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Ask HN: Wrong numbers that know your first name
In the last few months I have been getting phone calls from random people asking for me by my first name, then after I acknowledge it's me they say a wrong last name, or company. Then shortly after hanging up I receive a telemarketing call.
Has anyone encountered this pattern before? Does it have a name? Is there a way to report it?
In my case I am fairly certain the company behind it is "electric cloud" Who I foolishly gave my information to at a conference. I assume they are contracting out to a third party to verify the numbers they received, but the whole thing seems very shady.
- mattbgates 9y agoI know there has been an increase telemarketing and scam calls. Try searching for your number and your name. I know Facebook asks for your number at one point or another and I don't think they hide it unless you state otherwise. I have a phone number from another state.. and I've since moved, well over 5 years ago.. yet I still get calls from my former state. Why would anyone be calling me from my former state when I haven't lived there and have no business there? I also think the robocallers are simply dialing numbers at random. I mean.. it's not hard to generate a 10 digit phone number and just call every single one and hope it hits. Kind of similar to the brute force method. A few years back, I purchased solar panels, but before I found a company I went with, I put my phone number into a system and for months, I was getting phone calls from robots, asking for me by name, and if I had solar panels... and depending on my response, they would continue. If my response was different, the voice would, "Hello? Hello? I think we almost got disconnected there! I hope you can hear me now! Are you a homeowner? Are you ready to get off the grid and go with solar?" Even though my response was like, "I've already got solar..." They apparently don't understand, "no" or "not interested."
- matt_the_bass 9y agoWow that’s weird. If your theory is true, any ideas why they do that? Does the telemarketing call seem targeted?
- dec0dedab0de 9y agoThe only thing I can think of is that they take their potential leads and run it through a third party to weed out bad numbers. Maybe so that they don't waste their sales people's time.
- tonyquart 9y agoIF you know who's calling you, and they insist on calling you, why don't you try to sue them? I just read an article that might be useful for you at http://www.whycall.me/news/my-4500-payday-from-a-telemarketer/ http://www.whycall.me/news/my-4500-payday-from-a-telemarkete.... Find a lawyer and file lawsuits against them. Hope it helps.
- dec0dedab0de 9y agoI don't think it's gotten that far yet. As I did actually give them my information. It's really this odd "wrong number" thing that is bothering me. I just wanted to see if anyone else has even heard of it.