Swearing at a Phone Solicitor

[aprilgail]

I just hang up on solicitors. But when the extended warranty, irs, microsoft or any of those scammed people call i do tell them what they should go do to themselves.

 

[ford91exploder]

I have a finite amount of room in brain to worry about things. This doesn't even come close to making the cut.

And I believe *I* don't have to prove ANYTHING. THEY would have to prove it WAS from my child's phone. "But it's from his number!" "It's common knowledge phone numbers can be spoofed. Do you have any records from HIS PHONE showing he made the call?"

Due to the wonders of something called SS7 or 'Signalling System 7' it's not only possible to spoof the CSID (Calling Station ID or phone #) but also where the call originated from and which CO's it was routed through.

SS7 is the system which ties the phone system together it was created in the early 70's by Bell Labs and it HAS NO SECURITY because it was assumed at the time only 'Bell System' equipment would use it and at the time computers were either minicomputers or mainframes the idea that anyone would have a 'personal' computer was the stuff of science fiction.

Bringing it round to Telemarketing abuse of the SS7 system is what makes the entire industry possible.

 

[kymom99]

You are aware of the latest telemarketing trick are you not, They spoof numbers of real people so that they will pick up calls from the telemarketer, I'm sorry the people who do this are criminals and need to be treated as such.

https://medium.com/safeguarde/someone-is-using-my-phone-number-how-can-i-stop-this-28ca64a28a7f
How would YOU feel if someone was using your son's number for this?.

Not sure I know what you mean? He called from his work number. He worked for a legitimate company. And since he wasn’t selling anything, the do not call thing doesn’t apply. People seem to think phone calls to someone you don’t know are illegal these days.

 

[AuntieMe3]

No...I just say not interested and hang out. Don't understand why you would need to be rude.

 

[sam_gordon]

Due to the wonders of something called SS7 or 'Signalling System 7' it's not only possible to spoof the CSID (Calling Station ID or phone #) but also where the call originated from and which CO's it was routed through.

SS7 is the system which ties the phone system together it was created in the early 70's by Bell Labs and it HAS NO SECURITY because it was assumed at the time only 'Bell System' equipment would use it and at the time computers were either minicomputers or mainframes the idea that anyone would have a 'personal' computer was the stuff of science fiction.

Bringing it round to Telemarketing abuse of the SS7 system is what makes the entire industry possible.

And if they're going through that much trouble, there's going to be extremely little I can do to prevent it. Sorry, you still haven't ticked my "worry meter", even slightly.

 

[AurumPunzel]

And if they're going through that much trouble, there's going to be extremely little I can do to prevent it. Sorry, you still haven't ticked my "worry meter", even slightly.

In the UK, it's far easier to tell a spoofed caller ID as they usually use numbering ranges that are invalid (landlines can only begin with numbers 2-98 unless forced 11-digit local dialling is implemented in a given area), but in recent years, some have begun to use valid numbers, though spoofs are still easy to tell in cities with shorter area codes as they often use new numbering ranges rather than an established one, for example, 020 4xxx xxxx is a new range in London, while 7xxx xxxx or 8xxx xxxx are legacy ranges that were inherited from the old split area codes that were formerly used for inner and outer areas of London in the 90s.

 

[TippyThomas]

If you're not in my contacts list I won't be answering. Makes it pretty easy to avoid.

 

[Donald13]

I think there are much bigger issues in life then swearing at a telemarketer. I just ignore the calls but I know how they do. Not give up and can make you angry even if you are polite. However telling anyone to “get cancer and die” deserves all the awful karma they have coming to them.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I get kicks out of them.

Best one:

"Hi there! I'm from the internet! I can see from your screen that you have the Malariaware virus! Just send us your credit card details and I'll fix it right up for you now!"

Yeah, right.

 

[StageTek]

To there is a difference between a sales call and a scammer. Swearing at or cursing someone just trying to make a living at a low paying, thankless job is not right. It's not funny. I'm so happy to see that so many people responding here find abuse of someone else distasteful.

I will admit I have tried to waste the time of scammers. Like most here I just don't answer - but in this past year I've been out of work so have more time on my hands so every once in a while I'll pick up. If it's someone selling something I say, no thank you and hang up before they can get to their harder sell. If it's a scam trying to get me to give up info, or claiming they are from a company I have kept them on the line with either misleading info or by playing really stupid.

I always stay calm and friendly and let them get angry. I know wasting their time is what they hate the most. It's kind of fun to make them hang up first.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

If I pick up and hear nothing, I hang up. If I pick up and hear call centre noise, I just hold down any button on my phone until the call centre hangs up.

The less people who refuse to exploit themselves by working at call centres, the sooner this predatory industry can die out already.

 

[StageTek]

Surprisingly, I haven't gotten a final notice for my car's extended warranty in months.

I get these all the time. Every once in a while I answer and ask questions which I know wastes their time. Like which of my car's warranty is expiring; I'd love to extend it.

BTW: my car is a 1965 Rambler so its warranty expired a few years ago...

 

[Dan Murphy]

DH's bro gets a fiendish delight in telling them to "get cancer and die" or other cheerful(?) comebacks. He brags when he makes a telemarketer cry. DH just swears at them and hangs up. I check Caller I.D. and if it's a name/number I don't recognize, I don't bother to answer.

Really? Really??

 

[sam_gordon]

I get these all the time. Every once in a while I answer and ask questions which I know wastes their time. Like which of my car's warranty is expiring; I'd love to extend it.

BTW: my car is a 1965 Rambler so its warranty expired a few years ago...

I had the car warranty one a month ago or so. The message said "Your car's warranty is expiring soon, press 1 to extend it." So I did. I got a human. The first question she asked was "what kind of car do you have?" I told her she must know already, otherwise they wouldn't know the warranty was expiring. She didn't like that and hung up.

 

[KayMichigan]

DH's bro gets a fiendish delight in telling them to "get cancer and die". He brags when he makes a telemarketer cry.

What a HORRIBLE thing to say to somebody, especially a stranger who for all he knows has cancer and is dying from it. He sounds like a real psychopath with a very sick mind. Seriously.

 

[kerry1379]

Me personally, I just hang up if I make the mistake of answering. I used to say "no thank you" but after being talked over so many times with that-I gave up on being polite.

That said-and I am not the type of person to be intentionally rude so I couldn't do that-I do wonder. Is there any nice way to help companies get the hint that they need to stop doing this? They may only stop if enough people stop tolerating them.

 

[StageTek]

I had the car warranty one a month ago or so. The message said "Your car's warranty is expiring soon, press 1 to extend it." So I did. I got a human. The first question she asked was "what kind of car do you have?" I told her she must know already, otherwise they wouldn't know the warranty was expiring. She didn't like that and hung up.

When I say Rambler American they spend several minutes looking it up.

 

[JenBush]

I usually don’t answer unknown numbers, but I’m all for people cussing out scam callers. My friend(full grown adult) likes to answer unknown numbers and when they’re telemarketers on a recorded line he likes to say “sir, I’m only twelve I can’t send you pics” usually they panic and hang up it’s pretty funny. This usually prevents call from that company for a while.

 

[sam_gordon]

They may only stop if enough people stop tolerating them.

They will stop when they don't get enough sales from them. It has nothing to do with being nice or rude, it's all about the Benjamins.

 

[ford91exploder]

They will stop when they don't get enough sales from them. It has nothing to do with being nice or rude, it's all about the Benjamins.

Or when enough of them are sporting orange jumpsuits that say D.O.C on the back and wearing them for 10-20 years. Another favored trick of these criminals is to hack corporate PBX'es and use their outgoing lines to hawk their wares.