Revenge on the Indian Call Centers

I have had telemarketers tell me they are going to put me on their DNC list without me asked. In those cases, I'm pretty sure I haven't gotten a call back.

Also, for those that out-source telemarketing and are paid by referral/transfer - once you talk to the agent long enough, the telemarketing company still stop calling (at least for that client) since they are only paid once per number. If the client noted that they paid $5/transfer for the same number multiple times, they'd probably lose the client's business - which would hurt them more than the $5.

What I've noticed is nothing really works on them, they just keep calling, so I have fun with them and waste their time.  I act like I believe them and I'm interested, and give them all fake information which is worthless to them.  I've noticed that some of them have become very wary of someone wasting their time and hang up quickly if they smell a fish, so I took some time and wrote down a fake credit card number, fake expiration date, fake 3 digit code on the back of the card, fake address (unless they already have mine), fake social security number, fake date of birth, etc.  And this way I can read it back to them when they try to run it through and it doesn't work for them.  I had one spend 32 minutes on the phone with me trying to use my fake information, and eventually I started laughing at her, and she let loose a stream of English profanity at me and then hung up on me.  I only do it when I have time to waste fooling around with them on the phone, otherwise I just say something like, "yes, please tell me more about your scam" and they usually hang up on me right away.  That way I let them know that more and more of us know they are lying to us.  I would think that anyone not living under a rock by this point in time would realize that if someone calls you, it is almost always a scam.  Almost no legitimate company or government agency is going to call you on the phone, unsolicitedly.  It is safe to assume that almost anyone who calls you unsolicitedly is a scam.

I've done the same thing. I have the name of a fake name generator web site that I can pull up a complete persona quickly when I get some of those credit card scammers. 15 minutes is very easy using this method, and I've hit the 25 minute mark on numerous occasions. When the first fake card I give them doesn't work, it's easy to generate a new one to waste their time, since they always ask if I have another card.

In one case, I told them I already had my statement, and started reading off some of the "info" they wanted (balance, interest rate, credit limit, monthly payment). I was fortunate to make up numbers that were realistic enough that they actually transferred me to some local US company that does debt management. So I've very sure that these 'card services' are being driven by US-based companies, and using the credit card verification as a way to avoid revealing themselves.

You're right, some of them are getting more wary and hanging up even when I'm not sure what I may have said that spooked. However, the side effect of that is that they are very likely to hang up on real people that might otherwise get scammed. So keep up the work - the more paranoid you make them, the worse they will be at their jobs.

Out of 1000 + Rachel and Heather calls, I've been connected to a US entity 5 or 6 times.Old charged off cards are usual for taking up their time.

Now that's interesting. I always assume that these type calls were just scams to get your cc #. If you got the name of their American client company I would report that to the FCC. We all know the FCC wont' do a thing until they get a "certain number" of complaints.  Thanks for the info!

I did, too. But I'm thinking that for many of them, there's more behind it. And the foreign telemarketing centers are working to shield the US companies from liability.

I'm not certain if this is still on the INDIAN Scammers claiming to be the IRS but I just got a call from them yesterday.  I called them back to make it official that yes this number: 805-744-1554 connected to India.  The man identified himself as being from the IRS Delinquent accounts.
And that I owed 5 years back taxes.  I don't him that was absolutely impossible. Then I let him off the hook and told him I know he's a fraud and "Aren't you ashamed from trying to steal money from Americans and people of other countries?" He began to say where I might put my mouth. I told him I would report him to the IRS and he hung up. I called the number over and over again never saying a word. Today when I called I received a recording saying the number was disconnected or no longer in service. One down a million to go.

I don't use native languages, but English swear words will make for a quick disconnect. The ones that make me especially angry are the ones that know my name when I answer. I yell at them "who sold you my information"'? When you actually read those "privacy notices" from credit cards & other business, sharing your contact information with associated companies  (in other words, anyone willing to pay) is a loophole in the do not call law & is something you have to opt out of. I got so tired of my auto insurance calling me with promotionals that I called my agent & demanded that he make it so they will only call me regarding things essential to my policy.