Mean Copier Scam People

[sheilaincali]

They call all the time and we usually tell them something like "I'm not allowed to disclose that information" or "sorry not falling for that trick today" or some other generic thing. 

Today they called again:
Copier Lady:  "I'm with customer service with your copier and I need to know the model number"
Me:  "could you please tell me the name of your company so I can verify that you are the company we use" (knowing full well they weren't)
Copier Lady: "Bitch I already told you that"
Me:  "Did you seriously just call me a bitch?"
Copier Lady:  "No you whore, I called you a c** swallowing, mother F&*king Whore of Bitch"

Wow.  seriously?  You're trying to run a scam and want to scream and swear at me when I don't fall for it? 

My apologizes for the profanity.  I'm just still in shock that in the course of trying to do my job I have to deal with phone calls like that.

I know there have been threads about this before but I'm getting really annoyed with the daily calls from these people. 
Copiers, Saw Blades, Printer Catridges, etc.  They all call and ask for the boss and pronounce his name wrong and demand his cell phone number.  They want to know who my "maintenance supervisor is" etc.  I probably get 15 calls a day that are pure and total junk, scam calls. 

[thyme4change]

Holy crap.  I want that job.  Calling random people on the phone and then emptying my profanity jar on them.  Awesome!

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I've had that scam pulled on me too.   Like I am going to cooperate as you scream swear words in my ear.

[muttleynfelix]

Holy CRAP!  That is insane!

[sheilaincali]

It just happened that my mechanic, two salesmen and one other employee were standing right near me having a conversation.  She screamed so loud they could hear her.  They were all shocked and outraged.  We have caller id at work but those calls all just show up as "Private" so we don't get a name or phone number.

[973beachbum]

Mar 21, 2013 11:47:51 GMT -5 sheilaincali said:

It just happened that my mechanic, two salesmen and one other employee were standing right near me having a conversation.  She screamed so loud they could hear her.  They were all shocked and outraged.  We have caller id at work but those calls all just show up as "Private" so we don't get a name or phone number.

I don't remember what it is but their used to be a thing you could punch into the phone that would send the number to the police for abusive phone calls.  I think it was *57.  My mom was getting crank calls and she had to use it.  At the least maybe you can get their number blocked.

Do you know if you get many calls that are legit that say "private"?  If you dont I would consider blocking all calls that say private.  I can't imagine having a client come in and hear that language.

[sheilaincali]

beachbum-  I'm going to check into that.  From what I've noticed every call that says "Private" on caller id is a telemarketer or someone cold calling us.  I'll see what I have to do to have those calls blocked by the phone company.  Thanks for that suggestion.  Can't believe I didn't think of that in the first place

[Virgil Showlion]

Copiers, Saw Blades, Printer Catridges, etc. They all call and ask for the boss and pronounce his name wrong and demand his cell phone number. They want to know who my "maintenance supervisor is" etc. I probably get 15 calls a day that are pure and total junk, scam calls.

For every odd-numbered caller, tell them your boss is very interested and your company policy is for him to call the supplier, then get their number.

For every even-numbered caller, tell them your boss is very interested and give them the number you just obtained from the latest odd-numbered caller.

[wodehouse]

they ask for model number?

     "Oh, it is 'O-U-8-1-2'" <plonk>

guys at the plant years ago would ask the receptionist to page the boss to call that extension.


(<plonk> is old school usenet phrase for hanging up on trolls)

[thyme4change]

I got a few calls asking to be connected to the President of our company, by name.  I know they are scams or something, because there is no reason that they would have my phone number.  The last one I laughed and said "The information you were given is old.  That President hasn't been here for a couple of years."  She then asked "Is this XYZ company?"  And I laughed even harder, because she gave the name of another business unit.  I told her that if she is trying to sell something, she needs better information, and if she is trying to scam us, she needs to talk to a dumber person.  But, I have to give her props, because she tried to suck as much information out of me as possible.  I let her ask a bunch of questions like "Who is the President now" and such, and every time I answered "Why would I possibly answer that?"  I eventually let her off the hook by asking her to take my phone number off the list and not to call back, and if she wanted me to talk to her boss, I would.  She said "Thank you for your time" and hung up.  

[saveinla]

My husband always talks to the caller for a few minutes, gives them some false info and puts them on hold for 10 minutes. Gets back on again and does the same. Eventually they get bored and drop off. This has cut down on these crank calls drastically.

[sheilaincali]

I called our local phone company.  They don't offer a feature that blocks "private" calls to us.  They said that it's not typically a feature offered to businesses because businesses typically don't want to offend a legitimate customer call by refusing his call because he has an unlisted number.

However, in the future I can hang up, dial *57 and than call 911 and report it.  However, the phone company will change me a fee (it's only $1) each time I do that since it's considered an "on demand" option similar to like directy assistance.

Thyme- some of them are just plain slick aren't they?  They will try to mine me for all sorts of information.   Usually I just give them the brush off but they'll keep digging until you hang up.  One guy yesterday had the names of like 6 people that either used to work here or currently do.  I told him that there had been a hostile takeover and all those people were fired.  

[taz157]

We have a pharmacy call wanting to talk to 2 of my co-workers.  They mispronounce one of my co-worker's names and call the other one by her given name (she goes by her middle name).  After telling them multiple times that they aren't interested, stop calling, etc., we eventually told that they had died.  They had taken some strange medicine and the next thing we knew, they died.      One of the times I told them that, they asked if I wanted to order any medicine.    Since I don't answer the phones anymore, I don't know if they still call periodically.

[thyme4change]

Thyme- some of them are just plain slick aren't they?  They will try to mine me for all sorts of information.   Usually I just give them the brush off but they'll keep digging until you hang up.  One guy yesterday had the names of like 6 people that either used to work here or currently do.  I told him that there had been a hostile takeover and all those people were fired. 

I like it.  Maybe next time I will tell them that our old president is gone and the new president's name is Gordon Schumway.  

Anyone who gets the reference will laugh their ass off.  Anyone who gets the phone call asking for Gordon Schumway will know these people don't have good info.  [/span]