The thing that gets them is wasting their time. They are getting paid to make calls so the longer you keep them on the better. One thing I like to do is start a rambling story that goes no where like Grampa Simpson does on ‘The Simpsons’.
You know: “Survey? Yes, I’ve taken some surveys in my time, why, I even worked on one. Now I think it was in ’06, or was it ’07? No, it must have been ’06 because that was the Winter I crashed my Buick. God I miss that old car! It was such a beautiful shade of green like the jungle, now, I’ve been to the jungle and BOY do they have mosquitoes…”
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Domestic 4 year s ago
We need an app for this....
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ChrisR 4 year s ago
If I have time for it I usually go for the homicide investigation variant. It might start out something like this:
Me: Hello? (I don't answer with my name when I don't recognize the number)
Scammer: Hello! Is this XXX YYY I am talking to?
Me: Yes, this is XXX's phone. Who is this?
S: This Mike, I'm calli...
Me: <briskly> Mike who?
S: I'm Mike. I'm calling from ...
Me: <more briskly> Are you one of the kidnappers?
S: Whut???
Me: You are calling for XXX YYY, yes?
S: Yes! I am calling to ...
Me: XXX YYY has been kdnapped. Is that why you are calling?
S: Whut??!! No! I'm calling to
Me: Hold on the line please. <Pretend to talk to someone else in the room and tell them to start a trace> So, Mike, where are you?
S: I'm... I'm calling for XXX YYY....
Me: Yes, Mike, I know. Is XXX YYY still alive?
and then pretty much just improvise to see how long I can string them along before they hang up.
Me: Hello? (I don't answer with my name when I don't recognize the number)
Scammer: Hello! Is this XXX YYY I am talking to?
Me: Yes, this is XXX's phone. Who is this?
S: This Mike, I'm calli...
Me: <briskly> Mike who?
S: I'm Mike. I'm calling from ...
Me: <more briskly> Are you one of the kidnappers?
S: Whut???
Me: You are calling for XXX YYY, yes?
S: Yes! I am calling to ...
Me: XXX YYY has been kdnapped. Is that why you are calling?
S: Whut??!! No! I'm calling to
Me: Hold on the line please. <Pretend to talk to someone else in the room and tell them to start a trace> So, Mike, where are you?
S: I'm... I'm calling for XXX YYY....
Me: Yes, Mike, I know. Is XXX YYY still alive?
and then pretty much just improvise to see how long I can string them along before they hang up.
Me: Hello? (I don't answer with my name when I don't recognize the number)
Scammer: Hello! Is this XXX YYY I am talking to?
Me: Yes, this is XXX's phone. Who is this?
S: This Mike, I'm calli...
Me: <briskly> Mike who?
S: I'm Mike. I'm calling from ...
Me: <more briskly> Are you one of the kidnappers?
S: Whut???
Me: You are calling for XXX YYY, yes?
S: Yes! I am calling to ...
Me: XXX YYY has been kdnapped. Is that why you are calling?
S: Whut??!! No! I'm calling to
Me: Hold on the line please. <Pretend to talk to someone else in the room and tell them to start a trace> So, Mike, where are you?
S: I'm... I'm calling for XXX YYY....
Me: Yes, Mike, I know. Is XXX YYY still alive?
and then pretty much just improvise to see how long I can string them along before they hang up.