Mystery Calls On Your Cell Phone?
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Mystery Calls On Your Cell Phone?
Admin Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:02 am
Anybody else getting "mystery calls" on your cell phone? These are usually out-of-state numbers that one has no idea who is calling. When you go to the Internet to do a search, you find a bunch of websites that try to niggle a $ or 2 out of you to give you the information that THEY obtain FREE! I don't go for it! I try to find, and stick with, some websites that will tell me something FOR FREE! I don't have extra $$$ to give these jerks. Same with geneology websites! I found a friend who has called some of these "mystery numbers" back, and I'll let him post his reply on here: His name is Stanislaus, and it's real interesting. You'll at least learn what some of these "mystery callers" might want! Of course, it's usually to sell you something, isn't it? Anybody else know anything about this?
Happy Hunting!
Preston
END OF POST.
Happy Hunting!
Preston
END OF POST.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 14
Join date : 2011-12-27 -
MY REPORT ON VARIOUS MYSTERY PHONE NUMBERS THAT APPEARED ON MY CELL PHONE RECENTLY
Admin Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:04 am
MY REPORT ON VARIOUS MYSTERY PHONE NUMBERS THAT APPEARED ON MY CELL PHONE RECENTLY
BY STANISLAUS
Lately, various “out-of-state” and “mystery” phone numbers have been appearing on the Missed Calls section of my cell phone. I’ve gone to the Internet to check them out, finding all kinds of interesting things about them.
For those of you who want to DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, and not just post comments like “stop calling me,” “I’m calling Verizon (or whatever carrier you have) to have them stop (which won’t help, as they will tell you what I’m going to tell you),” “have them stop calling me,” and such, what you need to do is to contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov (they also have an 800 number where IT WON’T COST YOU A PENNY TO PHONE THEM), register your phone number on their DO NOT CALL LIST, then follow up by contacting the Federal Trade Commission EACH DAY THAT YOU RECEIVE A CALL from any of these “mystery” phone numbers, because EACH VIOLATION costs the Company (caller) $10,000 FINE (unless the F.T.C. has changed it, probably increasing it)!! When these Companies get a few FINES, they will quit calling, unless they are calling from outside the United States (like Canada, the Philippines, India, and such)! How do I know this works? Because I used it with a Company that kept calling me recently! It took 3 days-in-a-row of calling the F.T.C. before they finally acted on it (they probably have THOUSANDS of calls like this each day from all over the country), but when they did finally act on it, THE CALLS STOPPED! Is this what you want? If so, then YOU need to act on it, not just whine about it!
If you call them back from the same phone where they called you, and if you sound like a nerd and try to bawl them out, curse them out, and yell at them and TELL THEM to take you off their list, why sure, they’re going to harass you and continue to call you! Wouldn’t you? Why not act civilized, just tell them that someone called you and you didn’t understand the complete message, maybe saying that it was garbled, and ask what their Company name is and what their offer is! If they think they’re going to sell you something, they’ll be a lot more cooperative! Wouldn’t you? Remember, you can always hang up in the middle of a sentence, making them think the equipment malfunctioned! And be sure to call them from an untraceable number, like your computer, using Skype or iCall, or some other Internet Program which you can download FREE, where there is no number showing on their Caller ID, or where it is a number which is “out-of-state” and where it won’t matter if they call it, as it won’t reach you. The main thing is that they don’t know your phone number, so they can’t call you to harass you! If you give it to them, then you’re the dummie! Don’t give them your real name (they’re probably not giving you their real name - and they’re SURE not giving you their cell phone number or their home phone number, even if you ask for it)! Play the game the way they play it, and they’ll understand it! Make some silly remarks or tell some jokes or tell them you’re calling them from an insane asylum or some such! You’ll have more fun and maybe find out something about them. That’s how I’ve worked it and found out the name of their Company, what they are selling, what their latest offer is, and such. Make sure to NOT give out any credit\debit card numbers, Social Security Numbers, addresses, bank account numbers, and such, and you won’t have to worry about them stealing your identity or cleaning out your bank account. You can always say no or just simply hang up in the middle of a sentence! It’s a lot easier, and you’ll sleep better that night! You’ll have fun at their expense, you’ll take up their time that they need to be selling and making some $$$, you’ll harass them like they’ve been harassing you, and you’ll feel much better for it!
One such number was 1-763-237-3134. I called them back and it was a magazine subscription service in Minnesota! I got another call from 1-702-331-8373 which turned out to be Bottom Man Laboratories, when I called them back; they said they sold a “male enhancement product” and wanted to send me a FREE 30-day supply. Before they could quote a price, we got disconnected. Same thing happened with 1-205-376-0190, as it was Vitamin Laboratories, which was also for a “male enhancement product” and wanted to send me a FREE 30-day supply. I asked her if they could send it to a mental institution, and there was a long dead silence on the line! Before they could quote a price, we got disconnected.
On 1-850-298-8511, it turned out to be Freedom Funding Center, which seems to be a government grant program. He wanted to know what kind of business I would need $$$ for, and I told him that I would need $200,000 for my Miniature Dachshund Farm, to buy a nice building with nice kennels, as I am raising Miniature Dachshunds for fun and profit, mostly for fun! He said that sounded good, and he wanted to know if I wanted to take advantage of the first 14 day FREE Trial of their website, where I would find the necessary forms and instructions to apply for my grant. I told him that sounded good, and he said the next 14 days would only be $4.95, and he wanted to know if I could handle that. I told him I thought I could. Then he wanted to know if I wanted to put it on a Visa or a MasterCard, and that was when we got disconnected by iCall (which was just as well, as I was only going to string him along a little more, maybe getting him to set it up in my name, Stanislaus Dreuckebdodevitskovitz, and making sure he spelled it right)! He sounded like he was from some other country, and I’m sure he would have stumbled on this one!
On 1-313-375-5815, it turned out to be Vitamin Laboratories again, which was for a “male enhancement product” and she wanted to send me a FREE 30-day supply. I asked her if they could send it to a mental institution, and there was a long dead silence on the line! Before they could quote a price, we got disconnected.
I got a “mystery call” from another “out-of-state” phone number, 1-952-679-3149, so I called ‘em back. Turned out they were selling magazines! So, I asked if they have any girlie magazines, and the lady named over about a half-dozen different ones. I told her I sure would like to see some of ‘em, especially the swim-suit issues. I asked her how much they would be, and she said $3 a week. I told her I didn’t have $3 this week, but I would next week. She said that would be OK. So I asked her if they could send ‘em to a mental institution! I told her that there is nothing wrong with me, that I’m just a little slow, that’s all! I told her that my wife had me put in a mental institution, and that I was a little slow catching on that she was having her boy-friend over while I was at work. I told her that I would have to ask the nurse if it was OK for me to get some magazines sent, and I asked her if they could send ‘em to a mental institution! She said that she thought they could! Boy, they sure are desperate to sell those magazines, aren’t they? Jeez!
I’ve been having some fun out of these “mystery calls” lately, as one of ‘em turned out to be some guy in Minnesota, and I asked him how the weather was. He said it was cold! I asked him how cold, and he said about 20° F.! I told him I was in Ark. and it was about 60° F., and I asked him why someone would want to stay where it was 20° F. He said he kinda got stuck there when he was a little boy, that his parents lived there, and he didn’t have nowhere else to go! Jeez!
On another of these “mystery calls” that show up on my “missed calls” list on my ElCheapo TracFone, when I called them back, it turned out to be a machine where a lady said that, if I wanted to be taken off their call list, to press 2. I tried pressing some other numbers, but it kept repeating the same message, so I finally pressed 2. Then it said that my number had been taken off their list. I don’t know how they found a number, as I was using iCall, kinda like Skype, and they say they don’t have a number that shows up on the other person’s caller ID! Jeez!
This last number, 1-501-574-3262, that had the message saying to press 2 to be taken off their list, called me back the next day from 1-501-574-3232 - the numbers were so similar, that I figured that it was the same telemarketing outfit that had a whole “bank” of telephone numbers, all in sequence. I haven’t had a chance to call them back yet!
I started out calling some of them back, including 1-515-635-3020, 1-855-215-4765, 1-412-723-5826, and others. On this last one, some websites where I looked up the number, say it is from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. I thought it might belong to Humana, as I often get calls from them about my RXs. I have Humana Medical and Drug Insurance as a Medicare Supplement, but they usually call from an 800 number when I have some RX that need filling, when they have shipped some RX after I ordered from them, and such. They have offices everywhere, it seems, including Pennsylvania (I think), Kentucky, Ohio, Arizona (I think), and Arkansas, so it could be Humana.
Here is a current list of all the numbers that have called in the last week or so, which I’ve been able to find out something about, either through the Internet or through calling them back: 1-763-237-3134 - magazine subscription service in Minnesota, 1-515-635-3020, 1-855-215-4765, 1-412-723-5826, 1-501-574-3262, 1-702-331-8373 - Bottom Man Laboratories, they said they sold a “male enhancement product,” 1-205-376-0190 - Vitamin Laboratories, which was also for a “male enhancement product,” 1-850-298-8511 - Freedom Funding Center - a government grant program, 1-313-375-5815 - Vitamin Laboratories again - a “male enhancement product,” 1-952-679-3149 - selling magazines, 1-626-521-5615, where you can leave your number and they say they will take it off their list, and 1-347-431-0384, which is Life Span Laboratories, also male enhancement products.
I had a little fun with Life Span Laboratories, and told them to go ahead and send their FREE 90 day supply! All the others only offered a FREE 30 day supply! This outfit only wanted $4.99 for shipping and handling charges. I asked if this was a tablet or a pill, and they said it was in capsule form, that you take 1 or 2 capsules a day, as needed, and that after the 90 days, I could call back and re-order, and it would be only $69.95 for another 90 day supply! Then iCall hung up before they could get a credit\debit card, but not before I told them that I was in a mental institution, that the nurse had been helping me with “my problem,” and that I would have to get her permission to have something sent in to me. They said that was OK, that they could send it to a mental institution. Boy, they sure are desperate to sell this stuff, aren’t they? I told them my name was Stanislaus Dreuckebdodevitskovitz, and I made sure he spelled it right, and that the nurse was Dollie Vladimir, and I made sure he spelled it right (I was stalling, because I knew iCall was going to hang up shortly because I was close to my 3 minute limit, and I didn’t want to go through the credit\debit card bit). I told them that she was from Lithuania, and that I was Polish and Russian mixed, that my mother was Polish and my father was in the Russian Army when they occupied Poland after World War II. He really enjoyed this story, and said “wow!” If need be, you can always make up some credit\debit card numbers to go along with them, because iCall is going to hang up after you’ve talked 3 minutes, plus it doesn’t show my phone number! It shows some “out-of-state” phone number, so you don’t want to call your bank or a Credit\Debit Card Company, or your Mortgage Company, because they get all upset when they see this “out-of-state” phone number, and they think you’re trying to pull something on them! They’re a pretty skittish bunch! These foreigners selling the male enhancement products and the magazines, will believe anything you tell them, if they think they’ve got a sale. That’s why I “string them along” and ask about the magazines, and tell them all kinds of stories! They’ll tell you anything about their Company, too!
I started out calling some of them back to try to find out what I could. Some of them sounded like they were having a party in the background, some of them were answered by someone with a heavy “foreign” accent who could barely speak English so that I could understand it, some of them immediately hung up, some of them were answered by a machine, and some of them... well, you get the picture! When someone did come on the line, who seemed like they might want to talk, I would tell them that I received a call from this number, and that I was returning their call. Sometimes they would ask who had called me, and I would tell them that the message was garbled, so that I couldn’t make out a name. They would often tell me the name of their Company, although I had to ask a few. They would also tell me what “the deal” was, often offering me a “FREE sample,” or a “good deal” on whatever it was they were selling. I usually called them from an online service similar to Skype, named iCall, where their caller ID didn’t show any number for me, and I even asked one gal what number her caller ID showed - that’s how I got the number I was calling from! She said she would call me back, but she never did!
Anyway, the online calling program I used, iCall, would automatically hang up after we had talked for 3 minutes, which was fine with me, as it saved me the trouble of hanging up, and it made them think that the call had ended, without any hard feelings toward me. It also saved me having to give out my name and address, so they could send me something! I made a point not to give out this information, also an E-Mail address (unless I used a fake address like mailinator.com - I use dreuckebdodevitskovitz@mailinator.com, just to bumfuzzle them), and any other identifying information, so I didn’t have to worry about Identity Theft. I SURE wouldn’t give out any credit\debit card numbers! I was just having a little fun, and also harassing them, like they have been harassing me! I figure that, if they can call me, then I can call them. Since they ALWAYS want to ask questions of me, I’ve made it a point to ask questions of them! Payback sure is sweet! Jeez!
I signed up for some survey and free stuff sites a few weeks ago, where I have to do some offers and give them some referrals, and I figured I would start getting calls like this, as the Terms said that they have partner companies who will call me, send text and SMS messages, E-Mails, and such, so it looks like it has started! When I went to my E-Mail box, instead of the usual 12-13 spam messages, I had 52 this time! They can really turn on their automatic machines, can’t they? It costs them NOTHING to send E-Mails, so they sure take advantage of it. I’ll probably get more junk mail in the coming weeks, too. They even get a cheaper rate on mail than you and I pay: instead of 44 cents, they pay about HALF that much! If you don’t believe me, go to your local Post Office and ask them how much it costs to send Prepaid Printed Matter Postage (if you send out a few hundred or a few thousand at a time, ALL ZIP SEQUENCED, of course, so the Post Office doesn’t have to do any work)! Where I live, they have one zip code for Post Office Boxes and a different zip code for street addresses, so the Post Office people are really lazy and don’t have to think much, either!
After thinking it over, I began using phony E-Mail websites like mailinator.com, and just giving out my Post Office Box address instead of my street address, unless they specified that they would not take Post Office Boxes. I quit giving out my cell phone number when I register on these survey and free stuff sites, too; I give out the old number, which I had disconnected back in January. If they try to call it, they’ll get a disconnect recording!
I use the web sites that tell folks this phone information without trying to niggle a $1 or $2 out of them like their competitors do! I was told that the Internet was FREE, but it doesn't look like it any more! Everywhere I go, somebody’s got their hand out wanting some $$$ !! Jeez!
Yep, I get other calls from other “odd” numbers, too. I figure they are just checking to find out "active, alive" cell phone numbers, so they can sell them for telemarketing purposes.
Many of these numbers show up on my "Missed calls" on my cell phone. My cell phone never rings, as I have it in my pocket on “vibrate,” and it doesn’t vibrate much, either; but some people tell me they can't leave a message, so I usually check my "Missed calls" every once in a while.
Remember, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. If you want to learn what's going on, check Rip-off Report.com - they've got the latest on all the scams going around, and you don't have to search state by state, county by county, city by city, like you do with the BBB and the Attorney General's Offices. One search takes it nationwide, and often it will show the various other names that companies use, to confuse people!
So, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Especially if it costs $$$ and promises more $$$ and some ROMANCE, too!
Stanislaus
BY STANISLAUS
Lately, various “out-of-state” and “mystery” phone numbers have been appearing on the Missed Calls section of my cell phone. I’ve gone to the Internet to check them out, finding all kinds of interesting things about them.
For those of you who want to DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, and not just post comments like “stop calling me,” “I’m calling Verizon (or whatever carrier you have) to have them stop (which won’t help, as they will tell you what I’m going to tell you),” “have them stop calling me,” and such, what you need to do is to contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov (they also have an 800 number where IT WON’T COST YOU A PENNY TO PHONE THEM), register your phone number on their DO NOT CALL LIST, then follow up by contacting the Federal Trade Commission EACH DAY THAT YOU RECEIVE A CALL from any of these “mystery” phone numbers, because EACH VIOLATION costs the Company (caller) $10,000 FINE (unless the F.T.C. has changed it, probably increasing it)!! When these Companies get a few FINES, they will quit calling, unless they are calling from outside the United States (like Canada, the Philippines, India, and such)! How do I know this works? Because I used it with a Company that kept calling me recently! It took 3 days-in-a-row of calling the F.T.C. before they finally acted on it (they probably have THOUSANDS of calls like this each day from all over the country), but when they did finally act on it, THE CALLS STOPPED! Is this what you want? If so, then YOU need to act on it, not just whine about it!
If you call them back from the same phone where they called you, and if you sound like a nerd and try to bawl them out, curse them out, and yell at them and TELL THEM to take you off their list, why sure, they’re going to harass you and continue to call you! Wouldn’t you? Why not act civilized, just tell them that someone called you and you didn’t understand the complete message, maybe saying that it was garbled, and ask what their Company name is and what their offer is! If they think they’re going to sell you something, they’ll be a lot more cooperative! Wouldn’t you? Remember, you can always hang up in the middle of a sentence, making them think the equipment malfunctioned! And be sure to call them from an untraceable number, like your computer, using Skype or iCall, or some other Internet Program which you can download FREE, where there is no number showing on their Caller ID, or where it is a number which is “out-of-state” and where it won’t matter if they call it, as it won’t reach you. The main thing is that they don’t know your phone number, so they can’t call you to harass you! If you give it to them, then you’re the dummie! Don’t give them your real name (they’re probably not giving you their real name - and they’re SURE not giving you their cell phone number or their home phone number, even if you ask for it)! Play the game the way they play it, and they’ll understand it! Make some silly remarks or tell some jokes or tell them you’re calling them from an insane asylum or some such! You’ll have more fun and maybe find out something about them. That’s how I’ve worked it and found out the name of their Company, what they are selling, what their latest offer is, and such. Make sure to NOT give out any credit\debit card numbers, Social Security Numbers, addresses, bank account numbers, and such, and you won’t have to worry about them stealing your identity or cleaning out your bank account. You can always say no or just simply hang up in the middle of a sentence! It’s a lot easier, and you’ll sleep better that night! You’ll have fun at their expense, you’ll take up their time that they need to be selling and making some $$$, you’ll harass them like they’ve been harassing you, and you’ll feel much better for it!
One such number was 1-763-237-3134. I called them back and it was a magazine subscription service in Minnesota! I got another call from 1-702-331-8373 which turned out to be Bottom Man Laboratories, when I called them back; they said they sold a “male enhancement product” and wanted to send me a FREE 30-day supply. Before they could quote a price, we got disconnected. Same thing happened with 1-205-376-0190, as it was Vitamin Laboratories, which was also for a “male enhancement product” and wanted to send me a FREE 30-day supply. I asked her if they could send it to a mental institution, and there was a long dead silence on the line! Before they could quote a price, we got disconnected.
On 1-850-298-8511, it turned out to be Freedom Funding Center, which seems to be a government grant program. He wanted to know what kind of business I would need $$$ for, and I told him that I would need $200,000 for my Miniature Dachshund Farm, to buy a nice building with nice kennels, as I am raising Miniature Dachshunds for fun and profit, mostly for fun! He said that sounded good, and he wanted to know if I wanted to take advantage of the first 14 day FREE Trial of their website, where I would find the necessary forms and instructions to apply for my grant. I told him that sounded good, and he said the next 14 days would only be $4.95, and he wanted to know if I could handle that. I told him I thought I could. Then he wanted to know if I wanted to put it on a Visa or a MasterCard, and that was when we got disconnected by iCall (which was just as well, as I was only going to string him along a little more, maybe getting him to set it up in my name, Stanislaus Dreuckebdodevitskovitz, and making sure he spelled it right)! He sounded like he was from some other country, and I’m sure he would have stumbled on this one!
On 1-313-375-5815, it turned out to be Vitamin Laboratories again, which was for a “male enhancement product” and she wanted to send me a FREE 30-day supply. I asked her if they could send it to a mental institution, and there was a long dead silence on the line! Before they could quote a price, we got disconnected.
I got a “mystery call” from another “out-of-state” phone number, 1-952-679-3149, so I called ‘em back. Turned out they were selling magazines! So, I asked if they have any girlie magazines, and the lady named over about a half-dozen different ones. I told her I sure would like to see some of ‘em, especially the swim-suit issues. I asked her how much they would be, and she said $3 a week. I told her I didn’t have $3 this week, but I would next week. She said that would be OK. So I asked her if they could send ‘em to a mental institution! I told her that there is nothing wrong with me, that I’m just a little slow, that’s all! I told her that my wife had me put in a mental institution, and that I was a little slow catching on that she was having her boy-friend over while I was at work. I told her that I would have to ask the nurse if it was OK for me to get some magazines sent, and I asked her if they could send ‘em to a mental institution! She said that she thought they could! Boy, they sure are desperate to sell those magazines, aren’t they? Jeez!
I’ve been having some fun out of these “mystery calls” lately, as one of ‘em turned out to be some guy in Minnesota, and I asked him how the weather was. He said it was cold! I asked him how cold, and he said about 20° F.! I told him I was in Ark. and it was about 60° F., and I asked him why someone would want to stay where it was 20° F. He said he kinda got stuck there when he was a little boy, that his parents lived there, and he didn’t have nowhere else to go! Jeez!
On another of these “mystery calls” that show up on my “missed calls” list on my ElCheapo TracFone, when I called them back, it turned out to be a machine where a lady said that, if I wanted to be taken off their call list, to press 2. I tried pressing some other numbers, but it kept repeating the same message, so I finally pressed 2. Then it said that my number had been taken off their list. I don’t know how they found a number, as I was using iCall, kinda like Skype, and they say they don’t have a number that shows up on the other person’s caller ID! Jeez!
This last number, 1-501-574-3262, that had the message saying to press 2 to be taken off their list, called me back the next day from 1-501-574-3232 - the numbers were so similar, that I figured that it was the same telemarketing outfit that had a whole “bank” of telephone numbers, all in sequence. I haven’t had a chance to call them back yet!
I started out calling some of them back, including 1-515-635-3020, 1-855-215-4765, 1-412-723-5826, and others. On this last one, some websites where I looked up the number, say it is from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. I thought it might belong to Humana, as I often get calls from them about my RXs. I have Humana Medical and Drug Insurance as a Medicare Supplement, but they usually call from an 800 number when I have some RX that need filling, when they have shipped some RX after I ordered from them, and such. They have offices everywhere, it seems, including Pennsylvania (I think), Kentucky, Ohio, Arizona (I think), and Arkansas, so it could be Humana.
Here is a current list of all the numbers that have called in the last week or so, which I’ve been able to find out something about, either through the Internet or through calling them back: 1-763-237-3134 - magazine subscription service in Minnesota, 1-515-635-3020, 1-855-215-4765, 1-412-723-5826, 1-501-574-3262, 1-702-331-8373 - Bottom Man Laboratories, they said they sold a “male enhancement product,” 1-205-376-0190 - Vitamin Laboratories, which was also for a “male enhancement product,” 1-850-298-8511 - Freedom Funding Center - a government grant program, 1-313-375-5815 - Vitamin Laboratories again - a “male enhancement product,” 1-952-679-3149 - selling magazines, 1-626-521-5615, where you can leave your number and they say they will take it off their list, and 1-347-431-0384, which is Life Span Laboratories, also male enhancement products.
I had a little fun with Life Span Laboratories, and told them to go ahead and send their FREE 90 day supply! All the others only offered a FREE 30 day supply! This outfit only wanted $4.99 for shipping and handling charges. I asked if this was a tablet or a pill, and they said it was in capsule form, that you take 1 or 2 capsules a day, as needed, and that after the 90 days, I could call back and re-order, and it would be only $69.95 for another 90 day supply! Then iCall hung up before they could get a credit\debit card, but not before I told them that I was in a mental institution, that the nurse had been helping me with “my problem,” and that I would have to get her permission to have something sent in to me. They said that was OK, that they could send it to a mental institution. Boy, they sure are desperate to sell this stuff, aren’t they? I told them my name was Stanislaus Dreuckebdodevitskovitz, and I made sure he spelled it right, and that the nurse was Dollie Vladimir, and I made sure he spelled it right (I was stalling, because I knew iCall was going to hang up shortly because I was close to my 3 minute limit, and I didn’t want to go through the credit\debit card bit). I told them that she was from Lithuania, and that I was Polish and Russian mixed, that my mother was Polish and my father was in the Russian Army when they occupied Poland after World War II. He really enjoyed this story, and said “wow!” If need be, you can always make up some credit\debit card numbers to go along with them, because iCall is going to hang up after you’ve talked 3 minutes, plus it doesn’t show my phone number! It shows some “out-of-state” phone number, so you don’t want to call your bank or a Credit\Debit Card Company, or your Mortgage Company, because they get all upset when they see this “out-of-state” phone number, and they think you’re trying to pull something on them! They’re a pretty skittish bunch! These foreigners selling the male enhancement products and the magazines, will believe anything you tell them, if they think they’ve got a sale. That’s why I “string them along” and ask about the magazines, and tell them all kinds of stories! They’ll tell you anything about their Company, too!
I started out calling some of them back to try to find out what I could. Some of them sounded like they were having a party in the background, some of them were answered by someone with a heavy “foreign” accent who could barely speak English so that I could understand it, some of them immediately hung up, some of them were answered by a machine, and some of them... well, you get the picture! When someone did come on the line, who seemed like they might want to talk, I would tell them that I received a call from this number, and that I was returning their call. Sometimes they would ask who had called me, and I would tell them that the message was garbled, so that I couldn’t make out a name. They would often tell me the name of their Company, although I had to ask a few. They would also tell me what “the deal” was, often offering me a “FREE sample,” or a “good deal” on whatever it was they were selling. I usually called them from an online service similar to Skype, named iCall, where their caller ID didn’t show any number for me, and I even asked one gal what number her caller ID showed - that’s how I got the number I was calling from! She said she would call me back, but she never did!
Anyway, the online calling program I used, iCall, would automatically hang up after we had talked for 3 minutes, which was fine with me, as it saved me the trouble of hanging up, and it made them think that the call had ended, without any hard feelings toward me. It also saved me having to give out my name and address, so they could send me something! I made a point not to give out this information, also an E-Mail address (unless I used a fake address like mailinator.com - I use dreuckebdodevitskovitz@mailinator.com, just to bumfuzzle them), and any other identifying information, so I didn’t have to worry about Identity Theft. I SURE wouldn’t give out any credit\debit card numbers! I was just having a little fun, and also harassing them, like they have been harassing me! I figure that, if they can call me, then I can call them. Since they ALWAYS want to ask questions of me, I’ve made it a point to ask questions of them! Payback sure is sweet! Jeez!
I signed up for some survey and free stuff sites a few weeks ago, where I have to do some offers and give them some referrals, and I figured I would start getting calls like this, as the Terms said that they have partner companies who will call me, send text and SMS messages, E-Mails, and such, so it looks like it has started! When I went to my E-Mail box, instead of the usual 12-13 spam messages, I had 52 this time! They can really turn on their automatic machines, can’t they? It costs them NOTHING to send E-Mails, so they sure take advantage of it. I’ll probably get more junk mail in the coming weeks, too. They even get a cheaper rate on mail than you and I pay: instead of 44 cents, they pay about HALF that much! If you don’t believe me, go to your local Post Office and ask them how much it costs to send Prepaid Printed Matter Postage (if you send out a few hundred or a few thousand at a time, ALL ZIP SEQUENCED, of course, so the Post Office doesn’t have to do any work)! Where I live, they have one zip code for Post Office Boxes and a different zip code for street addresses, so the Post Office people are really lazy and don’t have to think much, either!
After thinking it over, I began using phony E-Mail websites like mailinator.com, and just giving out my Post Office Box address instead of my street address, unless they specified that they would not take Post Office Boxes. I quit giving out my cell phone number when I register on these survey and free stuff sites, too; I give out the old number, which I had disconnected back in January. If they try to call it, they’ll get a disconnect recording!
I use the web sites that tell folks this phone information without trying to niggle a $1 or $2 out of them like their competitors do! I was told that the Internet was FREE, but it doesn't look like it any more! Everywhere I go, somebody’s got their hand out wanting some $$$ !! Jeez!
Yep, I get other calls from other “odd” numbers, too. I figure they are just checking to find out "active, alive" cell phone numbers, so they can sell them for telemarketing purposes.
Many of these numbers show up on my "Missed calls" on my cell phone. My cell phone never rings, as I have it in my pocket on “vibrate,” and it doesn’t vibrate much, either; but some people tell me they can't leave a message, so I usually check my "Missed calls" every once in a while.
Remember, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. If you want to learn what's going on, check Rip-off Report.com - they've got the latest on all the scams going around, and you don't have to search state by state, county by county, city by city, like you do with the BBB and the Attorney General's Offices. One search takes it nationwide, and often it will show the various other names that companies use, to confuse people!
So, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Especially if it costs $$$ and promises more $$$ and some ROMANCE, too!
Stanislaus
Last edited by Admin on Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:11 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : I forgot to change some instructions to disable certain things!)
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