Weird Phone Poll referring to the Savita H case

V1

Hi All,

Just got a phone call on a landline from a blocked number and on answering it realized quickly that it was a recording.
It was the usual bedlam here in the background so I wasn't able to hear very well and couldnt make very much out...
The recorded caller claimed to be "Dr. SomethingOrOther from NUIG" and from what I could make out the call appeared to be canvasing in nature... It referred to the unfortunate case in Galway and one phrase I did manage to make out was...
"... I can assure you that doctors in Ireland do have the power to terminate a pregnancy under certain conditions..." , which is why it seemed to me to be canvasing support in some form one way or another.
The call ended in a Press 1,2, or 3 Poll and I could not fully make out the options but I do recall that one of them was along the lines of "If you think abortion should be legalised under all circumstances" press X. I didn't press any buttons, just hung up at that point.

The line the call came in on is one I use for work and I have never gotten around to taking it off the spam lists so I get regular assistance from those kind indian folk with fixing the "problem with my windows computer" (They never seem to manage to fix it for me though, possibly because I dont have a windows computer )

In any case, the question I have is did anyone else get this call and
a) is it a scam ?
b) is there a remote possibility that it is a genuine research initiative
c) is it [conspiracy theory] the HSE trying to drum up support or gauge public opinion [/conspiracy theory]

personally I think it is in very bad taste to use this sad sad case in a scam..

Did anyone else get this call and if so can you provide more info on the content?

... Mods - I think this is of general interest but if you feel it should be in the very large thread discussion the Galway case then, please move?

super_furry

Was talk earlier on Twitter of the anti-choice people using automated phone calls.

lazygal

The journal.ie has a piece on this. I'd say its youth defence or one of the other nutty anti choice brigade trying to create spurious poll data to claim people don't want women to have a choice.

Wompa1

From NUIG or University Hospital? no matter what side that's a pretty crappy way to get support. Minimal information provided before the poll questions I'm sure

senorwipesalot

I got it earlier aswell.
Not realising it was prerecorded I hung up with"Fcuk off ya bollix".

Atomicjuicer

Weird.

By the way, if you think its clever to call your opponents anti choice dont you think theyll just call you anti life?

Laneyh

Well whoever is behind it is anti-social , invading people's homes with that BS

V1

lazygal wrote: »

The journal.ie has a piece on this. I'd say its youth defence or one of the other nutty anti choice brigade trying to create spurious poll data to claim people don't want women to have a choice.

yep - that was it alright, slight difference from the report is that it was an anonymous number
http://www.thejournal.ie/unsolicited-abortion-calls-684052-Nov2012/

Wompa1 wrote: »

From NUIG or University Hospital? no matter what side that's a pretty crappy way to get support. Minimal information provided before the poll questions I'm sure

99% certain it mentioned NUIG not UCHG

senorwipesalot wrote: »

I got it earlier aswell.
Not realising it was prerecorded I hung up with"Fcuk off ya bollix".

Would have been my first response as well if the kids weren't around

Laneyh wrote: »

Well whoever is behind it is anti-social , invading people's homes with that BS

totally agree - found it offensive :mad:

lanomist

Had the same call while looking at the Arsenal match tonight, realized it was a recording and hung up straight away.They will win no support by disturbing people at 9pm at night.Probably some fanatical anti choice sect.

j.l

Details here on how (and why) to complain to the Data Protection Commissioner about the unwanted phonecalls.

Recording of one of these phone calls. Noticed this on twitter earlier.

http://soundcloud.com/krank_ie/phone-call?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=http://soundcloud.com/krank_ie/phone-call

Wompa1

Somebody in Galway or Ireland should contact the NUIG press office. I believe if the person is using the name of the University it should be approved by them for distribution. If there's a poll it could be part of somebodys research.

Still, Let's see the bastard\b!tch hang for this Too extreme?

Bipolar Joe

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

By the way, if you think its clever to call your opponents anti choice dont you think theyll just call you anti life?

There's a difference. They ARE anti-choice, insomuch as they don't want people to have that choice to have an abortion. Anti-life means you are all about the murder, regardless of the circumstances.

Chain_reaction

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

Weird.

By the way, if you think its clever to call your opponents anti choice dont you think theyll just call you anti life?

Never heard of the term pro-abort...

Cmar-Ireland

Got that call earlier. The number wasn't blocked though. It showed up as 014402552. Hung up as soon as I realised it was a recording. Google doesn't show anything for the number other than this site?

Esoteric_

I've just sent in a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner about this.

super_furry

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

Weird.

By the way, if you think its clever to call your opponents anti choice dont you think theyll just call you anti life?

I don't really have any opponents I'm aware of, but if any of those Youth Defence fundamentalists wanted to call me anything, it wouldn't concern me.

Anti-choice is a factual term.

Chucken

We got that call this afternoon. I was totally confused as we were expecting a call from the HSE. When I realised it was a recording ( a very muffled one at that) I just hung up.

V1

Wompa1 wrote: »

Somebody in Galway or Ireland should contact the NUIG press office. I believe if the person is using the name of the University it should be approved by them for distribution. If there's a poll it could be part of somebodys research.

Still, Let's see the bastard\b!tch hang for this Too extreme?

The recording above mentions "Professor Eamonn O'Dwyer" and quotes him as having 35 years experience as "Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology Galway" such a title does not exist, but googling the guy reveals a page on an extremist website quoting him in front of a Oireachtas committee on the subject in 2000.
The name also pops up as being associated with NUIG and although I have to confess I am not familiar with the link between NUIG and UCHG, I believe there is one.

But the absolute cracker for me anyway was the LinkedIn profile that I found claiming to be him. 1 connection and lots of typos

Screenshot from 2012-11-21 22:28:58.png

:rolleyes: nobody does a LinkedIn profile that badly!

This type of tactic is commonly used by scam artists to add credibility (like those exiled princes who need to use your bank account to transfer their millions out of their war torn African country) coupled with the deliberate fudging of the reference to Galway in the recording.
I definitely heard NUIG in the version of the call that I got and if I were king of NUIG I would seek this guy out and get him to put manners on these nutcases

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

Weird.

By the way, if you think its clever to call your opponents anti choice dont you think theyll just call you anti life?

I don't think its clever for extremists of any persuasion to invade my privacy and in particular start spouting fabricated rubbish at me. Its a cowardly tactic as if I met them on the street and they approached me like that, at least I'd have the opportunity to smack them !
I do not negotiate with extremists!

c_man

super_furry wrote: »

Was talk earlier on Twitter of the anti-choice people using automated phone calls.

If you send the few euro to 'Happy Dude' they stop harassing you.

El_Dangeroso

V1 wrote: »

The recording above mentions "Professor Eamonn O'Dwyer" and quotes him as having 35 years experience as "Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology Galway" such a title does not exist, but googling the guy reveals a page on an extremist website quoting him in front of a Oireachtas committee on the subject in 2000.
The name also pops up as being associated with NUIG and although I have to confess I am not familiar with the link between NUIG and UCHG, I believe there is one.

But the absolute cracker for me anyway was the LinkedIn profile that I found claiming to be him. 1 connection and lots of typos

Screenshot from 2012-11-21 22:28:58.png

:rolleyes: nobody does a LinkedIn profile that badly!

This type of tactic is commonly used by scam artists to add credibility (like those exiled princes who need to use your bank account to transfer their millions out of their war torn African country) coupled with the deliberate fudging of the reference to Galway in the recording.
I definitely heard NUIG in the version of the call that I got and if I were king of NUIG I would seek this guy out and get him to put manners on these nutcases


I don't think its clever for extremists of any persuasion to invade my privacy and in particular start spouting fabricated rubbish at me. Its a cowardly tactic as if I met them on the street and they approached me like that, at least I'd have the opportunity to smack them !
I do not negotiate with extremists!

It's a real guy:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/leading-gynaecologist-urges-use-of-international-experts-for-savita-inquiry-3296308.html

and he doesn't seem to agree with youth defense:

Prof O'Dwyer said that from the information available to him, he believed that Ms Halappanavar should have been given a termination.

"If they had followed the ruling in the X Case they could have acted, if the mother's life was found to be at risk. I believe they should have acted," he told the Irish Independent.

Tchaikovsky

If this is legit, how the hell are they getting the phone numbers?

Cmar-Ireland

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

Got that call earlier. The number wasn't blocked though. It showed up as 014402552. Hung up as soon as I realised it was a recording. Google doesn't show anything for the number other than this site?

01 440xxxx numbers are supplied by Blueface (maybe other VoIP providers too) so they must be using VoIP phones for this.

Atomicjuicer

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

There's a difference. They ARE anti-choice, insomuch as they don't want people to have that choice to have an abortion. Anti-life means you are all about the murder, regardless of the circumstances.

Pro-lifers want less death and the circumstances that support less loss *are* relevant.

Unfortunately defining what is a risk to the mother's life can lead to legal loopholes that devalue life.

For example "yeah doc, totally suicidal - can I've another abortion please?"

The problem is who does the choosing and will it lead to a culture that increasingly devalues human life.

LiamMc

V1 wrote: »

....

I don't think its clever for extremists of any persuasion to invade my privacy and in particular start spouting fabricated rubbish at me. Its a cowardly tactic as if I met them on the street and they approached me like that, at least I'd have the opportunity to smack them !
I do not negotiate with extremists!

You are on the Internet starting conversations about your perceived breach of privacy. Your complaint isn't credible.

hooradiation

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

For example "yeah doc, totally suicidal - can I've another abortion please?"

I believe strawmen lack reproductive organs, so this really shouldn't be a concern.

Atomicjuicer

hooradiation wrote: »

I believe strawmen lack reproductive organs, so this really shouldn't be a concern.

It's the anti-choice term that I was questioning really. Yeah anti-life doesn't make sense because pro choice people aren't advocating relentless murder but prolife people aren't advocating the end of all human choice either.

Call it a straw man if you like - I call it taking responsibility for the future.

hooradiation

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

It's the anti-choice term that I was questioning really. Yeah anti-life doesn't make sense because pro choice people aren't advocating relentless murder but prolife people aren't advocating the end of all human choice either.

Call it a straw man if you like - I call it taking responsibility for the future.

It is and you're not.

humanji

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

Pro-lifers want less death and the circumstances that support less loss *are* relevant.

Unfortunately defining what is a risk to the mother's life can lead to legal loopholes that devalue life.

For example "yeah doc, totally suicidal - can I've another abortion please?"

The problem is who does the choosing and will it lead to a culture that increasingly devalues human life.

This isn't the thread for that conversation. Stick to the topic.

Karsini

Karsini wrote: »

01 440xxxx numbers are supplied by Blueface (maybe other VoIP providers too) so they must be using VoIP phones for this.

If this is the case, then it might be worthwhile getting in contact with Blueface themselves and telling them about this? Surely getting people's numbers is in breach of the Data Protection Act, especially if it's used to spread any form of agenda?

If it is Blueface, then whoever uses that number was in breach of their Terms of Conditions, which state:

"Customers agree not to use any Blueface provided services for auto-dialers, telemarketing or illegal purposes."

Death and Taxes

Atomicjuicer wrote: »

Pro-lifers want less death and the circumstances that support less loss *are* relevant.

Unfortunately defining what is a risk to the mother's life can lead to legal loopholes that devalue life.

For example "yeah doc, totally suicidal - can I've another abortion please?"

The problem is who does the choosing and will it lead to a culture that increasingly devalues human life.

A 12 week old lump of cells is not human life.

Winty

V1 wrote: »

The recording above mentions "Professor Eamonn O'Dwyer" and quotes him as having 35 years experience as "Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology Galway" such a title does not exist, but googling the guy reveals a page on an extremist website quoting him in front of a Oireachtas committee on the subject in 2000.
The name also pops up as being associated with NUIG and although I have to confess I am not familiar with the link between NUIG and UCHG, I believe there is one.

Great research V1 well done keep up the good work

Death and Taxes

Two investigations have been launched:
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/two-probes-launched-after-reports-of-abortion-related-automated-phonecalls-575161.html
I have no doubt this will be the work of the Youth Defence/Life Institute Taliban.

SEPT 23 1989

On Joe Duffy now

hooradiation

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

On Joe Duffy now

In my mind, Joe Duffy has just been robocalled and hasn't noticed that it's not a real person.

looksee

I got one of those calls yesterday from an unavailable number, I put the phone down as soon as he started with the recorded voice. We are supposed to be on the 'no spam calls' though.

handlemaster

the up grading of bed sits . why are people surprised this has been coming for years

miss_shadow

I got this call too, I found it to be in very bad taste ,in that my opinion is very personal and I'd think everyone's view on abortion is quite a personal opinion/choice too... And to call anonymously is just saying 'well we don't give a $hit who you are we just want an answer'.. Then we'll use that info and bend it to however we want!

Blueface replied to me. They did some checking and that number isn't one of theirs, so hopefully it will be found who the provider is and that, in turn, will show whoever did it.

ValerieR

Just got that call too.
Didn't bother listening to it.
I'm on the 'no-marketing-calls' list too.
The number showed 'out of area'.
If someone finds who this crowd is ....That'd be great. :-D

Mollywolly

I got that call yesterday too, and listened to the end of it then hung up without voting.

I'm on the list for no cold calling but this one got through, so I've written to the Data Commissioner.

They're talking about it on The Journal too ===> http://www.thejournal.ie/abortion-number-found-shut-down-685064-Nov2012/

Smidge

Got this call at about 4ish today.
Same as everyone else, Dr Blah blah etc.
When it came to the "choose an option" part I hung up and rang my phone service provider.
They said they have been aware of these calls for the last week and the chances are that once you click onto one of the "options" you will have accessed a "premium service" and will get a fair few quid added onto your next bill.

So in other words, a feckin scam.

Some amount of scum out there to try to profit from this tragedy.

Esoteric_

Smidge wrote: »

Got this call at about 4ish today.
Same as everyone else, Dr Blah blah etc.
When it came to the "choose an option" part I hung up and rang my phone service provider.
They said they have been aware of these calls for the last week and the chances are that once you click onto one of the "options" you will have accessed a "premium service" and will get a fair few quid added onto your next bill.

So in other words, a feckin scam.

Some amount of scum out there to try to profit from this tragedy.

What? Are you sure about this? My sister pressed one of the options on it! :eek::eek:

Smidge

LyndaMcL wrote: »

What? Are you sure about this? My sister pressed one of the options on it! :eek::eek:

No, I'm not sure about it as the service provider wasn't even sure about it!!!

That was their take on it, that it was that kind of scam.

I have two aunties who got the calls also, one last night and one just before I got mine and they both pressed the options

galah

friend at work was saying today that she got that call, and after she chose option 3 (I think that was 'have the same system as in the UK'), the system returned with 'invalid option, please select again'.

She was 100 % sure she pressed the 'correct' button on her phone.

If this is some pro-life campaign collecting 'votes' in a phone poll against abortion, it's pretty sneaky if it does not allow for a pro-choice option. Could also just be a scam though. Would love to know where they got the phone numbers from...

oldyouth

Got my 2nd one this evening. I just hung up. It's one of those things

Smidge

galah wrote: »

friend at work was saying today that she got that call, and after she chose option 3 (I think that was 'have the same system as in the UK'), the system returned with 'invalid option, please select again'.

She was 100 % sure she pressed the 'correct' button on her phone.

If this is some pro-life campaign collecting 'votes' in a phone poll against abortion, it's pretty sneaky if it does not allow for a pro-choice option. Could also just be a scam though. Would love to know where they got the phone numbers from...

+1 My number is ex-directory so where they got it from??????

mikemac1

I worked in one of those places

It's random

They select their area, say 091 for Galway and then they'll randomly select first 3 numbers so we'll say 777 and now they can call every number with the last three numbers

So from 091 777 001 to 091 777 999

The client who ever it might be will work this out with management who then set up how they will do it

frfintanstack

WileyCoyote wrote: »

A 12 week old lump of cells is not human life.

google 12 week fetus and look at the images.

we are all just lumps of cells by that analogy.

frfintanstack

frfintanstack wrote: »

google 12 week fetus and look at the images.

we are all just lumps of cells by that analogy.

The difference is we can survive by ourselves, a 12 week old fetus cannot.