"Do Not Call" listing
In yesterday's post, the "do not call" listing was mentioned. In fact we thought we were on that list for a long time but in the last two years it had seemed ineffectual. So, as part of my "accomplishments", it was mentioned. Whether our registration had expired or simply does not work was not an issue to the initial robotic responder. It is now reinstated or listed, supposedly. Eventually a live person also showed up to talk. It is supposed to take full effect within 31 days but one can wonder about its eventual efficacy. The human responder even gave us a complaint number to call and report violations. This "do not call" mandate is both a New York and Federal rule or law of some limited strength.
What has happened here in the last two or three years is a deluge of unwanted calls. They have many approaches. Especially annoying ones are those 877 or other calls that hang up as soon as one answers the phone. They want to deliver their sales scam to your phone machine and protect their anonymity by having no live person involved. Then there are the ones that are calling to report a problem with one of your, non-specified, credit cards and then go on with a pitch to consolidate your bills. One listen and then it's always a hang-up here. Lately there have been a steady group of calls concerned about our time share. We have no time share arrangement. The list of these approaches goes on and on, but one thing that is consistent is that they want information from you but will not even provide a legitimate address or phone number of theirs of asked. Simply put, these are just predators.
Given the amount of information available today on just about anyone, these calls could likely be targeted to people in our age group or older --- scare tactics to solicit social security numbers, bank account numbers, or other information. The occasional live person calling is almost always solicitous and seemingly concerned and helpful, but still not forthcoming with any pertinent information about their company. At times they have distinct foreign accents, maybe from India, maybe from Nigeria, maybe from Russia, or some say Puerto Rico, who knows. They inevitably make it sound as if your business would be greatly appreciated and helpful to them, or even to their family. Of course it would be. The epicenter for the origination of these exploitative or fraudulent calls in the U.S. appears to be Florida.
The final category is local Long Island calls, almost always from a 631 area code which is the neighboring Suffolk County. Their focus is home repair and maintenance. "According to our records you are due for your annual chimney cleaning service, periodic rug cleaning work, autumn gutter cleaning", all fake claims delivered by pleasant women. It goes on and on. Here on Long Island many of these service people are notorious for quoting one reasonable price, finding some problems, and a $90 bill turns into a $400 one in a nanosecond. They are all phony sales pitches that can lead to scams. They are unsolicited calls.
Fortunately we have lived here long enough to have many reliable and reasonable service people, although we may now have a problem with a plumber who started out great but has been sliding.
"Do not call", please work. At least I now have a state and federal number to report you.
Postscript: your local phone provider will provide you with a number to call for checking your "do not call" status.
What has happened here in the last two or three years is a deluge of unwanted calls. They have many approaches. Especially annoying ones are those 877 or other calls that hang up as soon as one answers the phone. They want to deliver their sales scam to your phone machine and protect their anonymity by having no live person involved. Then there are the ones that are calling to report a problem with one of your, non-specified, credit cards and then go on with a pitch to consolidate your bills. One listen and then it's always a hang-up here. Lately there have been a steady group of calls concerned about our time share. We have no time share arrangement. The list of these approaches goes on and on, but one thing that is consistent is that they want information from you but will not even provide a legitimate address or phone number of theirs of asked. Simply put, these are just predators.
Given the amount of information available today on just about anyone, these calls could likely be targeted to people in our age group or older --- scare tactics to solicit social security numbers, bank account numbers, or other information. The occasional live person calling is almost always solicitous and seemingly concerned and helpful, but still not forthcoming with any pertinent information about their company. At times they have distinct foreign accents, maybe from India, maybe from Nigeria, maybe from Russia, or some say Puerto Rico, who knows. They inevitably make it sound as if your business would be greatly appreciated and helpful to them, or even to their family. Of course it would be. The epicenter for the origination of these exploitative or fraudulent calls in the U.S. appears to be Florida.
The final category is local Long Island calls, almost always from a 631 area code which is the neighboring Suffolk County. Their focus is home repair and maintenance. "According to our records you are due for your annual chimney cleaning service, periodic rug cleaning work, autumn gutter cleaning", all fake claims delivered by pleasant women. It goes on and on. Here on Long Island many of these service people are notorious for quoting one reasonable price, finding some problems, and a $90 bill turns into a $400 one in a nanosecond. They are all phony sales pitches that can lead to scams. They are unsolicited calls.
Fortunately we have lived here long enough to have many reliable and reasonable service people, although we may now have a problem with a plumber who started out great but has been sliding.
"Do not call", please work. At least I now have a state and federal number to report you.
Postscript: your local phone provider will provide you with a number to call for checking your "do not call" status.
posted by John Borden at 11:21 AM
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