Junk mail plus telemarketing equals new ISP account?

[crabby3]

This tactic is new to me.  First I get junk mail, from my phone company, saying they want to be my new ISP.  Next few days they call,
wanting me to 'confirm' an appointment I (or someone else) have made, to come and set me up.

All of their calls (4) were automated and recorded by my answering machine.  No buttons were pushed to confirm, change, etc. this non appointment.

Fake day & time came and went.  Nada.  I suppose this gimmick might work in some households?  Beware! 

[Innuendo]

Chances are if you had answered any of those calls you would have gotten a hard sell from a sales rep trying to sell you on their service.

With scummy marketing tactics like that I'd be looking for a new phone company.

[crabby3]

Chances are if you had answered any of those calls you would have gotten a hard sell from a sales rep trying to sell you on their service.

With scummy marketing tactics like that I'd be looking for a new phone company.

-Innuendo (February 16, 2014, 11:09 AM)

Just visited my phones web site and it could not locate any *service changes requested*.  This was definitely a scam but probably not by them.
This is what I suspected all along.  That the phone calls and maybe the junk mail were both phony. 

[Innuendo]

Just visited my phones web site and it could not locate any *service changes requested*.  This was definitely a scam but probably not by them.
This is what I suspected all along.  That the phone calls and maybe the junk mail were both phony. 

-crabby3 (February 16, 2014, 12:51 PM)

Then that should narrow down your list of suspects considerably. If you are like me, very few entities possess both my email address and my home phone number.

[crabby3]

Just visited my phones web site and it could not locate any *service changes requested*.  This was definitely a scam but probably not by them.
This is what I suspected all along.  That the phone calls and maybe the junk mail were both phony. 

-crabby3 (February 16, 2014, 12:51 PM)

Then that should narrow down your list of suspects considerably. If you are like me, very few entities possess both my email address and my home phone number.

-Innuendo (February 16, 2014, 02:05 PM)

Some clarification... the junk mail was USPS delivery.
How could someone match my address with my phone number?  Would have to be an ex-friend I guess?  Got lots of those.   

[Innuendo]

Oh, my mistake. 

I automatically went to the premise you were talking about email junk mail. Never mind. Nothing to see here.

[crabby3]

Oh, my mistake.  

I automatically went to the premise you were talking about email junk mail. Never mind. Nothing to see here.

-Innuendo (February 17, 2014, 07:31 AM)

No problem Innuendo.  Personally I am still trying to learn and remember all the computer-jargon.  Junk email is called spam right?
I have it written down, someplace, just can't remember where.  

. . .   _ . _ .   . _   _ _   . _ _ .   . _   . _ .   _   . . _ _ _  = scam part 2

Got one last call yesterday (Sunday) and I believe it was a live person.  Could not hear all she said... even at max volume.
She probably moved the mic away from her mouth, for a cigarette break and didn't move it back.  

[Innuendo]

Yes, junk email is called spam. You remember correctly.

Where I live we have a do-not-call list on the state level that works on the one at the national level. I signed up for both & I get a call from a telemarketer maybe once or twice a  year. Life is good.

As for your last call, telemarketers have the technology to call from anywhere in the world and make it look like anything they want on your caller ID. Some of these calls go through weird relays that will make the call sound faint or far away.

[crabby3]

Yes, junk email is called spam. You remember correctly.

Where I live we have a do-not-call list on the state level that works on the one at the national level. I signed up for both & I get a call from a telemarketer maybe once or twice a  year. Life is good.

As for your last call, telemarketers have the technology to call from anywhere in the world and make it look like anything they want on your caller ID. Some of these calls go through weird relays that will make the call sound faint or far away.

-Innuendo (February 18, 2014, 12:26 PM)

The name Spam is pretty easy for me.  Windows Mail (or maybe Avast) adds ***SPAM***, to the beginning of the Subject Line of any suspected email,
before sending it to the Junk E-mail folder.  

A few years back I added my name, address and/or phone number to: http://thedma.org/ and https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t

Unfortunately there is a at least one loophole (my experience).  My nemesis was the PBA.
If you have taken phone calls from anyone you have delt with in the past you are subjected to continue receiving them.
This of course was back when I actually answered the phone; before I got my electronic-secretary.

As far as sounding faint or far away?  Don't remember it sounding that way.
Her voice sounded distant to begin with but got louder as she tried to convince me to punch certain buttons.
This difference in volume is common, either face to face or over the phone.  We all do it, to make a point or emphasize something.

Many times I have had to call somebody about an issue that couldn't be handled thru email.
About half of these calls were started by me asking the *associate* to speakup.  The volume didn't change but the voice got a lot louder.
I believe it's because the person moved the mic closer to his or her pie-hole.