rivka: (smite)
rivka ([personal profile] rivka) wrote2008-02-11 07:45 pm
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Well, *that* was interesting.

I just got a robocall. The recorded voice (sounding very professional) identified itself as being from "your credit card company," and said that although there was no problem with my account, they'd like to talk with me about options for lowering my rate. The offer was about to expire, so if I was interested I should press "1" to talk to an agent.

What the hell. I pressed 1.

A moment later, an unprofessional-sounding young male voice came on the line. "Hi, this is Chris. I understand you're interested in lowering your credit card rate."

"Could you tell me what bank you represent, and what card you're calling about?" I asked.

Click.

Uh huh.

I wasn't actually suspicious when I pressed the button to talk to an agent, but at some point in the 15 seconds that I was on hold my brain went back over the recorded information and asked, "Doesn't your bank usually identify itself by name and by the name of your credit card program?" And of course, for precisely this reason, it does.

I did *69 to identify the number - I was actually a little surprised that it wasn't blocked. I think I can make a complaint to the FTC with just the phone number, even though their complaint form asks for the name of the company. I'm sure the number just leads to a boiler room somewhere - in the Florida panhandle, according to the area code map - which will probably close down this week or next and move somewhere else. But even if making a complaint doesn't do much, I suppose it's better than doing nothing.

[identity profile] irismoonlight.livejournal.com 2008-02-12 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, get that one regularly. I generally hang up the minute I realize it's a robocall. If you listen to it you'll get a "Press X to be removed from our call list." I did that the LAST time they called, last week. We'll see if they honor it.

I think they're in Nova Scotia. A lot of the boiler-room call places have moved North because international calls can't be prosecuted under the No Call list, or rather it's much more bloody difficult.

[identity profile] rivka.livejournal.com 2008-02-12 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Unless they had a way of falsifying their area code, they were calling from the Florida panhandle: area code 850.

[identity profile] mjlayman.livejournal.com 2008-02-12 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
And it is possible to present a false number, but it takes some equipment.