I’m on the Do Not Call list and was hoping that would cut down on telemarketing calls.  I haven’t seen any difference, so I’m wondering how well that system works.  I’ve got nothing against telemarketers.  I used to be one.  It was legitimate and I wasn’t selling anything – Well, almost not selling anything.

I worked for a local telemarketing company.  I was able to work from home and be there for my kids – Something that most moms want.  I made courtesy calls for newspapers all across the country.  It was a very pleasant call to make.  I just needed to confirm that the problem they reported had been resolved.  Most everyone was polite and thanked me for following up on their complaint.  UNTIL I called someone with a chronic problem.  Then, I got an earful.  But, that was my job:  Identify the people who still need a solution to their newspaper delivery problem.  The “almost not selling anything” refers to the question that was asked on every call.  “Do you know anyone who would like to deliver the paper?”  That was a long time ago.  I burned out after 2 years of completing 1,000 calls a week.

For several months now, I’ve been getting telemarketing calls from 3 different numbers.  I haven’t answered any of them, thanks to Caller ID.  The voice is different every time, but the message is always the same.  They want a certain person, the same name every time, to return the call.  I googled the phone numbers and found I’m not the only one getting these calls.  It’s a collection agency, or so they say.  Everyone who reported the call was asked for a different person.  Those who returned the call to say it was a wrong number were interrogated.  They want all YOUR information and won’t tell you who they are or what they want.  They’re even rude enough to accuse you of hiding the person they say they are calling.

I want no part of this call.  I’m glad I researched it before I returned the call.  According to my credit card company’s security and fraud department, the call is a phishing scam.  They’re not calling the person they ask for.  They just want you to return the call.  They only want YOUR information.  They’re “phishing” for it.  Then, they can charge your credit card, steal your identity or whatever you give them access to.  Identity theft is big business today.  We all need to be careful not to fall for telemarketing scams.

I’ve written down those 3 phone numbers right next to the phone.  And there might be others.  I’m at a point where I don’t answer the phone if the caller isn’t identified.  Many of the telemarketers identify themselves on caller ID with a city and state.  I get a lot of calls from Denton TX.  Another call is from 800 Service.  Most don’t leave voicemail messages.  There’s plenty of time to return a call if it’s a customer for my business.

What kind of telemarketing calls do you get?

Related posts:
• Do Not Call Registry
• Telemarketing Robocalls