Can you hear me now?

[John Connor]

Telemarketers are annoying but scammers are worse — much worse. But worse still are scammers who pretend to be telemarketers.

For instance, imagine that someone pretending to be a telemarketer were to call you, introduce himself to you and then suddenly ask, “Can you hear me?”

The tendency of most people would be to reply “yes,” but doing that could unwittingly cost you a whole lot of dough.

http://conservativetribune.com/phone-scam-sweeping-nation/

Nomorobo is great, but you need a line that supports multi ring like a landline. I know Ooma has multi ring. Comcast works too. I read they were working on an App, but it will cost you $5 a month.

 

[sandorski]

The moment I realize the call is a Telemarketer, I hang up. No verbal response given.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wow, perhaps this needs to cause some laws to be changed. A simple verbal yes in your voice should not be considered legal consent to signing up for a service.

I would personally just say no to mess with them. I always like messing around with telemarketters if i have time for it. If not I just hang up.

"Can you hear me?"

"no"

 

[Murloc]

yeah classic stuff, they get you to say yes and you pay.

I just say I'm not interested and hang up so there's no issue.

 

[KMFJD]

uhm, how would they collect and what court would side with a scam like that?

 

[louis redfoot]

The moment I realize the call is a Telemarketer, I hang up. No verbal response given.

if you do that they'll usually throw you back into the rotation (meaning someone else will call you again). a quick "no thanks" is better.

though i don't have that problem... my land line is gv phone (google voice over ipad, set to outgoing calls only). pretty cool app, either watch commercials for credits or pay $.02/minute

 

[UnklSnappy]

Meh, I never even answer the phone unless I recognize the number. And at least half the numbers I do recognize I just let go to voicemail.

 

[superstition]

yeah classic stuff, they get you to say yes and you pay.

I just say I'm not interested and hang up so there's no issue.

There was an automated one that has a rather femme guy who almost berates you as the message escalates in intensity. I thought it was rather amusing. It starts out with "Can you hear me now?"

 

[MustISO]

We never answer the phone unless we recognize the number. Unfortunately our phone system, VOIP systems and the companies that support it allow such things to happen.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Thanks OP. I will make sure to tell my daughter about this. I don't have to worry about it because if I don't know who calls me I let it go to VM. Then look up the number. If it is a telemarketer I block them.

 

[John Connor]

Thanks OP

You're welcome. Figured it was prudent to let people know.

 

[DigDog]

im calling it: bullshit. there is no way in hell that "yes" would ever stand up in court as commitment to a contract (i sell stuff over the phone, now), and no reasonable company would want telemarketers such as these.

 

[Spacehead]

I'm a little confused here. What exactly are these people going to "sign me up" for? Phone services only, correct?
So these scammers work for Verizon, in my case. If that's the case, they don't need scammers... it's called corporate HQ

 

[John Connor]

im calling it: bullshit. there is no way in hell that "yes" would ever stand up in court as commitment to a contract (i sell stuff over the phone, now), and no reasonable company would want telemarketers such as these.

You'd be surprised.

 

[superstition]

im calling it: bullshit. there is no way in hell that "yes" would ever stand up in court as commitment to a contract (i sell stuff over the phone, now), and no reasonable company would want telemarketers such as these.

I wanted to record and upload that ridiculous one with the femme dude but never got around to it because I was busy with a move. That was last winter so this isn't a new tactic.