Scam Phone Call

aardvaak

I just had what I think was a Scam Phone Call on my landline - it said International - I answered it but no one spoke and just hung up - why do these plo**ers do this it seems a waste their time and money?

TELLIT01

They do it because it is profitable.  My standard action if the caller display shows 'Unknown' or a number I don't recognise is to pick up the phone but not say anything.  Most scammer calls will terminate after a few seconds if nothing is said.  If it's a genuine call they are more likely to say something.

aardvaak

TELLIT01 said:

They do it because it is profitable.  My standard action if the caller display shows 'Unknown' or a number I don't recognise is to pick up the phone but not say anything.  Most scammer calls will terminate after a few seconds if nothing is said.  If it's a genuine call they are more likely to say something.

How can it be profitable if they didn't say anything?

Yes I agree when "caller display shows 'Unknown' or a number I don't recognise" I normally don't say anything either, but today I wasn't thinking quickly enough.

FreeBear

99% of the calls I get are from an Indian call centre. When it connects to a real person, I'll often string them along to the point where they hurl abuse at me and hang up. Usually takes them 30 minutes or so. Time they could have spent trying to scam a profitable mark. So I have wasted their time and saved someone else from these lowlifes.

Another tactic I've started throwing their way.... "Hello little <boy/girl>. Do you know what I have in my hand... It is long, black and very hard... Would you like to know where I'm going to shove it ?"

Correct answer is "telephone handset" and it is going to be put back in the cradle. But they have usually hung up before I get that far.

Doozergirl

aardvaak said:

TELLIT01 said:

They do it because it is profitable.  My standard action if the caller display shows 'Unknown' or a number I don't recognise is to pick up the phone but not say anything.  Most scammer calls will terminate after a few seconds if nothing is said.  If it's a genuine call they are more likely to say something.

How can it be profitable if they didn't say anything?

Yes I agree when "caller display shows 'Unknown' or a number I don't recognise" I normally don't say anything either, but today I wasn't thinking quickly enough.

They're not there.  There will be an automatic calling facility that dials more than one number.  If someone picks up before you, it will divert them to that person.   Just so happens that there's no one available to take your call.  

It's why sometimes you can it's waiting for a hello, then you get another unnatural break before someone (or a recorded message) replies.  

These are organised organisations, not just some random person sat in a bedroom.