Thread: Scam calls and how to get rid of them Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Just lately, I seem to have had a lot of calls purporting to be from talktalk.The speaker usually has an Indian accent, and wants me to switch my computer on. That usually hang up when I mention "scam" or "telephone preference scheme" or I ask for their phone number.
We're now getting calls purporting to be from Microsoft -again telling me I need to switch my computer on.
I finally got to do what I've been rehearsing this morning, and spoke to them in Welsh. I answered the phone as usual, but when I realised it was a scam call, asked them politely to speak to me in Welsh as I didn't want to speak English.
Two repeats and they put the phone down.
Has anyone else got a strategy for dealing with this type of call?
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:

Has anyone else got a strategy for dealing with this type of call?
I've more or less given up answering the phone. Given slightly more circular tuits, I'd teach the computer to screen calls for me, and dump unfamiliar numbers to a phone tree that requires the caller to press '2' if they're a real person and actually know me or something.

I have half an idea that one can buy commercial devices that do something like that.
 
Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
If it's from a company I have no dealings with, I try to waste their time and save other people a bit of bother. Don't actually do what they say but tell them that you are. Contradict yourself and if they challenge you, counterclaim that they weren't listening carefully.

If it's from a company I do deal with, I refuse to confirm my identity. Instead, I ask them for a reference number and say I will phone back shortly as I have to be somewhere soon. I then end the call quickly and ring the genuine number the next day, citing the reference number; though usually I don't get that far, as the scammers won't provide any such reference.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I let all calls go to my answering machine unless I'm expecting a call from someone. My phone rings six times before the answering machine cuts in. More than half of all callers hang up before that.

Moo
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Thanks to being on the "do not call" list and having an unlisted number, I receive very few of these. Once I see called i.d., I don't answer the few that I do get -- and then block the number afterwards. If they leave a message, it's usually a robo call, so there would be no way to have fun with them, which I used to enjoy at times.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I simply say "No thank you" and put the phone down. I don't give them a chance to speak.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I simply say "No thank you" and put the phone down.
I skip the 'No thank you'.

Not merely because I can't be bothered, but because, when the display says 'call in progress' I have learnt the caller only speaks if I speak first. So I don't.
 
Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Talk to them for a minute or so, sounding worried about the problem that the caller's employer has found with your Windows computer (or whatever is the reason for the call). Be very grateful to them for the call, and then press a button that gives a sound but keeps the call going. Then say that it's been good of them to talk to you for so long, but that over that period the source of the call has been isolated and that Interpol will be following up quickly as frauds of this kind are too common place.

Being on a do-not-call register does not seem to make any difference.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have had good luck informing them they have reached the number of a US Army officer. (True!) "Please hold for drone targeting.... Thank you. This may take a few moments. You may hear a loud noise. Do not look up. Any pain will be minimal. When you see a long tunnel and a bright light, walk towards the light. St. Peter will be at the end of the tunnel, and will further direct you." I will say that they never hang on for St. Peter, but hang up along about the pain being minimal.
 
Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
I once had one who I managed to string along for as long as possible. Eventually, when he realised what was goi g on, he got annoyed and accused me of wasting his "valuable time" [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have never had a scam call.

Actually for the last 4 weeks I haven't had any calls at all as my phone connection is faulty and none of the technicians have been able to fix it for more than 4 days, although one did manage to cut off the internet [Mad]

Huia
 
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Mostly they seem to ring during the day when I'm at work. If it's a number I don't recognize I always google it. A private number won't usually come up but 99% of the time the unknown call will have a webpage to itself with a string of annoyed comments saying "I was called by this number about ppi/an accident/other scam, don't fall for it".

If they do ever call when I'm in I plan to ask them whether they're a Christian and are they saved.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have a family competition to see who can keep a "Microsoft" caller on line for the longest, before they hang up on us. My son managed 30 mins once. My record is 22 mins.

My favourite was the time I asked for a phone number so that I could call back. The man at the other end asked if I had pen and paper ready, then told me to listen carefully to him, in order to write it down correctly. He then said "Write this: You are a bloody bitch!" and then he hung up.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I have had good luck informing them they have reached the number of a US Army officer. (True!) "Please hold for drone targeting.... Thank you. This may take a few moments. You may hear a loud noise. Do not look up. Any pain will be minimal. When you see a long tunnel and a bright light, walk towards the light. St. Peter will be at the end of the tunnel, and will further direct you." I will say that they never hang on for St. Peter, but hang up along about the pain being minimal.
Love that!

You can usually tell it's a call centre by the background noise and/or the slight delay before they speak - I believe this is due to their method of ringing several numbers at once and then answering the one that gets someone on the end. I aim to put the phone down immediately, before they have a chance to speak. However, some have more sophisticated systems, so if I get as far as conversation I employ the icily toned "Can I help you?" method. "Hello, can I help you?" "Hello, is that Mrs ****?" "Yes, can I help you?" "Oh, hello Mrs ****, how are you today?" "Busy. Can I help you?"

I've never had the presence of mind to say, when asked whether I'm Mrs ****, "I might be. It depends on who you are."

Regarding being on lists to block such calls, I believe the legislation only applies to calls made from UK numbers and, of course, so many of them aren't.
 
Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
I used to get a lot at work about an accident I had been in.

My response would be along the lines of "oh no, have i, was i hurt, it must have been bad as I have memory loss, was anyone else hurt, did anyone die .... "
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Our house phone is faulty so even if we get a call unless we are standing right next to it we don't know it as it doesn't make any noise. My new mobile/cell phone has a little bit of software in it called Truecaller™ which is one of the many apps available that filters calls for the service user [me!] and blocks all these calls. I am also on the Indian Do Not Call Register which, I have to say, is very efficient.
 
Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
I have been getting a lot of nuisance calls from an Indian call centre about funeral insurance lately. I have decided that the next one that asks if I have end-of-life insurance is going to be answered by me saying brightly "Yes, I certainly do. Have you met my friend, Jesus?"
 
Posted by Bibaculus (# 18528) on :
 
I recall reading a few months ago of a man who got a premium rate number (where the person calling pays the person being called) and gave that when asked for his number on online forms and the like. Then when he gets scam calls, or just annoying ones trying to sell him something, he keeps them talking for as long as possible. he has made over £2,000 from this.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Bibaculus:
I recall reading a few months ago of a man who got a premium rate number (where the person calling pays the person being called) and gave that when asked for his number on online forms and the like. Then when he gets scam calls, or just annoying ones trying to sell him something, he keeps them talking for as long as possible. he has made over £2,000 from this.
OOh, I like that, should look into it. I get calls as early as 8 AM and as late as 10 pm, sometimes none for a few days but often 4 or 5 a day, and the same company will call multiple times a week, sometimes twice in one day, in spite of my pointing out I'm on the do not call lists.

One I reported to FCC but the process of reporting takes half an hour and they don't actually do anything. I'm told the phone companies could easily add a "block this number from now on" feature but choose not to.

Once I played with a "microsoft" guy by playing "stupid little old lady" pretending I had to find the switch to turn on my computer to see what he was talking about, giving him regular updates about watching the screen slowly go through all the self checking we used to see Win 98 do, periodically apologetically explaining it's an old computer and very slow (and in between updates taking a nice sip of tea), until I tired of it, laughed, said "you don't even know when you are being played with, I own an Apple."

But usually I don't want to spend the time, I say "how do you sleep at night, scamming people" but they hang up before I get it all out. Tempting to follow the old advice of a really loud high pitched whistle but I read somewhere it can do physical damage to the hearers ears.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
I'm told the phone companies could easily add a "block this number from now on" feature but choose not to.
My phone company does have this feature.
[Smile]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have some sympathy for the poor call staff, it must be a horrible job and they're just trying to feed their families like the rest of us - but I HATE their calls!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Yes - I say "No thank you" before they can get their first sentence out, then I put the phone down.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Our home phone goes direct to voicemail without even ringing. Anyone we actually want to speak to knows to use the mobile numbers!

This also minimises the nuisance from the very elderly folk that Mr. S does computer support for - they have an awful tendency to call at some ungodly hour of a morning with a perfectly trivial complaint. He does call them back - eventually - but TeamViewer is his friend! [Overused]

Mrs. S, secretarial support to the IT support*

*One blissful day I was working in the church office when I got one of these 'computer support' calls. Mr. S was in the church, so I was able to say 'oh good, our IT manager is here to speak to you now...' just before they put the phone down quickly! [Devil]
 
Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Thanks to being on the "do not call" list and having an unlisted number, I receive very few of these. Once I see called i.d., I don't answer the few that I do get -- and then block the number afterwards. If they leave a message, it's usually a robo call, so there would be no way to have fun with them, which I used to enjoy at times.
A friend who was ex directory kept getting unsolicited calls and challenged one of the callers about this. They told her that they add 1 to a listed number to deliberately try and get through to e.d. numbers
 
Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
But usually I don't want to spend the time, I say "how do you sleep at night, scamming people" but they hang up before I get it all out.
The only time I did this (to a Microsoft scammer) he phoned me back over and over again - calling back as soon as I broke the connection, hanging up and calling back immediately when they got through to the answerphone - until Starman answered the phone and told them to knock it off. [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Let me count the ways.

Phone calls that claim to be from my grandson who is in jail and needs money.
Asked , "To verify this call tell me your brothers middle name."
click
Second time it happened
I let them get all the way to where I was talking to the lawyer who was going to tell me where and how to send them money.
Third time it happened
Ask, "Do you mind if I tell you something grandson?"
When young man posing as grandson said "no," I said," you are selling your human spirit and good name for money. Whoever gave you this job is not caring for your soul." You need to hang up and leave these people at once and save your human dignity" He replied, " Thank you so much, I needed to hear that." "I am leaving now." I can only hope he did.

PS I only have granddaughters.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
One of the 'grandchild in trouble' scammers actually did get my parents. They were all set to wire five thousand dollars to Mexico, but my sister intervened. My niece was, all the while, at her school in California. The old people were not comforted until Steffie got on the phone and talked to them.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Thanks to being on the "do not call" list and having an unlisted number, I receive very few of these. Once I see called i.d., I don't answer the few that I do get -- and then block the number afterwards. If they leave a message, it's usually a robo call, so there would be no way to have fun with them, which I used to enjoy at times.
A friend who was ex directory kept getting unsolicited calls and challenged one of the callers about this. They told her that they add 1 to a listed number to deliberately try and get through to e.d. numbers
I used to do phone interviews for market research, and was told that that's how the numbers were generated, for the reasons your friend stated.

One time, an irate respondent manque, after being informed of this, told me that it was illegal. I doubt it was, but really don't know.

And I probably should not admit this outside of Hell, but my co-workers and I used to occassionally entertain ourselves by doing mocking imitations of the people who got mad at us for calling. Like, the guy who lectured me that it was 6 o'clock, "when people normally eat dinner", as if it's illegal to call people during dinner.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
On the other end of the connection, I once had a go at a guy who was selling burial-plots over the phone, by making offensive jokes about death and dying.

The odd thing was, he seemed genuinely offended. Even though his job was calling people up at random to talk about their deaths.
 
Posted by Anselmina (# 3032) on :
 
I recall the story of an acquaintance who got an unsolicited call from a company selling glass-framed conservatory extensions. He had time to spend, felt like having a bit of fun, and spent a happy 20 mins or so discussing possibilities, designs and prices. Call ended abruptly when he confirmed his address with the salesman; 'yeah, we're 55 Castle Street Court*. You'll see us straightaway when you come out to do the measuring up; it's a tower block, and we're on the fourth floor'.

*Name changed to protect the guilty.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I must confess I stop being Nice Polite Piglet and turn into Nasty Sweary Piglet - I tell them to eff off as I'm putting the phone down.

A friend in England had an excellent strategy:

I'm afraid His Lordship is unavailable at present. This is Scrote*, the butler - may I take a ...

**CLICK**

[Killing me]

* Oh all right, I made that bit up
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I live in Newport. This is a great help as there are at least ten Newports in Britain alone, so I tell unwanted callers they have the wrong Newport.
 
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Eons ago, when we communicated by smoke signals, I got a scam call asking for my husband. I said to myself, "Self, let's have some fun".

For the next several minutes, starting with screeching that if they knew where the scoundrel was they'd better tell me. Then I regaled the poor guy with tales of how my husband went for milk for the four young children, and the neighbors saw him hitch a ride in an 18-wheeler, and that he took all the money I had scrimped and saved for a third-hand car and left me and the four little ones!!!!

I think the guy was in tears by the time I finished. No guarantee it wasn't from laughter, though.
 
Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Please remember there is a difference between scam calls, which are criminals trying to rip you off, and soliciting calls, which are just some poor schlub trying to earn a living. While I see nothing wrong in tweaking or worse the scam artists, it seems to me to be wrong to screw over the legitimate callers who are just trying to make a buck, and maybe have families to feed. You may say they should get a different job, but jobs aren't that easy to find, ya' know.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Did you tell him your husband's name was Lucille? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
...A friend in England had an excellent strategy:

I'm afraid His Lordship is unavailable at present. This is Scrote*, the butler - may I take a ...

**CLICK**

[Killing me]

* Oh all right, I made that bit up
In Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, by the inimitable Viv Stanshall, Sir Henry's Gardener/Handyman is referred to as Scrotum, the wrinkled retainer.
 
Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :
 
I can't usually be bothered with them, and just leave the phone on the desk until they go away, but if I am in the workshop will put the phone down near the table saw and cut a few pieces of wood. In the house, I'll sometimes take the cordless phone into the bathroom and hold it over the toilet while flushing. Much credit to the caller who calmly responded to that one by saying, "And it was a pleasure talking to you too", before hanging up.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Thanks to being on the "do not call" list and having an unlisted number, I receive very few of these. Once I see called i.d., I don't answer the few that I do get -- and then block the number afterwards. If they leave a message, it's usually a robo call, so there would be no way to have fun with them, which I used to enjoy at times.
A friend who was ex directory kept getting unsolicited calls and challenged one of the callers about this. They told her that they add 1 to a listed number to deliberately try and get through to e.d. numbers
But how does that work? If you add a digit to an existing phone number it makes it too long to register as a proper number - at least in the UK.
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
A friend who was ex directory kept getting unsolicited calls and challenged one of the callers about this. They told her that they add 1 to a listed number to deliberately try and get through to e.d. numbers
But how does that work? If you add a digit to an existing phone number it makes it too long to register as a proper number - at least in the UK. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Increment the number - not add an extra digit.
 
Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
Increment the number - not add an extra digit.
I once managed to get through to Ryanair's head office by doing exactly this.
 
Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Anselmina:
I recall the story of an acquaintance who got an unsolicited call from a company selling glass-framed conservatory extensions. He had time to spend, felt like having a bit of fun, and spent a happy 20 mins or so discussing possibilities, designs and prices. Call ended abruptly when he confirmed his address with the salesman; 'yeah, we're 55 Castle Street Court*. You'll see us straightaway when you come out to do the measuring up; it's a tower block, and we're on the fourth floor'.

*Name changed to protect the guilty.
I did something like that a while ago when I got a call from someone trying to sell me solar heating panels for the roof. I let him witter on for about five minutes before telling him I live in a ground floor flat.
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
Friends of mine brother did something similar. Only thing was, they had installed windows into his second floor flat just weeks earlier.

Jengie
 
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolemr:
...just some poor schlub trying to earn a living...
My problem was that the caller assumed that I

Lucille! [Killing me]
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolemr:
Please remember there is a difference between scam calls, which are criminals trying to rip you off, and soliciting calls, which are just some poor schlub trying to earn a living. While I see nothing wrong in tweaking or worse the scam artists, it seems to me to be wrong to screw over the legitimate callers who are just trying to make a buck, and maybe have families to feed. You may say they should get a different job, but jobs aren't that easy to find, ya' know.
Yeah, but speaking as someone who has been on both ends of the phone, even legitimate sales people and market researchers expect, or at least SHOULD expect, to get flack from the people they're calling. It's like if you take a job with the Complaints department of a company, you know it's not gonna be all sweetness and light.

The strangest story I ever heard was of a market researcher who filed charges against a researcher(or maybe salesperson, not sure) who used obscene language in refusing the pitch. Just to be clear as to what happened...

A: Hi, I'm calling from Acme Widgets, and we're doing a...

B: Yeah, well go *&%$@!! (click)

And then A called the cops on B. I get that the obscene-call statutes might not distinguish between caller and callee, but I really doubt that salesmen or market researchers were who the framers of the law were intending to protect.

[ 03. April 2016, 17:35: Message edited by: Stetson ]
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
Sorry. My second paragraph above should begin...

quote:
The strangest story I ever heard was of a market researcher(or maybe a salesperson) who filed charges against someone who used obscene language in refusing the pitch.


[ 03. April 2016, 17:39: Message edited by: Stetson ]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I feel that all calls that I have not solicited, from people I do not know, are fair game. I did not intrude into your space. You phoned me. Prepare for pain, if I am in the mood.
 
Posted by leo (# 1458) on :
 
I'm sorely tempted to ask, "what are you wearing?...when did you last have sex?...)
 
Posted by blackbeard (# 10848) on :
 
You have reached the Summer Palace of my master Vlad, Prince of Transylvania. You wish to visit our country, yes? we have special procedures for visitors ...
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Stetson:
Sorry. My second paragraph above should begin...

quote:
The strangest story I ever heard was of a market researcher(or maybe a salesperson) who filed charges against someone who used obscene language in refusing the pitch.
Did the prosecution get to court and if so what was the result?
 
Posted by Palimpsest (# 16772) on :
 
I've gotten a new problem. Lately I am getting a lot of e-mail from random people trying to push a penny stock and telling me I can make $7000 if I buy it now. Obviously this is a classic market bubble technique as old as the stock markets.

I don't know how I got on the list, but does anyone have any ideas on how to retaliate.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Do you have spam filters? If you mark the span as Junk your systems can often filter it out.
 
Posted by Palimpsest (# 16772) on :
 
Unfortunately the account I'm using doesn't have user configurable spam filters.
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
Just lately, I seem to have had a lot of calls purporting to be from talktalk.The speaker usually has an Indian accent, and wants me to switch my computer on. That usually hang up when I mention "scam" or "telephone preference scheme" or I ask for their phone number.
We're now getting calls purporting to be from Microsoft -again telling me I need to switch my computer on.
I finally got to do what I've been rehearsing this morning, and spoke to them in Welsh. I answered the phone as usual, but when I realised it was a scam call, asked them politely to speak to me in Welsh as I didn't want to speak English.
Two repeats and they put the phone down.
Has anyone else got a strategy for dealing with this type of call?
That is what I do.
 
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I used to have an answering machine, but gave up on that after a while as I used to find it full of messages from a cheery robot saying "Hi! You just won a cruise to Florida!" and going on at such length that the tape became filled pretty quickly.

Apart from asking these random phone callers if they're saved, my other approach would be to pretend the line is very faint and get them to speak up. As they sometimes seem to phone from what sounds like a café or street corner with lots of traffic going by, it could be one way of getting them to embarrass themselves in public by shouting increasingly loudly down the phone.
 
Posted by Pine Marten (# 11068) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
J
I finally got to do what I've been rehearsing this morning, and spoke to them in Welsh. I answered the phone as usual, but when I realised it was a scam call, asked them politely to speak to me in Welsh as I didn't want to speak English.
Two repeats and they put the phone down.
Has anyone else got a strategy for dealing with this type of call?
That is what I do.
This makes me wish that I knew Klingon.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
If they're on the phone, fall on them them with glad cries of joy and proceed to order a pizza from them. Whether they like it or not. With lots of questions ("where do you source your pepperoni? Are you sure that it is free range?") and dithering over your choices ("on second thought, I believe I'll have the mango on top.")

See how long it takes for them to decide you're a maniac and hang up.
 
Posted by Pine Marten (# 11068) on :
 
[Overused] [Killing me] [Killing me]
 
Posted by sharkshooter (# 1589) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Bibaculus:
I recall reading a few months ago of a man who got a premium rate number (where the person calling pays the person being called) and gave that when asked for his number on online forms and the like. ...
I generally just inadvertently transpose a couple digits.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
On occasion I have:
Shrieked, "This is a house of mourning!" and slammed the phone down.
Left it on the counter, so the robocall will spin out for as long as possible.
Demanded, in the flattest and most bored possible tone, "Do you want to have sex?"
Exclaimed (when the first question mentioned that the Democrats were shilling a national health system, a Very Real Danger!!!): "My god! That's brilliant. Mildred, did you hear? Obama is sponsoring a national health system! Let's tell everybody! Thank you sir, thank you. I will be sure and vote for Mr. Obama, and I'll get all my circle of acquaintance to do the same." And then I hung up.
Got the Microsoft software patcher from Malaysia to promise me that the program he was going to get me to install would turn the disc holder in my hard drive horizontal, so that I could use it as a cup holder.
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pine Marten:
quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
J
I finally got to do what I've been rehearsing this morning, and spoke to them in Welsh. I answered the phone as usual, but when I realised it was a scam call, asked them politely to speak to me in Welsh as I didn't want to speak English.
Two repeats and they put the phone down.
Has anyone else got a strategy for dealing with this type of call?
That is what I do.
This makes me wish that I knew Klingon.
Mae'r Gymraeg yn hawddach/Welsh is easier.
 
Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Mae'r Gymraeg yn hawddach/Welsh is easier.
Well, it is prettier anyway.
 
Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
quote:
Karl: Liberal Backslider: Mae'r Gymraeg yn hawddach/Welsh is easier.
Hab sosli' Quch!


(Your mother has a smooth forehead.)
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
These phrases could be useful.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
I used to have an answering machine, but gave up on that after a while as I used to find it full of messages from a cheery robot saying "Hi! You just won a cruise to Florida!" and going on at such length that the tape became filled pretty quickly.
It's funny. I can't recall getting commercial messages on my machine. When an election approaches, I get lots of political messages, which I delete immediately. As I said up-thread, my machine doesn't cut in until the phone has rung six times, and many/most callers give up before that.

Moo
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
If I'm near my phone when a junk call (especially political) shows up on caller i.d., I immediately turn off my answering machine before it picks up. If the robot gets a human or a machine, it knows it's an active number and will keep calling back. If no one answers it might assume that it is not a working number. (Just to be safe, I still block the number.)
 
Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
When we moved 6 months ago, the phone number didn't move with us. I don't think we got a call on the new number for 3 months, and then it was someone we know who we prefer not to give our mobile nos to!

Since then, I think there may have been 10-15 spam calls, but most of them are during working hours, so they just hit the voicemail. I'm quite happy to pay for caller id, since that way I can ignore almost everything that comes in.
 
Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I like "my hovercraft is full of eels " but "Dwy'n Rossi soared cymraeg" - I wish to speak Welsh - is easier to remember. Added to which, the Welsh Assembly Government has brought in a law that means you must have someone who speaks Welsh available if you're ringing for a business call. I might try that next time...
 
Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I like "my hovercraft is full of eels " but "Dwy'n eisiau siarad Cymraeg" - I wish to speak Welsh - is easier to remember. Added to which, the Welsh Assembly Government has brought in a law that means you must have someone who speaks Welsh available if you're ringing for a business call. I might try that next time...
 
Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
** damn predictive text**
 
Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
** damn predictive text**
[Two face]
 
Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Inspired by this thread, when I got a call this morning from Bryan, with an Indian accent who wanted to service my computer, I asked him if he was aware of the Church of Scientology? Having some time on my hands I then tried to convert him. He screamed, "NO" loudly before hanging up.
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
I find a cheery 'I'm afraid I don't take commercial telephone calls - goodbye!' leaves me feeling quite good in the circumstances. Having used it for a while it's become automatic to the point I don't really resent my train of thought (yeah, right) being interrupted.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Once I was in Livermore, CA, and a pair of extremely clean-cut young men in white shirts and black pants addressed me, saying "Excuse me, ma'am, but could we talk to you about the Church of Jesus Christ--"
Because I have seen the musical The Book of Mormon I was instantly able to chime in, " -- of Latter-Day Saints!" They gave up on me immediately.
 
Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Oh well, if we're talking about encounters on the street...

At one period in my life I took the train to work, and the station was frequented by Jehovah's Witnesses passing out literature. One day as I was running to make a train, someone shoved, rather rudely, I felt, some paper into my hand. "That's odd" I thought, "The Witnesses are usually politer than that."

Once safely on the train, I looked down at what I was still clutching. Sure enough, it was not from the Witnesses. It was from... REPUBLICANS!
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
I have a resident 3 year old who really likes talking on the phone, so I give the scammers to him.
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
I like "my hovercraft is full of eels " but "Dwy'n eisiau siarad Cymraeg" - I wish to speak Welsh - is easier to remember. Added to which, the Welsh Assembly Government has brought in a law that means you must have someone who speaks Welsh available if you're ringing for a business call. I might try that next time...
Dw i eisiau without the 'n, surely?
[Two face]
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by LeRoc:
quote:
Karl: Liberal Backslider: Mae'r Gymraeg yn hawddach/Welsh is easier.
Hab sosli' Quch!


(Your mother has a smooth forehead.)
For reasons best left unexplored (all right, writing pen and paper RPG settings) I've been looking at reconstructed Proto Indo-European. Now there's a language that was short of a vowel or three. Move over Klingon, meet a language that has three (at least) gutteral consonants that can function in place of vowels (massive oversimplification warning). Would even the Klingons have a love goddess called Prihekh?
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Inspired by this thread, I have tried answering in Gaelic. Everyone so far has simply repeated themselves in English, but more slowly and louder.
 
Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
I like "my hovercraft is full of eels " but "Dwy'n eisiau siarad Cymraeg" - I wish to speak Welsh - is easier to remember. Added to which, the Welsh Assembly Government has brought in a law that means you must have someone who speaks Welsh available if you're ringing for a business call. I might try that next time...
Dw i eisiau without the 'n, surely?
[Two face]
:
I've forgotten much of my Welsh. It still confused them though
 
Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I spent a year in Swansea / Abertawe, and learned a bit of Welsh in that time. Most of that is gone, but I can still pronounce it when I read it (including saying an 'l', a 'g' and breathing out at the same time [Smile] ).
 
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
We seem to have wandered some way from the thread topic. It would be good to wander back. Otherwise, there are foreign-language forums elsewhere for those who want to get into the joys of orthography and pronunciation.

Cheers

Ariel
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I saw a great suggestion today. Answer the phone, "Hello, you're on the air!" and they instantly go away.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Palimpsest:
I've gotten a new problem. Lately I am getting a lot of e-mail from random people trying to push a penny stock and telling me I can make $7000 if I buy it now. Obviously this is a classic market bubble technique as old as the stock markets.

I don't know how I got on the list, but does anyone have any ideas on how to retaliate.
Don't know. I get a lot of unsolicited email, sometimes I hit the "unsubscribe" link and follow the link to remove self, *usually* they don't come back. Occasionally I get an unsolicited from someone with no unsubscribe option, those I report as spam but I don't know how to respond in a way that (politely or not) informs them that behavior is not acceptable.

As to the difference between a commercial seller and a scammer, morally yes a huge difference, but both have forced me to get up and hobble on painful feet to get to the phone within the ridiculously short 4 rings the system allows. Seller or scammer both can cause significant discomfort plus risk of fall, for their benefit not mine, so no they are not innocent.

Many charities that phone, if you look them up, only 10% goes to the charity, 90% to the organization that calls. It's basically a scam. Same with many selling large household improvements - a friend was going to buy an $8000 attic insulation that would cut her heating and cooling bills by 1/3, pay back in 7 years, i quickly found on the web it's a common scam, the yearly savings more little or none, the cost from hire someone local 1/10th the stated price, and the scammers were using insulation for north not for south climate, in the south it would trap moisture and cause mildew; several state governments have web pages warning against this common scam. Yes they come work at your house. No it doesn't do you the promised good, not even close, probably harm instead of good.

Define scammer - whether it's falsely claiming your computer has problems or misleading you into thinking your whole contribution goes to charity instead of just 10% or selling you some ridiculously overpriced "home improvement," if they sell by phone they are most likely scammers. I say "send me info by mail." Not one ever has.

People trying to make a living by scamming are solely focused on what they can get from you for themselves.
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I heard another take on dealing with scam calls last night*. This was in response to "you've been in an accident that was not your fault" calls. Steve Knightley said he channels one of the old West Country† boys and argues that it really was his fault, he'd been drinking, he really hadn't been paying attention ...

*Show of Hands at the Sam Wanamaker Theatre (on a £10 standing ticket);
†Driving in the West Country lanes the insurers very rarely uphold no fault claims, it tends to be 50:50
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer
...both have forced me to get up and hobble on painful feet to get to the phone within the ridiculously short 4 rings the system allows.
I reset my machine to let the phone ring six times before it cuts in. Are you sure yours can't be adjusted?

Moo
 
Posted by Anselmina (# 3032) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by leo:
I'm sorely tempted to ask, "what are you wearing?...when did you last have sex?...)
Come on, leo! These are your chat-up lines at Diocesan Conference, aren't they?! [Biased]
 


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