Author Archives: Jessica Braasch

The Silence of the Phones – An Utopia? Hardly. At least as Long as The Most Wanted Spam and Scam Phone Numbers Retain Their Unsolicited Onslaught on our Nerves.

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Weeks have passed but the world of telecommunication changed only a little if at all. Callcentre agents thrive on the ignorance of the common people. So let us spread the news of the UK’s Most Wanted spam and scam numbers:

1. 03333440125 Premium Rate Service with a tellows score of 7
2. 01268297656 from Basildon with a tellows score of 7
3. 08446882777 Premium Rate Service with a tellows score of 7

It seems Payment Shield is on a sales hunt. Closely follows by Basildon’s Opus Credit and last but not least a silent caller who still needs to be identified.

Our user Ian commented:

PHONE RINGS, YOU ANSWER, THEY BREAK THE CALL. THIS TYPE OF COMPANY SHOULD BE BANNED. JUST PLAIN BLOODY ANNOYING

The people of the US do not fare well either.

1. 2142831316 tellows Score 9
2. 905488209664 tellows Score 7
3. 9722178347 tellows Score 9

None of the above mentioned numbers is new to us. A still unidentified caller from Dalles goes first, a $1m lottery scam following in hot pursuit. Last but not least, the De Soto based Metro News Service, Inc grinds the peoples gears with repetetive calls.

That’s it for this week.

Take Care!!!

The tellows Team

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Torment the Tormentors – How to Drive the Telemarketer Up the Wall… :)

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Actually we should feel sorry for them. “They´re just doing their jobs, aren´t they?” It is obvious that they are not calling us to have a nice little chitchat, but they want to sell!. Still, they are just doing what their boss told them to do …

Try to imagine that YOU are working at a call center and your job is calling people and selling things. However, not many people could imagine to harass their fellows like that.

Maybe it is a question of the individual´s moral, whether to do such a job or not – and if yes, for what money? Call centres worldwide have been established in areas of high unemployment, which guarantees cheap workforce as well as a big choice and substitutability of human resources for the marketing companies.

Being a call center agent who does telemarketing is not easy at all. Could we make an end to telemarketing if there was no-one working for them anymore? What if it became unprofitable for them?

The website Tormenting Telemarketers came up with a nice game you can play on telemarketers in order to waste their working time (author: David Cathey):

Tormenting Telemarketers
Premise:
Telemarketers take the brute force approach to making sales. If you talk to a whole bunch of people, someone will buy what you are selling.

Counter-Tactic:
Waste as much of their time as you can. For each minute that you waste means several potential customers that will not be reached. Make Telemarketing unprofitable. Hanging up only increases the changes for them to make a sale. Don’t let this happen!

Hints:
Most of the preliminary stuff is done by someone making minimum wage, and reads a script. Let them finish. It’s easy points, and you were watching Star Trek and weren’t using your phone anyway. It’s easy to keep them interested using “attentive grunting”, similar to when your mother calls.

Scoring:

Basic Point System:
For each minute spent on the phone 10 pts.
Getting transfered to someone who makes
more than minimum wage 15 pts
For each minute spent on the phone with
person making more than minimum wage 25 pts

Bonus Points:
Getting them to repeat part of the “script” 5 pts/each
Getting answers to stupid questions 15 pts/each
Changing the subject 50 pts/each
Making the sales person angry 175 pts
Making the sales person use profanity 750 pts
Get their boss on the phone, and tell them
the salesman used profanity 1500 pts
Getting their 1-800- number 10 pts
Posting their 1-800- number to alt.sex as
a free “Phone Sex” line 50 pts
Checking the number a week later and it is
busy or disconnected 5000 pts

Example:

Me: Yes?
Them: Hi, I’m with Fly-By-Night Carpet Cleaning
and we’re in your area […] [start clock->]
Them: […] would like to know it you are interested?
Me: Sure…
Them: Well, we are currently offering […]
Them: […] depending on the size of the rooms.
Me: Well, how much for the whole house?
Them: Let me transfer you to [15 bonus pts!]
Them: Sir?
Me: Yes?
Them: How large is your house? [25 pts/min!]
Me: Oh, about 2,000 sqft.
Them: […] Well, that would be about $xxx
Me: It won’t hurt the floor, will it? [stupid ?]
Them: Oh, no! We use a […this usually takes some time!…]
and is completely safe.
Me: Even with my pets? [stupid ?]
Them: Oh, yes. The chemicals we use […]
Me: Do you have to pre-treat, since I have pets?
Them: Yes, and we do that with […] [repeat!]
Me: But the original offer was for $39.95, does that
include treating for pets?
Them: […]
Me: Well, it is kindof dirty. The guys were over for
the game. Did you see the Cowboys vs. the Rams?
[subject change]
Them: Yes.
Me: What a game! That last touchdown pass! Wasn’t that
a great play?
Them: Well, back to your house…
Me: Oh yes, what about moving the furniture?
Them: […]
Me: Do you clean furniture, too? Those guys spilled some
beer. Have you smelled old beer on furniture before?
But what a game, eh?! I couldn’t believe that they
couldn’t move the ball in the second quarter…
[…] [subject change]
Them: Ahem… Would you like us to come out? [angry???]
Me: Well, when could you come out?
Them: How about next week?
Me: Hmmm… Morning or afternoon?
Them: Either would be fine.
Me: Do you have anything the week after?
Them: Sure, can I put you down for Tuesday?

[Okay, let’s try for those last big bonus points:]

Me: Well, I don’t think it matters, since I have all
hardwood floors here!
Them: Dammit!

We are very keen on hearing about the games you played with your favourite telemarketers. You are welcome to write us about how you got the telemarketers’ hackles up and how many points you made!!!

Enjoy your local telemarketer!

Team Tellows

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A Scam Method Walkthrough Mk I – You Better Know What You Are Dealing With: Nuisance Calls

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Nuisance Calls – The UK’s Approach

In general, all forms of nuisance calls are unsolicited. Whereas telesales calls employ a vehement form of aggressive advertisment, silent calls are meant to identify valid phone numbers from a pool of randomly generated numbers. Furthermore, automated diallers are often used when the call centre is short on agents. To identitfy silent calls, call centres are required to display a Calling Line Identification number on your phone in order to allow you to aquire the caller’s phone number by dialling 1471. Once the number is obtianed, it is advised to forward this number to Ofcom (use Silent Calls Complaint Form). With sufficient complaints Ofcom will find it easier to counteract the dubious schemes of callcenters and other suspicoius companies. Additionally, it is recommended to contact your provider which might help to identify the caller as well. Moreover, your provider may offer a ‘anonymous call rejection’ (check if this service is charged) to prevent a vast bulk of unsolicited calls in the future.

As far as telesales calls are concerned, a registration with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) bears the advantage of having the legal upper hand against call centres since the TPS makes unsolicited calls to you unlawful within the 28 days after you registration. Not only will the TPS will contact the company involved but also it will relay your complaint to the ICO which, in return, can enforce adequate regulations. If you experience unsolicited faxes you can register with the Facsimile Preference Service. Unfortunately, neither Ofcom nor the TPS have authority outside the UK’s borders. Hence, telesales calls from abroad cannot be stopped.

Furthermore, if you think the call centre obtained your personal information illegally the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) gladly provides detailed guidelines on the protection of your privacy in electronic communications. Additionally, complaints about nuisance calls, spam fax and mail may be filed directly with ICO. In all these cases you should share as much information with Ofcom, your provider an tellows on the caller as you can. Yet

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How Dare They !?! – Vicious and Vile is Their Nature: The Most Wanted Scam and Spam Calls in the UK and US

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Scammers and Spammer be warned! The people are on to you. More and more annoyed people use tellows.co.uk and tellows.com to spread their knowledge on dangerous scam and spam numbers or use the already existing information to avoid being ripped off. Stay on course and the scammers and spammers will will find it hard to earn their living. Alas, enough of future dreams, let’s focus on the present. Heres the UK’s Most Wanted:

1. 01613128082 tellows score 7 from Manchester
2. 01792455426 tellows score 8 from Swansea
3. 01477535545 tellows score 8 from Holmes Chapel

spud wrote:

after reading your comments im glad i did not answer. Never had a loan in my life so they will be getting no answer from me.

Unbelievable! Those guys from Manchester, Swansea and Holmes Chapel seem to work very hard to sustain such an high amount of attention. Well, those who work too hard might suffer an “unsolicited” heart attack. Alas! Some callcentre agents might consider these as quite a nuisance. Maybe then they will percieve life as too precious than to waste their’s with petty redundant tasks. Let’s switch to our colleagues across the great lake:

1.4242281204tellows score 8 from California
2.08081890441tellows score 6 from UK
3.5852477707tellows score 7 from New York

hophr5 wrote:

Called stating my husband owed money on a payday loan, threating to have him arrested for theft. When asked company info, debt info, they got very angry yelling and hung up on us.

This weeks US pole position is held by a wannabe law firm that urges you to repay a debt without telling you whom you are indebted to. Second, a UK callcentre would like to advice you on computer security, a profession they should leave to others and last but not least a yet to be identified automated caller from the Big Apple makes people suffer.

If you have any information on the above mentioned numbers share them with the community! Help us help you!

Take Care !!!

The tellows Team

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The Notorious, the Infamous, the Despicable – The Most Wanted of the Week!!!

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Hello folks,

And here they come again – the Most Wanted spam and scam numbers in the UK and US. Not even during the benevolent christmas time the spammers and scammers show a glimpse of mercy. Let’s have a look at the effects of this development on our ranking:

1. 01613128082 tellows score 7 from Manchester
2. 01477535545 tellows score 8 from Holmes Chapel
3. 01613128035 tellows score 8 from Manchester

As soon as you pick up the phone they ring off!!

The notorious claims company from Manchester still champions the throne of spammers in the final december ranking. However, 2nd and 3rd places are claimed by newcomers from a silent caller in Holmes Chapel and the too persistent ETA Claims. Nearly 3000 search requests hold the Manchester based claims company on the pole position. Well, let’s how our friends in US are doing:

1. 4242281204 tellows score 8 from California
2. 7188416490 tellows score 9 from New York
3. 2565488462 tellows score 7 from Stevenson

The US of A are obviously more inclined to change their favourites than their British counterparts. However, the spammers and scammers are of the same despicable nature. Our user Wanda shared her experience

These people say they work in a law firm but won’t give me there info I. Have to pay for a bill that I owe but they won’t tell me what bill I owe… I ask for the address they cursed ak me and said I was a hoe and a bitch so I report them to the detective where I live and they r goin to investigate it….becareful….

Telephone spam and scam is still on an unprecedented height but thanks to your help our database on scam numbers is steadily growing and, hence, reaching even more people. We implore you to share your knowledge on dangerous numbers with us! Help us help you identify fraud before it occurs!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Your tellows Team

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It Rings and Rings and Rings – Yet There’s Nothing but Spam, Scam and Annoyance Galore! News from the Front – The Most Wanted of Plaguing Callers in the UK and USA

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Hello folks,

The phones are restless and just won’t lay still as spammers and scammers are busier than ever before. Who’s your favourite? Which number harrasses you the most? Well, let’s have a look on the Top 3 of the Most Wanted UK callers:

01613128082 Tellows Score 6

01792763475 Tellows Score 6

01384785412 Tellows Score 6

Well, what do we have here? – A claims company, a self-proclaimed Department of Justice and an annoying stranger. Although a Tellows Score of 6 isn’t that high, the number of comments and search requests indicate a high level of annoyance. Our user Mark put it in the right words:

What is it with companies that continuosly ring you and invade your privacy. i get so fed up with it. i never answer so why do they bother. they always act like they care about you. NO YOU DONT. YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY OUT OF ME, Never ever be fooled by these people they care only for themselves and their own pockets. Tell them to F OFF or send a loud screech down the phone if you answer. Hopefully you will then deafen the whole lot of them. they wont do it again then

Since we now know what the UK is up to, let’s see how our friendes in the USA fare. Here are their Top 3 of the Most Wanted:

6093180364 Tellows Score 8

040414369501 Tellows Score 7

6093180392 Tellows Score 7

One number from mobile service provider in Germany and twice a foundation scam – well that’s something, especially since these wannabe foundations pretend to be benevolent associations for the police, what a shame. Our user Carl wrote:

be wary of this number. PBA or so they say. they want you to contribute and contribute and contribute. once you ask for what it is you are supposed to contribute to, they hang up. darn scammers

This is the first of many updates on the most annoying numbers. From now on, this list will be updated every week. See you soon.

Take care !!!
Regards

The Tellows Team

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Check out the number statistics on tellows

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Good News Everyone!

Another new feature has been implemented on tellows – statistics on search requests!

You’ll find this feature on the detail page of the respective number as soon as sufficient search requests have been placed. Just click on the button “Search requests for this phone number” to open a chart containing additional information on the number.The period under observation may be changed from one day to 3 month in order to provide an overview on the number’s activity.

As example serves the UK number 01613128082.
Its 1803 search requests contribute enough data to allow a valid statement regarding its acitvity. As we can see its activity is slightly receding.

If you have questions or suggestions regarding this feature then feel free to contact us.

Take care!

Regards
Your Tellows Team!

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