Weird telemarketing/scam?

[rslade]

So today I got a call.  DC area code.  Heavy south Asian accent.  Tells me he's calling on behalf of "Richard [indistinct] of [indistinct]."  Can he put me through?  When he wouldn't tell me what the call was about, I hung up.

So this seems weird.  If it's a scam, why get telemarketers to place the call?  Why not get the telemarketers to take the call a bit further, and see if you can a) get some info on the person you're calling, or b) check to see if they are going to be susceptible?

But, on the other hand, maybe that is exactly what they are doing.  If you call someone, and won't explain what the call is about, and they are willing to be connected to someone else that they know nothing about, maybe that's a good check that they are susceptible to whatever kind of scam you want to pull ...

(Probably not connected in any way, I also note there is a new craze for texting your "number neighbour" ...

https://lite.cnn.io/en/article/h_902765022c58c254c4784cf0f05b69da )

[emb021]

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@rslade wrote:

So today I got a call.  DC area code.  Heavy south Asian accent.  Tells me he's calling on behalf of "Richard [indistinct] of [indistinct]."  Can he put me through?  When he wouldn't tell me what the call was about, I hung up.

So this seems weird.  If it's a scam, why get telemarketers to place the call?  Why not get the telemarketers to take the call a bit further, and see if you can a) get some info on the person you're calling, or b) check to see if they are going to be susceptible?

But, on the other hand, maybe that is exactly what they are doing.  If you call someone, and won't explain what the call is about, and they are willing to be connected to someone else that they know nothing about, maybe that's a good check that they are susceptible to whatever kind of scam you want to pull ...

(Probably not connected in any way, I also note there is a new craze for texting your "number neighbour" ...

https://lite.cnn.io/en/article/h_902765022c58c254c4784cf0f05b69da )

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Weird.

I've taken to not answering any calls from overseas, any private/blocked numbers, and my phone service (Google Fi) alerts me to 'spam calls'.  I figured if they are legit, they'll leave a message and I'll call them back.  Most cases I get dead air, the rest I didn't want to talk with anyway.

Similar to the "number neighbor" thing is getting calls with the same area code and exchange (first 6 numbers of your phone).  I caught on to that and won't answer those.  I don't know anyone with the same area code/exchange.  Again, if legit, they'll leave a message.

[rslade]

> emb021 (Contributor II) posted a new reply in Industry News on 08-06-2019 03:40

>   I don't know anyone with the same area code/exchange.

OK, *you're* not a very friendly neighbour ...

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[emb021]

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@rslade wrote:
> emb021 (Contributor II) posted a new reply in Industry News on 08-06-2019 03:40

>   I don't know anyone with the same area code/exchange.

OK, *you're* not a very friendly neighbour ...

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That's because my cell phone is from where I used to live, which is a county north of me.

So, kind of NOT my neighbors.

However, as my doctor is a few blocks away from me, they have the same area code/exchange as my home number...