Keep getting calls

Ave Sodalis

Hi,

I'm constantly getting calls from a company in Hong Kong. I've gotten about 5 over the last month and two today. I answered the first one and when I heard that they're supposedly an international investment company, I hung up. Since they rang me twice today, I answered the second one, asked their details which they wouldn't give (such as their name), and how they got my number (It was supplied by our company) and told them to stop ringing me, which they told me they won't do until I am their client. Is there anything I can do to stop it? They've used two different numbers so I can't block it.

Youngblood.III

Your service provider should be able to block the number, contact them otherwise Comreg

Ave Sodalis

Youngblood.III wrote: »

Your service provider should be able to block the number, contact them otherwise Comreg

I'm more looking along the lines as to whether what they're doing in legal or not, and if not, who to report them to. I'd rather get the calls and be in a position to do something about it, then have them blocked and ignore it, and have the company target someone more vunerable. If nothing can be done, then I'll go down the blocking route

Paulw

If they are in Hong Kong, then it being legal here or not won't matter nor will reporting it to anyone really work.

Just keep answering and leave them on hold, or play annoying sounds back to them until they give up.

ohnonotgmail

If they claim to be an international investment group operating out of hong kong then its more than likely a boiler room operation. Reporting them is not going to stop them. they are operating illegally already. The blocking route is your best bet. I would be more worried about how they got your number.

Ave Sodalis

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

If they claim to be an international investment group operating out of hong kong then its more than likely a boiler room operation. Reporting them is not going to stop them. they are operating illegally already. The blocking route is your best bet. I would be more worried about how they got your number.

They refused to say more when I asked.

JoeySully

There are a few things you can do when the call next.

- tell them you are interested and to please hold for a moment and put them on hold until they hang up.
- use a loud whistle
- stop talking and breath heavily down the phone
- make sexual noises
- talk in Irish or other foreign language.

Goshen

I've also heard of people giving them the number of the local garda station (say it's your home line) or the Fraud Squad.

seagull

Next time they call "I'm so glad you called. We have a wonderful investment opportunity for you. All I need is your bank account details and your mother's maiden name." And they'll hang up on you.

Ave Sodalis

seagull wrote: »

Next time they call "I'm so glad you called. We have a wonderful investment opportunity for you. All I need is your bank account details and your mother's maiden name." And they'll hang up on you.

I would but they don't have the same manners as most people and talk over you. They got quite angry with me this morning when I started asking questions and basically told me I was stupid. They ended up hanging up on me while saying they weren't going to stop ringing until I become a client.

PhilipJ

We get these phone calls too. They just pick random numbers and dial. I am ex-directory so its not possible for them to get my number, I would imagine once someone answers from the number they pick its flagged to be a legit number and keep it on file. I spoke with Eircom and confirmed that they operate in places like hong kong, I have had lots of numbers blocked but its a new number every time. The latest one is my wife's credit card is due for renewal and can she recite the card details to verify the card is correct..... There is very little you can do unfortunately. As some one mentioned already use a whistle down the phone or keep playing stupid with them until they get annoyed and hang up or all else fails Give them Enda Kennys phone number....lol

kupus

I was getting the same thing a few years ago. I went a bit technical saying their IP address was from Hong kong....even though they were using phone. But that under world governing body of Internet.something or other. They were abusing system and I could get them blocked. It ended the phone calls. I was also quite abrupt with them telling them I had no need for their services and I had no money for their services anyway
They might think you have a business so just tell them you are winding down the business. Etc..
Worked for me.

seamus

sup_dude wrote: »

I would but they don't have the same manners as most people and talk over you. They got quite angry with me this morning when I started asking questions and basically told me I was stupid. They ended up hanging up on me while saying they weren't going to stop ringing until I become a client.

You're not working with a professional company.

You're dealing with a few people in a warehouse somewhere getting paid cash by criminals to run scams. These people know that they're running scams, they're not trying to be upstanding customer service people, and they're not being subjected to performance reviews or anything else that makes them answerable.

Any attempt to ask them to stop won't work. They will insult you if they want and will continue to call you even if you scream at them until you're blue in the face, because nobody at the other end cares about what the operator does.

You are wasting your time even engaging with them. It is not rude to simply hang up the phone while they're talking. My poor mother in law spent 30 minutes on the phone with them one day because although there is no way in hell she was going to comply, she didn't want to be rude and hang up

About the best thing you can do is answer the phone and then leave the line open and put it down. There is somebody in that call centre looking at costs, and it costs money to ring you. Make it expensive for them and they'll probably stop.

MarkAnthony

JoeySully wrote: »

There are a few things you can do when the call next.

- tell them you are interested and to please hold for a moment and put them on hold until they hang up.
- use a loud whistle
- stop talking and breath heavily down the phone
- make sexual noises
- talk in Irish or other foreign language.

Not a great idea in any circumstance tbh. You've highlighted other less aggressive ways to get your point across.

Pat Mustard

OP, I would suggest that you could attempt to find out enough information from the employees of that company to fill out a telephone nuisance complaint form with the Hong Kong police (assuming that you can verify that they are based in Hong Kong)

https://secure1.info.gov.hk/police/eforms/telephone_nuisance_en.htm

I am unsure as to the relevant Hong Kong/Chinese law but I imagine that if the local police look into it, it'll soften their cough somewhat.

ohnonotgmail

Pat Mustard wrote: »

OP, I would suggest that you could attempt to find out enough information from the employees of that company to fill out a telephone nuisance complaint form with the Hong Kong police (assuming that you can verify that they are based in Hong Kong)

https://secure1.info.gov.hk/police/eforms/telephone_nuisance_en.htm

that probably isnt going to help. these guys are probably already operating illegally. i dont think a complaint to a telecoms regulator (assuming you can even find out who they are) is going to bother them terribly.

Question for the OP: what accents did these guys have? were they european or chinese?

Ave Sodalis

Pat Mustard wrote: »

OP, I would suggest that you could attempt to find out enough information from the employees of that company to fill out a telephone nuisance complaint form with the Hong Kong police (assuming that you can verify that they are based in Hong Kong)

https://secure1.info.gov.hk/police/eforms/telephone_nuisance_en.htm

Great thanks! My phone tells me they're from Hong Kong when they ring. The problem will be drawing information from them. I asked today what their name was and I got that they were a trading bank and they changed the topic.

Ave Sodalis

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

that probably isnt going to help. these guys are probably already operating illegally. i dont think a complaint to a telecoms regulator (assuming you can even find out who they are) is going to bother them terribly.

Question for the OP: what accents did these guys have? were they european or chinese?

They were chinese

Pat Mustard

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

that probably isnt going to help. these guys are probably already operating illegally. i dont think a complaint to a telecoms regulator (assuming you can even find out who they are) is going to bother them terribly.

It's not a regulator, it's the Hong Kong police.

If they phone pests are based in Hong Kong, the police can act, if they have the appropriate information.

Pat Mustard

sup_dude wrote: »

Great thanks! My phone tells me they're from Hong Kong when they ring. The problem will be drawing information from them. I asked today what their name was and I got that they were a trading bank and they changed the topic.

Ah well, maybe you can get their number and give that to the police.

I don't know if it's possible for them to spoof a number so I don't know how feasible this is.

slimjimmc

sup_dude wrote: »

Great thanks! My phone tells me they're from Hong Kong when they ring. The problem will be drawing information from them. I asked today what their name was and I got that they were a trading bank and they changed the topic.

Caller ID can be spoofed quite easily so they might not actually be in Hong Kong.

seanaway

Bets thing ever for these guys is to get a really good whistle and blow the ears off them.... amazing how quickly they tire of calling

billy few mates

Or you can have great fun with these guys and see how long you can string them out before they hang up on you.
Start by telling them they need to answer a few security questions first and make them go through the process of 'registering' with you by getting their name, mother's maiden name and asking them to choose a password before they can talk to you.
Or else you could tell them you're driving and then after a few minutes use one of these sound effects http://www.soundsnap.com/search/audio/car/score?page=2 with a few screams thrown in to give the impression you've just crashed then start groaning in agony to see what they do.
You could also tell him you can't talk as you're on a roller coaster
http://www.soundsnap.com/search/audio/roller+coaster/score
Or just put him on hold while you play a few random sounds and leave it to try and work out wtf you're actually doing.
Don't hang up, the possibillities are endless....

Ave Sodalis

billy few mates wrote: »

Or you can have great fun with these guys and see how long you can string them out before they hang up on you.
Start by telling them they need to answer a few security questions first and make them go through the process of 'registering' with you by getting their name, mother's maiden name and asking them to choose a password before they can talk to you.
Or else you could tell them you're driving and then after a few minutes use one of these sound effects http://www.soundsnap.com/search/audio/car/score?page=2 with a few screams thrown in to give the impression you've just crashed then start groaning in agony to see what they do.
You could also tell him you can't talk as you're on a roller coaster
http://www.soundsnap.com/search/audio/roller+coaster/score
Or just put him on hold while you play a few random sounds and leave it to try and work out wtf you're actually doing.
Don't hang up, the possibillities are endless....

I actually laughed in the middle of a library because of these

TheCowboy

no need for games. just tell em f off.the so called microsoft folk -problem with your computer scam-
always hang up when told f off with your scam

Ave Sodalis

TheCowboy wrote: »

no need for games. just tell em f off.the so called microsoft folk -problem with your computer scam-
always hang up when told f off with your scam

I did. It was after I told them to fudge off and stop calling me that she got angry and told me they weren't going to stop until I was their client.

ABajaninCork

I've had this with the Indian Microsoft crowd. I actually laughed in the middle of his spiel, and hung up. Fella called back and started swearing down the phone at me. So I blew my whistle down the phone, good and hard.

Haven't heard a thing since!

TheCowboy

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I've had this with the Indian Microsoft crowd. I actually laughed in the middle of his spiel, and hung up. Fella called back and started swearing down the phone at me. So I blew my whistle down the phone, good and hard.

Haven't heard a thing since!

they never ring me back and swear.

ABajaninCork

TheCowboy wrote: »

they never ring me back and swear.

Normally they don't. But when I told him he was talking bull and laughed at him, I guess he didn't take it too well. Especially as I am a woman...

TheCowboy

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Normally they don't. But when I told him he was talking bull and laughed at him, I guess he didn't take it too well. Especially as I am a woman...

i don't think they would want to ring me back after how they get told....

billy few mates

When I got the Microsoft Indian guy calling me I pretended to be a total idiot in a panic and grateful for his call. I pretended to follow his instructions and he started getting really wound up when I wasn't seeing the screen he wanted me to see, after about five minutes I asked him should I switch on the computer, I could almost hear him growl. Once the computer was on I pretended the only thing I could see on the screen was 'naked ladies' and pretended to be really shocked at this, he kept trying to get me to close my browser but I kept telling him I was looking at the nice ladies and asking him could he show me more as if he was doing it. The more insistent he became the more unable to follow his instructions I became, every time he asked me to do something I'd ask him to walk me through it and ask him where the 'A' key was and then start insisting that my keyboard didn't have that particular key and it just went on and on like this. It was hilarious listening to him trying to remain calm because he thought he'd hooked a victim but at the same time feeling his anger and frustration growing. Eventually he snapped, called me an idiot and hung up on me.

Goshen

There really is the potential for having hours of entertainment with these idiots.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

billy few mates

You have to make time for fun, if you get a call like this drop what you're doing, put them on hold while you make a cup of tea, then sit back and enjoy. While he's wasting his time trying to hook you he's not fleecing someone else, i see it as part of my civic duty...

seanaway

Start off with 'And how can I hellp you with your MS problem today?