May 10, 2015
I just got another "Lower my credit card rate" call from a foreign speaking SOB. I played along as I don't have or use a credit card so I knew that he couldn't be looking at my account as he claimed, and held him on the line for a good 15 minutes. (I got him to wait while I "went to get my card" and then had a coughing fit as I was "old and sick" etc... etc...) When the time came that the moron finally got to the part where he asked for the card number, my voice magically cleared and I quite strongly gave him the first 8 numbers of an old pre-paid VISA card that I keep handy for just this purpose, and ended the card number with an 800 [***] YOU [***]-HOLE and then held down one of the dial pad buttons. (Sends the DTMF sounds continually and hopefully deafens the crooked [***]!) I spent 20 years as a professional, legitimate business-to-business telemarketer and this tactic along with them realizing you've been playing them and wasting their time, will piss them off at the very least . The last guy that called, called me back 3 times in rapid succession, 1st: trying to tell me he was the police (Despite not being able to pronounce the word police, LOL) then, twice more telling me how he wanted to [***] my wife, who was standing beside me listening to the speakerphone about to roll on the floor laughing. (I wouldn't recommend this to someone that is not utilizing an unpublished number, but if the call is to your cell or a phone that isn't connected to a published address, have fun and waste as much of their time as you can!!!!!