SCAM CALL CENTER SCRIPTS

Here are some reasons why I answer the phone:

• It's my phone(s). Besides telemarketers, there are many others that I get personal and business calls from that I may not immediately recognize and I'd rather not subject myself to play phone tag with them.
• If it's a telemarketer, I want to find out who they are so I can better provide actionable information to the FTC. Illegal telemarketers don't like that.
• As per the 'Our strength is in our numbers' charter of this site, I can post that information here so others can take better action against the caller (FTC complaints, lawsuits).

So, just to demonstrate that I'm "walking the walk", here's over a dozen instances in the last 3 months where I did exactly this:

https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-516-492-3380/2#p1101641763001179364
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-972-705-8111#p1100807270083417499
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-312-967-7919#p1100459876299100767
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-631-417-4818#p1098637307093851514
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-323-593-7774#p1096015853518768718
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-233-0000#p1087942204092241774
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-682-499-9185#p1085945588364898188
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-727-395-4000/4#p1083561794071850271
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-309-0524/7#p1083560910650756043
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-754-333-5154#p1080029792353497893
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-631-318-7103#p1077394204347206191
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-676-6687#p1074276886664423203
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-218-7764#p1072508508140158191
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-514-313-1190/2#p1070232283594454028
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-719-280-0195/3#p1069481859409565187
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-516-321-4073#p1067631407743185724
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-704-527-4158/3#p1064527116204165553

An Indian guy did call me about an IRS thing. I couldn't under stand what he was saying. It sounded like he was eating at the same time :)

There's been yet another spate of these recently--all from *several* different numbers, often a few times a day this past week, with only a city & state under the (most certainly) spoofed number on the CID. Surely these have increased in part because tax time has just been upon us. We've also been getting ones from numbers that have been associated with the grant scam, one I'm sure comes from the same bunch of phone scammers that bring us the IRS calls in India.
Best advice is to look up numbers on here whenever you can before answering. If you can't do that, just be skeptical with any number you don't know and don't give any information unless *you* initiate the call to a number you *know* to be valid and verifiable.

Oh, know !
But once a number has been reliably reported to be a scam number, the shills will always arrive to validate the number as trustworthy !

Of course--it happens all too often, here and otherwise on the interwebs, as regulars like us know :)
I should have been more clear in my wording--*only* telephone a number to give information to reputable companies you currently conduct business with and *only* return calls to numbers that are found in and on your official paperwork, *not* any that are on caller ID or are only "verified" from possible shills on a website--especially when those people attempting to make said numbers sound legit dispute the regulars and the reports of more than a few savvy call reporters on here.

Well your post is off topic for this thread to begin with, plus you have posted in the wrong place.  You clearly know the number that called you so that is where your post belongs.  If you want to post it there, we can help, if not, well it has been reported as an off topic post for this thread.

https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-695-0570

My concern is that to speak with these scammers - you confirm your phone number and that the number is either sold or provided to other scammers.  I tried using VERIZON's call block but that has been extremely ineffective as I still get half a ring when blocked.  Is it true that when you pick up and don't speak - the computer system terminates the call and (sometimes) removes that number?  Any feedback would be appreciated by all and those who rely on 800notes........  Personally, thank you for trying to place a flood light on these people.....

"you confirm your phone number and that the number is either sold or provided to other scammers"  You are drinking the Kool Aide again.  There is no reason for anyone to purchase lists of phone numbers for two very good reasons.  First, a computer can simply dial numbers and it costs them nothing at all.  Second, that list could very well be useless in a very short time since people will change their phone numbers, so it would be a waste of money.  Second, I don't believe that trick actually works.  It might have worked for someone in the past or they might still be calling only using a different spoofed phone number.

Even in 2018 you would be quite surprised at the number of people who fall for it, day after day.