03.01.20 — The DW Sunday Column: A Call From Me? I Wonder What I Want?
When it first happened, I almost answered. A call from me, 602-xxx-xx77. That is my phone number….calling my phone number. Let me repeat this; my phone number is calling my phone; the calling phone is the receiving phone, all at once.
I have long since ignored calls that have the same area code and first three digits. That was clever, but I am pretty confident I never actually answered and asked, “wow, were you in line behind me at the Verizon store when they gave out my number, our phone numbers are so, so close?”
But now, my number. Not my number with my name attached via caller ID. Just my number. How does this happen? I guess “they” can program it any way they want. Why not just put “The White House” on the caller ID, maybe I would answer then. Well, perhaps not.
That leads me to ask: What can you do about robocalls. If they are down to calling me, from me, what is next?
For two people in the news, their answer is to answer. As in, pick up the phone and talk to Mr. Robo Call.
One guy in Texas holds a seminar where he charges $47 for a program that “teaches” you and me how to answer and make money off “Robo.” No, I did not write that wrong. You make money from them, not the other way around.
At first, I figured the plan would be to set up a meeting, tell everyone you can make money off of robocalls, thank them for coming, and ask for the $47. He would collect the money and then say, “Set up a conference, tell everyone you will teach them how to make money off a robocall, and charge them $47. Have a good day, all.”
But, no, it was a little more elaborate than that. This guy points to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rules. With this information, when you get a robocall, you talk to someone and say, “what is your phone number, so I can call YOU in the middle dinner?” ….no wait, not that….let me start this again, when you talk to someone, you need to get their company information and address. You then send a letter that they violated the “rules” mentioned above. And, so the story goes, the company is so worried about this letter, they send a check and consider it “the cost of doing business.”
Why do I find it hard to believe that a company that spoofs my number, where it seems like I am calling me, is going to worry about a letter from Joe Seminar about violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rules?
One guy said he made 30 grand. I tell you what, even if this is true, and it could be, I am not willing to actually TALK to someone who is making these robocalls. I don’t know if the potential to earn $30K would be enough.
Another guy has another idea. He is a techie guy, and he talks to them too. He even lets them into his computer. But the joke is on the Robo caller person. The tech guy then turns the tables and secretly invades THEIR computer system. For fun, he will tap into the robocall company’s recording system, hack it, and change the message to something like, “I am calling from a bad company that is trying to make money illegally…” or something like that.
The recap: A company that tries to get you on the phone to scam you by hacking into your computer is being scammed by a guy who accepts the call from the scammer, then hacks into their computer. And, not for profit, but kind of for fun.
The for-profit people are learning about a path for $47 that will tell them to mail a letter and make tens of thousands of dollars, from “reputable” robocall companies that get freaked out by an envelope, a stamp, and a letter with words like Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rules.
Geez, here is the truth as I know it: if I get another call from me, with my number, to me….I am not answering the darn call.
Work cited
Man has a program to get money from a robo caller: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/10/30/mckinney-mans-new-development-helps-consumers-make-money-by-answering-robo-calls/
Hacker hacks the scammers: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robocall-revenge-meet-the-techies-taking-down-scammers/
Photo credit: J. Watz
