Agora Capital Diamond Scheme - Hard selling cold call

Kendrick_Briscoe

Just a quick warning about a company I received a telephone call from today.

Company is called Agora Capital and the individual was called Lewis Ford, he gave me a phone number which was 020 35534100 - no idea if that was the number he was calling from though.

At first I humoured him for a good 4 minutes while he spewed out the usual sales speak, and while this was going on, I googled 'Agora Capital' to find this 'Scam/mis-selling alert: watch out for a phonecall from Agora Capital Limited Co No 08305470 pressure selling investment in diamonds.' (I would provide the link but I'm not special enough).

Having read that, I just told the bloke I was not interested.

Normally this would end the call but the bloke would not take no for an answer and to cut a long story short I had him on the phone for 20 minutes exactly.

An elderly or more trusting person might have been sucked in by this. The level of 'investment' he mentioned was like £20k, so we are not talking pennies.

I've reported the call to the TPS.

Look out for a call from them, beware beware!

Ark_Welder

Don't report the call to the TPS, report it to the FCA

Current investment fraud concerns for the team include: pension liberation fraud; inheritance fraud; rare earth metals; diamonds; carbon credits and fraud relating to overseas land and property.

http://www.fca.org.uk/news/the-fca-holds-key-conference-on-financial-crime

Vortigern

Kendrick_Briscoe wrote: »

Normally this would end the call but the bloke would not take no for an answer and to cut a long story short I had him on the phone for 20 minutes exactly.

I wouldn't hesitate to hang up in such circumstances - or just put the phone aside gently and leave him talking to himself. I used to think it was good manners to end a call properly with goodbyes etc, but pushy salespeople who won't take no for an answer wouldn't recognise good manners.

imoneyop

Vortigern wrote: »

I wouldn't hesitate to hang up in such circumstances - or just put the phone aside gently and leave him talking to himself. I used to think it was good manners to end a call properly with goodbyes etc, but pushy salespeople who won't take no for an answer wouldn't recognise good manners.

I humour them for a few minutes then I hand the phone to my 4 year old and tell them it is nanna on the phone and to blow her a rasberry:A. They don't seem to stay on the line for some reason.

Ifts

Kendrick_Briscoe wrote: »

I googled 'Agora Capital' to find this 'Scam/mis-selling alert: watch out for a phonecall from Agora Capital Limited Co No 08305470 pressure selling investment in diamonds.' (I would provide the link but I'm not special enough).

Was this it - http://www.rossmartin.co.uk/index.php/sme-tax-news/35-sme-tax-news/1112-agora-capital-diamond-schemers

imoneyop wrote: »

I humour them for a few minutes......

Same here! It can be fun to wind them up if I can spare the time (keep them waiting on hold etc).
I think of it as a public service the longer I keep the !!!!!!s on the phone the less chance they have of duping those who are are more vulnerable to these types of fraud.

Kendrick_Briscoe

Unbelievably they have just called me again!

Thanks for the link to the FCA - I will report them now.

Kendrick_Briscoe

And yes, it is that Ross Martin link...

Has anyone else had a call from these people?

Biggles

Why on earth do people listen to these calls? It only encourages them.

I have stopped giving my name when I answer, and when the caller asks if they are speaking to Mr Biggles, I just say, 'Who's calling?'. They haven't usually finished their answer by the time I put the phone down.

Peace reigns once more and they never ring back.

Kendrick_Briscoe

I honestly think I am too polite, I will just have to treat them with the contempt they deserve.

robatwork

Ask them slowly to spell their name, then their company name and number.

Then ask them if they mind you taping the call.

Then ask them if they mind the tape potentially being used in a court of law.

You won't need to hang up on them

atush

I love it esp when they say their name is Martin Smith when they are obv Raj or Naveen or something.