Nuisance Phone Calls

Spydermann · Senior Member

Nuisance Phone Calls

Bryan · Guru

I had the same problem, very annoying. Now using a VoIP phone in the new house and not received a single sales call since. Keeping my fingers crossed as I don't really understand this new technology.

Long Weekend · Guru

A few months ago I had a caller - again with a strong Indian accent - claiming to be a lawyer and wanted to speak with me about my accident. I informed him that I hadn't had a recent accident and got rid of him.

Then a month later I had another one - that time I simply asked him to send me all the details and I would pass them onto my lawyer. That was the end of that call.

If I ever get another then I will ask "Which accident?" and ask them to confirm. Of course, I will ignore any request to tell them details. That should drive them crazy knowing that I have had accidents but they are unable to get anything out of me.

My sister has had a call from someone purporting to be from the ATO. I am waiting for my call - when I get it I'll ask them to confirm my tax file number. No number means that they are a fake.

Then again, maybe I'll tease them a little and offer to get my number from my records, ask them to hang on then leave the phone for maybe 15-minutes. If they are still there then I'll guote number 61 2 131 444 (which happens to be the international number for the Australian Police!) and see what they say.

Murray

Spydermann · Senior Member

I just love the people who call me and then ask for my details so they can confirm it's me. My reply is generally you called me, now you tell me who you are by giving me your number so I can verify the number call you back --- click -----.

-- Edited by Spydermann on Thursday 10th of December 2015 08:19:11 PM

Baz421 · Guru

We discussed this topic a few months ago.

I can advise that if you piss them off they can just set the computer to call you when they want to and annoy you when they are bored of pissed off in general ,,, been going on for years.

They have many more "weapons/options" and associates than you do.

The more they concentrate on you, the lesser chance they'll annoy me again I guess.

-- Edited by Baz421 on Thursday 10th of December 2015 09:10:14 PM

Twiss · Member

When I'm at home I just give the phone to my 4 year old grandson and tell him it's Santa........

Cruising Cruze · Guru

just tell them we don't sell hot chips that works for me

Cheers John

Sheffield-er · Senior Member

I had same problem and contacted Telstra, who offered to put a block on all overseas calls to my phone. It works! Not much good if you have rellies overseas though - I don't.
... Val

KFT · Guru

benalla-ite wrote:
I had same problem and contacted Telstra, who offered to put a block on all overseas calls to my phone. It works! Not much good if you have rellies overseas though - I don't.
... Val

We did the same as you Val

Telstra Unwelcome calls dept, free service. If you have rels overseas get them to call you on your mobile.

Frank

jimboz · Veteran Member

I usually ask them where they are calling from--- oh you are calling from Sydney---yes sir--- ok what time is it in Sydney right now---click. jim

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

My son used to talk to them.. Say what are you wearing.. Hes lonely .. etc..
We have answering machine now and all our friends know to yell out pick up..
Then we do.. Or they ring on our mobile phones..
It seems our house phone isn't ours any more...
Most the time we don't answer..

Twiss · Member

Give the phone to your four year old grandson after telling him

Santa's on the line............

Grey fox · Veteran Member

they all need money for xmas .. today the email scams started again beware ,, dear Pay Pal user ,, Barcodeonline,, Money for jam. the delete button only way to go if any doubt.

Young Simmo · Guru

I just hope they have ear plugs in their ears, or at least head phones on, and give them the loudest longest blast I can muster with my Hi-Frequency whistle which I bought from a sports shop. I don't know about the other end, but it makes me feel good.

Simmo.

-- Edited by Webmaster on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:05:32 AM

Desert Dweller · Guru

We've been on the ''do not call register'' for years. Apparently you need to re-register every 3 years or so. just lately, even though we've updated our registration we still seem to get a few each day.
I have 2 strategies when they call.
If it's a woman I do some ''heavy breathing & moaning'', she hangs up. If it's a bloke I pretend that I'm gay & do some ''heavy breathing & moaning'', he hangs up.

greyhoundtom · Senior Member

They invariably ask for someone by name, and no mater who is asked for I just tell them I will go and get them and put the phone down.

Supprise supprise they are always gone when I pick up the phone half hour later.

Big Gorilla · Guru

greyhoundtom wrote:
They invariably ask for someone by name, and no mater who is asked for I just tell them I will go and get them and put the phone down.

Supprise supprise they are always gone when I pick up the phone half hour later.

That's my game also, but I usually say someone is at the door, can you hang on for a moment !!! biggrin biggrin

Mezzie · Senior Member

Twiss wrote:
When I'm at home I just give the phone to my 4 year old grandson and tell him it's Santa........

Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I bet they never call back

Explorer · Guru

greyhoundtom wrote:
They invariably ask for someone by name, and no mater who is asked for I just tell them I will go and get them and put the phone down.

Supprise supprise they are always gone when I pick up the phone half hour later.

They ask for me by name! " Mr. P Oh that would be my father" caller " can I speak to him" me " Sorry but He is dead".

Don't know why but the call never seems to progress beyond that point.

kandagal · Guru

I put on my "little girl voice" & say - Mummy said I wasn't to talk to strange men. Are you a strange man?

katenal · Member

Telstra advised us to record times etc of persistent callers, they can then monitor your phone to collect evidence then shut them down. Not a quick process and for some of us the idea of our phone being monitored is a bit "big brother".
I decided to turn the whole thing into entertainment for myself.
When I have the time I try to keep the callers on the phone as long as possible sounding interested trying to change the subject and generally playing with their mind to frustrate them as much as possible and usually find when they find out I am 85 living alone and am poor they try pretty hard to get of the phone. If the same number pops up too often, if you can bring yourself to do it, being very abusive including colorful expletives seems to stop them.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

The "Do Not Call" facility is outdated and needs to be changed (although not sure how the regulators can).

It only applies to calls made within Australia - and most nowdays come out of India, Vietnam and the Phillipines. Most of the large companies have off shore sourced their call centres including the four major banks and even Telstra !!

And for the few (usually small companies) that have call centres generating cold sales phone calls, they can be stopped by the do not call facility, but political parties, registered charities and some others are exempt.

I find they tend to go in cycles - you don't get any for months, then suddenly you get a lot - maybe theyre all coming out of a "super" call centre overseas. I used to use a whistle, but then some would phone you back and abuse you as soon as you picked up the phone.

Now I do what many do in America, talk dirty to them like Desert Dweller does. Some hang up immediately and others will hang on for a few seconds and then - you don't hear from them again. If its a female, I'll ask them about the size of their chest and spell out what I'd like to do to them. If its I guy, I turn gay and tell them what we could do in bed together - just hope I don't strike a promiscuous gay at the other end - then I might gets lots of calls LOL

navynurse · Senior Member

We get calls for my wife and since she passed away 5 years ago I truthfully tell them that she cant be contacted without a medium.
I also suggest they update their call list. Hasn't worked though.

Allan

Spydermann · Senior Member

I'm tempted to answer the phone with "Hello, this is Gupta from Telstra's telephone tracking department. Who am I talking to?"

Bryan · Guru

Spydermann wrote:
I'm tempted to answer the phone with "Hello, this is Gupta from Telstra's telephone tracking department. Who am I talking to?"

biggrin biggrin biggrin

Baz421 · Guru

Spydermann wrote:
I'm tempted to answer the phone with "Hello, this is Gupta from Telstra's telephone tracking department. Who am I talking to?"

That's a good one Spyder,,, I can see them now,,, mass confusion.

Mezzie · Senior Member

I like that one, try it!

Mezzie · Senior Member

Long Weekend wrote:
A few months ago I had a caller - again with a strong Indian accent - claiming to be a lawyer and wanted to speak with me about my accident. I informed him that I hadn't had a recent accident and got rid of him.

Then a month later I had another one - that time I simply asked him to send me all the details and I would pass them onto my lawyer. That was the end of that call.

If I ever get another then I will ask "Which accident?" and ask them to confirm. Of course, I will ignore any request to tell them details. That should drive them crazy knowing that I have had accidents but they are unable to get anything out of me.

My sister has had a call from someone purporting to be from the ATO. I am waiting for my call - when I get it I'll ask them to confirm my tax file number. No number means that they are a fake.

Then again, maybe I'll tease them a little and offer to get my number from my records, ask them to hang on then leave the phone for maybe 15-minutes. If they are still there then I'll guote number 61 2 131 444 (which happens to be the international number for the Australian Police!) and see what they say.

Murray

Who would be silly enough to give a tax file number over the phone anyway? Leaving the phone down for 15 min sounds like a good plan......

Craig1 · Guru

Resurrect this one, there is a company in Melbourne called Apple Marketing, that represent 23 different charities, so exempt from "Do not call." They do however have an opt out internally, one number they use is 0390060156. You can email 'dnc@applemarketing.com.au' and list any numbers that you have and dont need them to be calling.

Valkie · Veteran Member

My best effort was a guy who wanted to send me money.

But he needed my account number and pin number

I gave him an account number that I had cancelled several years before and a random 6 digit pin number.

He actually contacted me 4 more times, each time I gave him a different pin number

He actually got angry with me and said only an idiot couldn't remember his pin number

That's when I said that I was simply playing games with him, and asked if he was as big a wanker as I thought he was.

it were fun, and he was quite angry.