Answering unknown number calls on my cell phone like a receptionist really confuses scammers.
"Good afternoon, thanks for calling!"
"Hello."
"Hi, who's calling please?"
"This is Experian Security Services calling to discuss an urgent issue with your account."
"Who are you trying to reach?"
"I am looking to talk to the owner of this phone number."
"I'm sorry, I'll need a name to help you."
30 seconds of silence.
Call hangs up.
@vfrmedia @acm_redfox @vees
I don't see where this fact is preventing the approach from working?
Do you think the scanner will complain "this is a mobile number, you can't be a receptionist"?
The scammers work with a script (and on a tight schedule) on the first level any significant deviation from the script will lead to them hanging up.
It's important to remember that it's quite likely that the people who call you are victims themself in some way. They might be tricked into believing they are doing a valid job, the job might be their only income, or they are even forced to do the job
@realn2s @acm_redfox @vees it may be different across countries, but from monitoring multiple such calls at work, its appears that the scammers who target UK know the difference between fixed and mobile numbers, also business and residential landlines, and target their pitches accordingly. In many cases the ones specifically targeting businesses have at least some basic info about the nature of the business.
That said, there are way fewer such calls than a few years ago, maybe the authorities are getting quicker at disconnecting the phone circuits they misuse..
Rob Carlson
acm
Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK
Claudius Link