I cannot for the life of me understand why phone providers do not offer the ability to Geoblock some regions or countries. For example, I do not know or want to receive calls from anyone in Nigeria, so why can't I block that?

Because a lot of these calls are over VoIP and the host can be anywhere in the world......

Well... That's a stinker...

XPD / Gavin

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PhantomNVD

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#1086381 10-Jul-2014 12:27

xpd: Well... That's a stinker...

Other option is to get yourself taken off the whitepages etc... we havent had a listed number in years, and think only had one scam call who hung up once they realized they were talking to an answering machine. (funny voicemail mesasges rock)

worked for me... never needed to list on whitepages, as i only want people who know me to ring, so never had a spammer/scammer call EVER in the 7 years I've been here... pity about the door to door people, though living rurally I think I've only had JW's twice and a random teleco (pushy ba$tard) once.

GL once they have your number though, so I think +1 for give your mobile number to the health service and disconnect the LL when you don't want calls... best thing ever since AFAtheyK it's just ringing and ringing with no reply :)

frankv

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#1086395 10-Jul-2014 13:02

These are becoming more frequent...

Had one who kept calling back immediately despite me telling him that I didn't have a computer, and then to "Fork off" at least 3 times.

Another one, I had a visitor at the door (a good standard delay tactic) who I shot, got savaged by his accomplice's dogs which I had to stab to death, before bleeding to death myself.... 10 minutes.

Yesterday, I was glad they called because my computer had a BSOD, and could they please diagnose it over the phone, or send someone round to fix it? This was good for over 20 minutes, with 3 different technicians.

I think we need a scoring system...

I suggest

1 point for each minute
1 point for each extra scammer you talk to
1 point for each time you can make them laugh/curse/cry
1 point for each time they call you back (first call doesn't count)
bonus points for foreign accents, disabilities (+5 for total deafness!), sound effects, getting information about them, deaths (+5 for resurrections!), arrests, aliens, mention of Geekzone, ...

So I'm claiming a total of 22 points for yesterday's call... 20 minutes + 2 extra people

NB: Don't ever give them *any* true information.... they buy lists of (e.g.) residential phone numbers and sell (at a higher price) lists of phone numbers with attached information (e.g. name, owns a computer, job, income, ...). If you go onto the second list, you *will* be called again by someone trying to scam you out of something else.

DarthKermit

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#1086517 10-Jul-2014 16:26

I think I'd tell 'em that I'm the prime minister of NZ and I'm gonna send my secret service guys after them.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

wasabi2k

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#1086540 10-Jul-2014 17:42

latest is answer the phone, hear a click and dial to connect you to someone.

from calm and collected to instant rage for me.

PhantomNVD

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#1086555 10-Jul-2014 17:55

frankv: Don't ever give them *any* true information.... they buy lists of (e.g.) residential phone numbers and sell (at a higher price) lists of phone numbers with attached information (e.g. name, owns a computer, job, income, ...). If you go onto the second list, you *will* be called again by someone trying to scam you out of something else.

but... wouldn't that get me the top score in the least time? :)

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pctek

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#1086590 10-Jul-2014 18:48

I have to keep the phone on the hook as I am on the transplant waiting list and a call could come through about a kidney for me at any time of day or night.

Surely there must be some way of filtering out these calls. ..

You have caller ID? It does show weird numbers when they call.....

mattwnz

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#1086593 10-Jul-2014 18:51

I have had two scam calls today. They really only seem to affect landlines, so maybe ditching the landline once and for all is the solution.

Sideface

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#1086681 10-Jul-2014 19:48

luckysurprise: This "Microsoft" scam is nothing new of course, but in the past they haven't bothered me at anti-social times. But just this last week I have received 3 of these calls after 10pm on 3 separate nights....

I have had about 10 cold calls from the "Microsoft Help Centre" in the last 6 months.
The last of these calls was at 1 am, when I was deeply asleep.
In the past I had been polite to the scammers, but this time I really lost it and swore at them.
No calls since ....

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Abo

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#1086720 10-Jul-2014 20:48

We never get those calls since being unlisted.

I really want to get cryptolocker in a VM then trick them into taking it and running it , many laughs would be had

LennonNZ

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#1086838 10-Jul-2014 23:48

I just got one now and 11:40!!! I told them to FO and told them its midnight!!! and then they hung up on me.

They are getting worse..

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tardtasticx

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#1086856 11-Jul-2014 01:38

We've had about 4 of these in the last month, the first time me and mum had a good laugh at their expense, playing really dumb.

Them: "Press the windows key, in the bottom left of your keyboard"
Me: "Uhh, I don't see it?"
Them: "Press the windows key"
Me: "What's that? Is it the Microsoft logo?"
Them: "No the windows key."
Me: "Don't see it"
Them: "Put your glasses on, then look again"

Every time since, they seem to hang up before I can get to our old windows ME machine in the garage. I'd be happy to let them mess around with it, after I unplug the router of course :)

But one suggestion, maybe give the hospital your mobile number as preferred contact? But I can see why you would need a landline though. Mobiles get lost, lose coverage, battery dies etc. Landlines are still useful for some things it seems. Guess you might have to either remove your listing from white pages or get a new number and hope it isn't on their list?

Best of luck re: kidney btw.

Sidestep

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#1086860 11-Jul-2014 04:08

In the US and Canada you pay for incoming calls.
There's also no separate number range for cellphones.

I ported my landline number to my cell a couple years ago, and started getting those calls in spite of being on the Canadian "do not call" list. Lots of them.

Now whenever call ID shows a weird number and i hear that buzz, I answer "Wheatland County Police Service, please state your emergency" Usually results in a hangup. Couple of times an accented voice has asked 'who is this please?'

I've discovered some calls from NZ show on call display as Turks & Caicos, not sure if this is because T&C is area code +1-649***
and the NZ numbers calling me were +64-9***? I answer those ones normally now..

My friends (& Mum) were surprised to find they'd called a local emergency number...

dcole13

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#1087579 12-Jul-2014 00:20

bfginger: Whatever you do, don't "mock their accent" or offend them in any way. They may be in possession of your personal information, they already hate you and many have shown themselves to be vindictive and extremely racist. It's best to reduce their strike rate by appearing naive and wasting their time then ending the call at random so they think their connection has cut out.

oops, i do all of the above then just take the piss and troll them.

Home ADSL: School:

jarledb

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#1087595 12-Jul-2014 01:38

Had a call from an english number to my norwegian IP-phone today and it was an indian operator, answered and continued to speak in norwegian. Took about 2 minutes to convince the operator I didn't know a word of english :D

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