Got a telemarketer on the cellphone

fixerupper · Mar 8, 2012

Most of us have had a telemarketer call us on the cell phone and probably more than once. Today I got one from some tool company that claimed my dad and I are in business together and they had both of our names and numbers. Dad is my landlord on some of the land I farm and we farm it 50-50 so technically we do farm together on that land. The ONLY businesses that have information that has us linked together are the FSA, crop insurance companies, and my little home town bank. We are not connected in a business manner in any other way than this land. I know the FSA does not sell phone numbers nor does my little bank so I'm thinking the only way they got my cell number and could claim my dad and I are partners is through hacked information. The FSA does have my cell number so I'm guessing it's through that avenue but I could be wrong.

I didn't think of pushing him on how he got my number because I was getting pretty hot under the collar, but if he calls again I'll be prepared. If they have my phone number, how much more do they know about my personal information? His number traces to a cell phone so I couldn't get at his name but I did get the town the cell tower is based in. GRRRRRRRR! Jim

RayP(MI) · Mar 8, 2012

Can you get yout carrier to put a block on their number?

Shouldn"t have to, but I registered our cell phones on the "do not call" list.

oldtanker · Mar 8, 2012

I think it's a scam. I got a call like that a few months ago, trying to sell me shop equipment for a shop I don't own. It's was on my cell too. I told the guy that I would be happy to look at his line of tools and equipment just as soon as he could have a sales rep visit.....he hung up on me.

Rick

730-LP · Mar 8, 2012

Don't be so sure that FSA didn't sell your # they sold my address several years back. the reason I know I had several tobacco allotment's and had one listed with a first inital and a middle name,the only place that my name was on record that way and I got alot of junk mail that way,confronted the local office and they said that they hadn't on their level but would not put it past the office in Washington.

fixerupper · Mar 8, 2012

I could do that. I could have the number blocked, but not until he calls me again. I'd sure like to have a little 'chat' with him. He probably doesn't know how the company he works for got my number but he's the foot soldier for this company so he's the first one to get shot at. Verbally, of course! Jim

Paul Searl · Mar 8, 2012

Actually, because it is considered public information, your name would appear in public records as having received payments under that name or as part of a corporation that received government payments. Anymore, your address, phone number etc would not be in that information (very strict about that stuff being releasable now, if it was sold and they were caught, heads roll since thats one of those things they hate seeing on the news), but it doesn't take much to link John Q Doe in county state to a phone number (if your in the phone book) and address. there's companies that compile stuff like that and sell it for a small fee to marketers.

AG in IN · Mar 8, 2012

Some info the FSA offices have on you is "public information" and can be accessed by anyone. Years back, seed and fertilizer companies used to send rep's around based on lists they obtained at the FSA office of active farmers (that the FSA had info on). Lists had name, address, and maybe even phone numbers. Exactly what info the public can currently access on a person through the FSA today, I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if someone has to pay to access this info or if it's free.

I believe many farm publications access some "public information" from FSA/USDA/state environmental agencies/checkoff programs. They then call you and ask you to fill out cards with info so they can cater their articles, propaganda, and advertising toward you and others with the promise of a free magazine.

One BTO got names and addresses for landlords and farmers that had more than 50 or so acres in one chunk or had about 150+ acres total within 25 or so miles of their base of operations in our area from somewhere a few years back to send them letters trying to get ground to farm. Some info surely came from the FSA office.

Today, if someone has just your name, an address, phone number(s), and some business/farm info can easily be found on the internet.

AG

fixerupper · Mar 8, 2012

Well that's interesting. I didn't think the FSA gave out info like that. I have seen my name on the GVT payment list and my dad's too but our individual names are listed apart from each other. Is ANYTHING sacred anymore? Jim

buickanddeere · Mar 8, 2012

Last tele-marketer hasn't called back.
Father-inlaw was visiting and the kids were around so I put the call on speaker phone. It was somebody ESL selling computer protection "because a lot of computers around our area were being compromised." He wanted me to sign onto his site and click a few icons.
Every few seconds during the conversation I would briefly press a phone button and keep on talking as if nothing was going on. Except asking an occasion to repeat something because I didn't understand.
The kids and Father-inlaw are giving funny looks the whole time. Finally the marketer asked "sir what are you doing"? I asked "doing what"? He said "that beeping". I replied oh, " I'm pressing 1 for english"..........................
Kids still talk about what happened next.

ShadetreeRet · Mar 8, 2012

For sometime now, I have been getting calls (on my home phone) telling me that they can lower my interest rates on my credit cards. I was suspicious from the start but one day I actually talked to one of them and they said that if I did not owe at least a thousand dollars on a card that they could not help me. Every time I try to find out where they are located, they hang up. So I started making notes of the names of the company, (they use different names), and the telephone numbers. All the area codes were here in the US, but from all over. Yesterday I called the state attorney general's office and the lady told me, yes it was a scam and they were investigating it, she is sending me a form to fill out with the information that I have. I am on the do not call list, but these people ignore things like that. If the call is computer generated, it usually makes no difference if you are on the do not call list. BTW, I don't even have a credit card!

barnE · Mar 8, 2012

Have to be so mean. If I don't know you, I don't talk to you. That's my story and so far it works. Dave

Anonymous-0 · Mar 8, 2012

just heard a 3 minute tape of a telemarketer who called TOM MABE ,..Hillarious ,,tom told the telemarketer that "TOM" had been murdered and the telemarketer was a suspect

wisbaker · Mar 8, 2012

My daughter showed me a comedy sketch some guy did to a telemarketer. The telemarketer calls and the guy pretends he is a cop investigating a murder caused by a drug deal gone bad, he proceeds jerk the telemarketer around informing the telemarketer that we already got your number and failure to comply with our requests will result in obstruction of justice charges being filed against you, oh your calling from Littleton Colorado? (mumbles just off the phone)Hey Larry get on the phone to the Littleton Police department we need them to pick up this guy before he gets away.- Sir where were you last night between the hours of 8 to 11pm? and so forth. I wonder how many repeat telemarketer calls he gets?

oldtanker · Mar 8, 2012

OK there is a complete difference between a telemarketer and a scam. Most telemarketing people are simple people trying to earn a living. A computer dials a number and they talk from a script. The don't call list only affected US based companies and only resulted in US citizens getting laid off. For the most part they worked for honest companies that represented honest business. I know of 2 companies that were shut down over that and over 125 people who lost their jobs. They never pretended to know you, or that they were knowledgeable of your business.......now the scammers are picking up where we forced them to lay off.

OH by the way....the folks working as telemarketers were given credit for completed calls if you bothered to talk to them.

Rick

MSD · Mar 8, 2012

Can't trust any of them. I formed an LLC partnership a few years back. 3 places new of it. The lawyer, the bank where I started a checking account and the good old state of SD where the LLC had to be registered. Within a week of filing the papers, the LLC was getting credit card offers and about anything under the sun was coming in. I asked the lawyer if he sold my name and of course he didn't, checked with the bank and of course they didn't. so I assume it was the state that did. I know it was public information but it sure didn't take them long to get it out.

oldtanker · Mar 8, 2012

(quoted from post at 22:35:55 03/08/12) Can't trust any of them. I formed an LLC partnership a few years back. 3 places new of it. The lawyer, the bank where I started a checking account and the good old state of SD where the LLC had to be registered. Within a week of filing the papers, the LLC was getting credit card offers and about anything under the sun was coming in. I asked the lawyer if he sold my name and of course he didn't, checked with the bank and of course they didn't. so I assume it was the state that did. I know it was public information but it sure didn't take them long to get it out.

Well the bank and the lawyer would not have lied about it!!!!!!

Rick

Mark - IN. · Mar 9, 2012

Some funny business going on lately. Home and cells are on and registered with the "Do Not Call" lists in Indiana and have been for years, which only exempt political or charity calls. They should be banned too as far as I'm concerned. But after years of not being bothered other than charity and polictical solicitations, all of a sudden over the last few weeks, have been getting calls at home and on my cell, asking for me, to sell insurance on products that were bought from Sears and other places, or services that I've purchased. My immediate responses have been, "Stop right there, this number is on a Do Not Call list, and you're violating the law", only with them to respond that were calling about specific products or services that I had purchased.

There is some funny business going on here. Some sort of loop hole that someone figured out?

Mark

bobs old iron · Mar 9, 2012

have two cell numbers, first in main number listed with cell co, no v-mail set-up, so when t-mktr"s call, nothing, once in a great while get one on second number, i tell them that i just rent if their are selling house fixing,,same thing if they call home number, I"m just renting, get rid of them every time..unless they are that stupid to ask who i have loan with...

MarkB_MI · Mar 9, 2012

If you receive a farm subsidy, your name and address is public information.

ohiojim · Mar 9, 2012

you might want to re-up on that do not call list,..i think it is only good for 5 years, then you have to get back on it,..i've noticed a big increase in telemarketers lately too....

Tom N MS · Mar 9, 2012

Laughing my behind off.....

Tom N MS · Mar 9, 2012

Saw posted on Facebook thus week It said.
"If a telemarketer calls, hand the phone to your 3 yr old and tell him/her it is Santa Claus".

old harv · Mar 9, 2012

I am quite deaf and find saying "WHAAAAT? COULD YOU SPEAK UP" in the middle of every sentence helps a lot. Sometimes I even get them to hang up!

Dave Sherburne NY · Mar 9, 2012

I got a test message on my cell phone last night It was some company trying to help me with my mortgage. I guess I have to memorize the last numbers of my grandsons who think testing is better than talking

Billy Shafer · Mar 9, 2012

I have had one calling me for a month. Trying to sell me a security system. Tried telling them I rent. Can't buy one from them without permission. Called again Monday. Know the number. So I answered TDC Huntsville. So for no call backs.

wisbaker · Mar 9, 2012

I am someone who has worked shifts in the past. Telemarketers are the lowest form of pond scum and I hope they have a special place in he11 for them. If they would respect your request for them to not call you I would feel different, but when you ask to be put in their do not call files (required by law) they use a loophole that gives them a few weeks to remove you, I have had them call me hourly after the request was made for weeks. I have had less then reputable companies violate the no-call list (State Farm Insurance and Time Warner Cable)and then argue with me about it. Hey if they're upstanding citizens and I happen to nod off while driving the truck some night and maybe some one gets hurt or killed in the accident let the 4 or 5 telemarketers whose job it was to prevent me from sleeping take the heat I'm trying to sleep they can't understand I need sleep- our District Attorney, Attorney General, State Representative and Congressman are worthless and all the folks in the consumer protection agency are to busy picketing at the capital and trying to get our governor recalled 'cause their collective bargaining rights are all that's important to them.

Smart Arse guy · Mar 9, 2012

One of the funniest ways to deal with these people is that if it is a woman on the phone ask her......Do.......You.......Have......Nice.....Brests...... make yourself sound like a retard while saying it.

PeteTheRookie · Mar 9, 2012

This worked like a charm for my mom's phone nbr.
Placed on DNC list, BUT, from what I understand certain non-profits etc are exempt from DNC list.
Mom was getting up there in years and was easily talked into donating $10-20 here and there.
SO I set here tele answer maching to pick up after 2 rings and this was the message.

"You have reached a non-working number at the Internal Revenue Service. Please check the number you are trying to dial and try your call again. Message nbr 3424268."

Once our relatives knew it was her nbr they left a msg BUT the tele marketers must have been crossing that nbr off or something in their systems because nuisance calls become virtually non existent in a couple of months.

When I know it a tel-marketer I so the same.

Pete

Anonymous-0 · Mar 9, 2012

Last fall, I worked for a company selling Medicare Advantage insurance. On days when the phone center was slow, we were instructed to make "outbound calls." We were informed that the ONLY way we could LEGALLY make outbound calls for these products was (a) if the person we were calling was a current customer, or (b) if the customer had sent a business reply care or an electronic request for more information.

I HATED working the outbound dialer. We never knew who we were calling or where they were located until the caller was on the line. If the customer had a difficult-to-pronounce name, we had fractions of a second to either figure it out or pizz them off. And then there was the customer who "allegedly" sent us a business reply card for more information...who had been dead for 8 years. I reported that one to a supervisor, after pulling up the customer information and both deleting the phone number AND checking the box marked "DECEASED."

The outbound calls made us look like idiots, and I hated making them...especially the ones in which I learned that, after confirming the customer's county of residence, that we didn't even offer a product I could sell in their area.

I signed on to the program because it paid $13 an hour, and I was promised that we would ONLY handle inbound calls. I'm not a fan of being lied to, but I also needed the job. I won't name the insurance company involved, because I don't think they were 1% as culpable for the mistakes as the subcontractor I worked for who ran the call center.

Got a telemarketer on the cellphone

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