# Just got called by someone for some kind of marketing



## selo (Jul 20, 2015)

Just got a weird phone call... some guy, a business i think because i could hear other phones/people on the background. He assured me it was not a sales call and i could relax etc. He told me that they work with a lot of companies and wanted to send me an email with recommendations. Without having to agree or buy anything etc.

I asked him what kind of recommendations or what kind of companies, but he did not answer that and wanted to send the mail. The mail he was going to send would be to my company email, its displayed on my site so no suprise there but he called me on my private phonenumber... ??

Oh and he spoke English. Im from the Netherlands and I only work with Dutch companies so far. He also spoke very slow and took his time... Maybe I watch too many movies but it felt like he was stalling time to figure out my geo-location or something 

It this some sort of scam? I said i am not interested and he actually said, how can you not be interested in something you don't know what it is... I told him im not interested in anything if he can't tell me what he was calling for...

Anyone with the same experience?


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## waday (Jul 20, 2015)

Sounds like a scam/sales pitch to me!


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## Designer (Jul 20, 2015)

scam


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## selo (Jul 20, 2015)

Yeah thought so... but why did he not just send the email instead of calling? Too look more reliable? how the hell did he found my private phone number and linked it to my company? It is not linked anywhere??


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## Overread (Jul 20, 2015)

Scam
Likely he called because most emails like this get auto-sent to the junk folder by auto-junk filters to start with; so this group of scammers is trying to avoid that by phoning up. By calling and making themselves sound legitimate.


As for how he got your number there is a range of possibilities:
1) Links of data - might be your name is on your company site - with that he then searched and found your details on another website (its not abnormal for details such as personal contact information to be present on websites - heck you might even have filled in your details on one of the many "portfolio" websites around on the net). 

2) He didn't have any connection at all and instead simply gives you the same line everyone else gets; but using language that made you reveal more information than you realised about yourself; thus giving him enough info to then find your company website and details.


You can tell its a scam because he didn't want to sell on the phone - likely trying to get around legalities on telemarketing and because it would possibly eat up more time and he's on a quota and doesn't want time-wasters eating up scam-time.

Could be simply harmless sales attempts; or could be all the way into loading your computer with viruses as you "download the attached file for further information". 

Heck there are a lot of the "Hello this is Microsoft Technical Support calling you about the virus you have" who can speak in decent national languages and which attempt to sound very professional. Again they make you reveal things you don't realise whilst talking (whilst also starting things under the assumption that you own a computer in the first place - which these days is pretty much the norm) and at the same time want you to download files and then give them "open repair access" to your computer - next thing you know your card details, bank details and anything else are theirs.


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## jsecordphoto (Jul 20, 2015)

If I had a dollar for every scam email/call/message I got like that, I'd be shooting with a phase one camera


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## selo (Jul 20, 2015)

Im pretty sure i didn't give him any info through the phone. I doubt i filled my personal number to any portfolio page etc. but i'm not 100% sure.

I did request info from a few chinese companies for photo albums etc. I gave them my company email, but not my personal number. I guess its not hard to figure out a phone number when you know someone's name (or surname) and there company name, online phone books etc.

I get scam mails daily but this was the first one that I got a call from. Bastards...


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## KmH (Jul 20, 2015)

selo said:


> He assured me it was not a sales call


Right there - alarm bells start ringing and red flags start waving.

"Sorry buddy. I don't have time to talk to you. Bye!


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## Gary A. (Jul 20, 2015)

I dunno ... I see some Matrix stuff going on here. Maybe you should invest in a night-light ... send the family to the countryside ... change the password for your banking ...


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## selo (Jul 20, 2015)

or this..


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## vintagesnaps (Jul 20, 2015)

Sounds like a scam. If you heard other people in the background it could be that he was at a call center that makes calls for other companies.

There are robo calls that I think just dial numbers at random. So they don't seem to have to obtain phone numbers, if they dial one and someone answers they know it's a current number in use. But with you having sent for info. from other countries, some of those companies may not be legit and could be selling your information.

I would not give them any information, or indicate any interest (if I even continue the conversation which I usually don't) - if I even answer the phone (I check the caller ID and screen calls). I have sometimes asked for their company's information etc. and have reported them to the Do Not Call list we have in the US (I'm registered on that so should not be getting these type calls).

You could find out info. from them if you think it might be legit - you can always look up the company and if it is legit you can contact them back later.


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## astroNikon (Jul 20, 2015)

If you have a website many of these places scan websites and the public WHOIS domain information. 
So there's many places that these telemarketing places get contact information, phone numbers, addresses, etc.

By saying it's not a sales they are skirting the telemarketing information because they are providing you information (email, whitepaper, etc).  which THEN they'll followup and try to make a sales call out of it.

FYI, If you can hear other people in the background you know it's a call center.


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## Derrel (Jul 20, 2015)

KmH said:
			
		

> selo said:
> 
> 
> > He assured me it was not a sales call
> ...



OP--You ought to get on YouTube and look into the Tom Mabe fun with telemarketers videos!!!

I used to have a lot of fun with telemarketers by stringing them along a bit, and saying things like, "Oh WOW!!! That sounds great! But first, I need to ask Sandy about this offer and see what she says. I run everything by Sandy."

Telemarketer: "Oh, is Sandy your wife?"

Me: "My wife? heck no-she's MUCH more important than a wife--she's my cat! Sandy, there's a man on the phone, and he wants to give us a free vacuum cleaner demonstration in-home sometime next week. What day would be best? Can you cough up a good hairball for the nice man? Okay, I'm back...Sandy is a bit worried about this...she says she can't be expected to produce a hairball on such short notice, so, maybe you ought to schedule next week..."

Seriously....this "I need to ask my cat" line of BS actually works!!!


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## waday (Jul 20, 2015)

My mother-in-law (Spanish as a first language, English as a second) would pretend to be the housekeeper and say, "Oh, were you the person that was going to donate $100 to the homeowner's cause? He said you were going to call. That's great, let me get a pen to write down your credit card number... ok, I'm ready..."


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## rlemert (Jul 20, 2015)

The last one I got was obviously a canned conversation. I picked up the phone, and heard "Hi, this is Jeff from the Customer Service Center. How are you doing today?" There was a short pause while I started to respond with a brush-off, then a quick "that's great, the reason for my call is ..." - speaking over me as if I wasn't even there. Eventually, he got to "you haven't responded to the offer we sent you, so we're following up ..."

Note that at no point did he ever identify who's customer service center he was talking about.

Needless to say, I can't tell you how the rest of his spiel went because that's when I ended the call.


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## table1349 (Jul 20, 2015)

Het is een scam


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## snowbear (Jul 20, 2015)

Phone caller: "Hello, how are you today.  I'd like to tell you about a wonderful opportunity . . ."
Me (in a low, rushed voice): "I have a problem.  I have a problem. A problem, A problem. They're coming. They're coming. They're coming. They're coming. They want me for the ship. The space ship. The ship."
Phone caller: <click>


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## Derrel (Jul 20, 2015)

snowbear said:
			
		

> Phone caller: "Hello, how are you today.  I'd like to tell you about a wonderful opportunity . . ."
> Me (in a low, rushed voice): "I have a problem.  I have a problem. A problem, A problem. They're coming. They're coming. They're coming. They're coming. They want me for the ship. The space ship. The ship."
> Phone caller: <click>



See, now THAT'S the spirit! Have a little FUN with them!!


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## astroNikon (Jul 21, 2015)

Many call center phone routing systems wait for a voice to route the call to a person.

Many times I just don't say anything and wait .. usually ending up in nothing land and a hangup.  Sometimes I get someone on the other end start talking.  

What I should do is record a fax machine trying to connect, and playback on my digital recorder for these calls.  But that would take too much effort.


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## petrochemist (Jul 21, 2015)

jsecordphoto said:


> If I had a dollar for every scam email/call/message I got like that, I'd be shooting with a phase one camera


 Only the one? I'd probably get enough to have one at work & one at home...


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## table1349 (Jul 21, 2015)

gk fotografie said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> > Het is een scam
> ...


Of course it was Google Translate.  It's been 55 years since I lived in Germany.  Visited Holland as it was called it back then many times, as well as most of the other countries in free Europe at the time.    Used to speak fluent German.  Now I can understand some convesations but can not converse in it at all. 

I learned long ago people in other countries in Europe, except for the French but they are another story, appreciate an english speaker at least trying to converse in their native tounge instead of expecting everyone else to undersand english, or in my case american.


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## table1349 (Jul 21, 2015)

I will bring some Amstel Gold.  We can stop by the Alkmaar Cheese Market and go on to the Efteling.  It was only a few years old when we were there last.  I am sure it has grown and changed alot.


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## astroNikon (Jul 21, 2015)

Just got a spam call .... your business may get a $300,000 loan yadda yadda yadda.  < hang up >

why do they even bother ?
*and* they called my cell phone.


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## table1349 (Jul 21, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> Just got a spam call .... your business may get a $300,000 loan yadda yadda yadda.  < hang up >
> 
> why do they even bother ?
> *and* they called my cell phone.


Well you sound like a reaonable person looking for a bargin.  I have a 24-foot long, 8,000-lb. bronze arm and fist at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward avenues in Detroit that is for sale. If you are interested please deposit $5,000.00 in a swiss bank account that I will send you the number for.  Upon receipt of the money I will send you a bill of sale and a certificate of ownership.  I would take the check myself but I am in Nigeria and must hide my money from the corrupt government as I am a political prisoner.


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## Derrel (Jul 22, 2015)




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## astroNikon (Jul 22, 2015)

gryphonslair99 said:


> astroNikon said:
> 
> 
> > Just got a spam call .... your business may get a $300,000 loan yadda yadda yadda.  < hang up >
> ...


I already own that, along with the Brooklyn Bridge.   
Do you have anything else.  Like a Cannon or something ?


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## table1349 (Jul 22, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> > astroNikon said:
> ...


No, what I sold you the last time was just two of the fingers.  Now for the additional $5000.00 you get the rest.  Of course for another $2,500.00 I will throw in the batteries for the flood lights, 2 sham-wow cleaning cloths, a roll of paper towels and two lawn chairs for viewers to sit in while looking at the statue. 

I do have 38 cannons I will let you have.  I have them stored at a place called Gettysburg.  I will let you have them for $1,000.00 apiece.  For an extra $500.00 each I will let you have the wheels, and for an additional $750.00 you can have the matching Caissons.  You will have to go there to pick them up.  I have a man there that will help you load them.   He works nights.


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## Braineack (Jul 22, 2015)

Derrel said:


>


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## The_Traveler (Jul 22, 2015)

There is an excellent free service in US called nomorobo.
When you sign up, you are given an 800 number.
Log into your account on your telephone service provider and set the option to ring that number simultaneously with your original number.
The number of any incoming caller is checked against list of  known boiler rooms, scam callers, etc. (reported to FTC) and, if the number is on the list, the call is disconnected.
Installed last month and haven't had a spammer call since.
Just had to get used to picking up only on second ring.


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## dennybeall (Jul 22, 2015)

Obviously a scam BUT you have to be careful staying on the phone with them. If they can get you to say "YES" or other positive statements they can record that and sign you up for something. They have the recording as proof.


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