Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

[fightbackninja]

It's time we fought back against these dreadful criminals
We can report them.
We can waste their time.
We can protect ourselves against such scammers.
We can warn others of what happens.
Let's do everything we can to prevent them from scamming more people.

Do post your story of dealing with scammers, especially any way of fighting back.
The Fightback Ninja will post ideas and stories to help you.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

Annoy Cold Callers By Wasting Their Time
There’s lots of ways you can waste their time
· Pretend you can’t hear very well and make them repeat each statement several times
· Pretend to be stupid and misunderstand everything they say
· Repeat back to them each thing they say
· Ask their opinion on any soap opera or reality TV series that you watch then regale them with how wonderful the programme is
· Pretend to cry – tell them you’ve broken up with your true love and are heart broken (good for any budding actors) and pour out any anger you’re feeling.
· Pretend you know the caller and invent a whole back story for last time you saw them and refuse to accept that they don’t know you

Any of these tricks are likely to have the caller put down the phone but it depends how well you play your part. So enjoy yourself, be creative and waste their time.

- - - Updated - - -

Stop Cold Callers by Threatening Legal Action
Remember, they called you uninvited – there is no need to be polite. These people can be the bane of your life with repeated calls.
Refer them to non-existent legislation that they may be breaking. Anything that doesn’t follow their script is disconcerting to a cold caller and an authoritative voice warning them of law breaking should stop them immediately.
For example,
My number is registered with the telephone preference service. By calling me you are breaking section 117 of the Telecommunications Act 2012. You are personally liable to a fine of up to £5,000 for a first offence or imprisonment for further offences.
I suggest you get your bags packed.
Goodbye.
This is not true of course – it is just intended to stop the cold caller from pestering you.

[leclerc]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

You missed one on cold callers. The old trick of saying that you have someone at the door and putting the phone down and waiting about 20 minutes then see if they are still on the phone and apologise for it and then before they get to the end repeat

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

That's a great way to waste their time and hopefully put them off calling again.

[Kati]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

You missed one on cold callers. The old trick of saying that you have someone at the door and putting the phone down and waiting about 20 minutes then see if they are still on the phone and apologise for it and then before they get to the end repeat

I find that giving my 4yr old the phone and telling her "it's Santa" works wonders too :P

[Joanna C]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

My late mother used to use a whistle if they were persistent... Didn't seem to receive a repeat call

[PAWS]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

I find that giving my 4yr old the phone and telling her "it's Santa" works wonders too :P

Oh that is pure class!

I don’t get any cold calls as we have a privacy package that bars all callers who withhold their number which includes any switchboards but when I did get pestered I often asked them what they were wearing……Usually got them worried.
As many of their dialling systems are automatic they have no idea where they are calling so a couple of times I asked if they realised where they had called. When they said no, I implied they had gotten through to some sort of secret place like GCHQ and I had to take all their details as a matter of national security. Felt bad when I made one girl cry.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

That is so wicked - I LOVE it.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

Annoy the Cold Callers by Asking Personal Questions
These callers have a script to follow – it tells them the questions to ask and how to respond to your answers.
But they don’t have a script for when you ask other questions – personal questions.

So, you could for example, tell them you are busy at the moment but will call them back at home that evening and ask for their home phone number. You won’t get it – unless they fancy you of course.
If they say they can’t give out a home number then that leads in to the comment “I presume you don't want anyone bothering you at home, right? Now you know how I feel!"

Or how about this example:-
“while I've got you on the line, I’ll just ask you a couple of very brief questions?
Where are you based?
Who do you work for?
What computer systems do you use?
What is your name?
What is the name of your manager?
etc.

It’s amazing how people who want to know so much about you are so unwilling to give you information about themselves.
So, annoy the cold callers by asking them personal questions they don’t want to answer.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

Telling your little girl it's Santa is brilliant.

Leaving the phone off the hook till they get bored is interesting - don't know if they stop calling or just try another time.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

Confuse the Cold Caller
Cold callers have a script to follow – a set of questions and expected answers.
If you behave unexpectedly – they don’t know what to do and will often give up i.e. put the phone down.
There are endless things you can do to confuse them, such as
1. Keep a take-away menu by the phone and start reading it out – place an order and ignore anything they say – just keep reading it out. E.g. I’d like to order 3 spring rolls followed by the Peking Duck with egg fried rice and 2 portions of crispy noodles and some of that seaweed stuff . Plus … and so on.
2. Say ‘I don’t speak English’ to whatever they ask until they put the phone down.
3. Invent your own religion and try hard to convert them. I’m glad you called today as I have the good news of the 3^rd coming of Quixacoatl to tell you about. Now, Quixacoatl created the earth in 5 minutes and he’s due back tomorrow to collect all of the believers. And so on.
4. Say Thank you for calling the PPI hotline – we can get your thousands of pounds back. I just need you name, address and bank details first. You’ll hear the phone slam down
Any unexpected behaviour will do the trick – so confuse them.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

Doreen Has Strong Views on Cold Callers
Doreen says:-
I tend to regard these people as invading my space and I think that more should be done to stamp out cold calling.
We are registered with the Telephone Preference Service., I get fewer calls than I used to but there are still some cold callers. I like to tell them THIS IS A BARRED LINE GET OFF IT!
I do say it quite curtly! If they don’t put the phone down straightaway then my follow-up is I will get your company fined. That stops them.
Before we registered on the Telephone Preference Service, I used to have several strategies for dealing with cold callers. One of my favourites was telling them they had rung a crime scene and I needed their number for further action! That stopped that call dead.

These people called you, uninvited, so you're free to say anything you want to confuse then, annoy them or just get rid of them.
I know they're just trying to make a living - but that living should not include phoning people who don't want their calls and certainly not calling people registered on the Telephone Preference Service.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

Cheeky Replies to the Scammers
Have you ever been tempted to send a cheeky reply to the absurd scam emails we all receive?
Most of us just delete them but author James Veitch, , was inspired to play the scammers at their own game. He spent two years emailing back, stringing the scammers along in lengthy conversations while having fun at their expense. These exchanges form the basis of his new book Dot Con. Here’s a good example
A STRANGER OFFERING 50 KILOS OF GOLD

From: Solomon Oddonkoh
Hello Mr Veitch, How are you doing? Hope all is well with you. I have an interesting business proposal I want to share with you

[Some more emails then]
You can be able to work with us in London as receiving agent? We shall be shipping Gold and Rough Diamonds to you to distribute to buyers on our behalf, and you will earn10% in cash worth of any goods you distribute. We can start with 50kgs as trial shipment. The worth should be about $5 million. I await your reply as soon as possible. Regards, Solomon

From: James Veitch
50kg? You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no point doing this at all unless we’re shipping at least a metric tonne. I’m a hedge fund executive bank manager so I know about these things. This isn’t the first time I’ve shipped bullion my friend, no no. Now. Where are you based? I don’t know about you but I think, if we’re going Royal Mail, it ought to be signed for?

From: James Veitch
Solomon, Re. security: I think when we email each other, we should use some sort of code. Would that be alright? I spent all night coming up with one; can we use it in all further communications please.
Bank: Creme Egg Lawyer: Gummy Bear Legal: Fizzy Cola Bottle
Claim: Peanut M&Ms Documents: Jelly Beans Western Union: A Giant Gummy Lizard. Please call me KitKat in all further correspondence.
Looking forward to doing business with you! KitKat

From: Solomon Oddonkoh
The business is on. I am trying to raise the balance for the Gummy Bear so he can submit all the needed Fizzy Cola Bottle Jelly Beans to the Creme Egg for the Peanut M&Ms process to start. Can you assist with the funds? Send £1,500.00 via A Giant Gummy Lizard. Solomon

From: James Veitch Solomon realises he’s been had.
It can be fun baiting these stupid people if you have the time, but never give out any personal information.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

Winifred’s Approach
Winifred says When I get a cold call, I say 'I am not buying anything'.
They usually say 'I am not selling anything'
So I say, 'then why are you calling invading my private time. Take me off your list'

One caller was very determined.
I’d told him that I wasn’t buying anything but he persisted and in the end I just put the phone down.
Then he had the cheek to ring back and complain that I was rude to him.
So I said 'I did not give you my telephone number. I told you I was not interested in anything you had to sell, My home time is very valuable to me. But you would not listen so I put the phone down in hopes that you would finally get the message'

I hope he has got the message.

I might try my cousin’s approach instead. When he gets a cold call, he says 'just a minute', puts the phone down and walks away.
This wastes their phone bill and annoys them.
Good.

[fightbackninja]

Re: Let's Fight Back Against Scammers and Spammers

There are several big double glazing companies well known for sending people around to knock on everyone’s door. Usually with special offers and a hard sell.
I had yet another visit from such a salesman and complained to him that two of his colleagues had knocked within the last few months. Don’t they talk to each other? He had no explanation and clearly didn’t care – just went into his sales patter.
As long as you are still on the doorstep they believe you can be sold to and hence carry on with the pitch. Pathetic.
I complained to their head office that it was ridiculous to have such frequent visits and couldn’t they organise themselves better. I was surprised to get a message back apologising and saying that my address was now on their ‘do not knock’ list so I should never be bothered by them again.
I find it hard to believe that but maybe it’s true.
Anyway, if you have problems with these type of companies knocking at the door – make sure to complain to their head office and demand they stop knocking at your door.