Tags: Scams
3Com 3G Phone Scam
December 2nd, 2006, by Rich.
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I just got called by another TPS-ignoring baby-eating evil telemarketing sales company - it must be my lucky month.
Picking up the phone and answering to find musak playing I thought I might be in for the deal of a lifetime, or maybe an offer that was too good to refuse, so I grabbed a pen and paper just in case.
After a few seconds an Indian sounding chap appeared on the line. His broken pronunciation immediately suggested that English was not his first language. He told me that he was “calling from 3com on behalf of 3G” and that my land-line number has been specially selected “to receive a mobile phone absolutely free, including 400 minutes any time any network and 25 free minutes video conferencing, with no roaming charge, no activation charge, ” … etc. etc. “the phone will be a Motorola E1070 camera flip phone…“.
Naturally there would have to be a line rental, and I’d be getting that at a 50% discount. Paying £17.50 per month instead of £35.
I currently have a top-up mobile phone but I use it so infrequently that my last number was reallocated by the phone company because they thought I’d abandoned them: so even if this telemarketer is offering me a great deal, I don’t need it, and I’m TPS registered so they’re not allowed to waste my time.
So I decide to keep them on the line for as long as possible, and mention that I have another call coming in, so perhaps he wouldn’t mind holding for a few seconds. I compose myself, tidy my notes, and return from “my other call”…
Elaborate Bluff, not.
I asked the guy to elaborate on a few things that were unclear, like:
- Which network the offer was with. He said “3G“. I didn’t want to lead him with any information (like explaining where 3G fits into the mobile phone jargon world) so I mention that “of the phone networks in this country, none of them is called ‘3G’”, and he eventually offers “the network is three but it actually called 3G sir“. Um… yeah… this is me, being unimpressed.
- I ask who’s calling me, and he repeats “3Com on behalf of 3G”. I ask for clarification saying; “3Com as in the company that make network things?” and he says “Yeah, obviously sir, obviously“.
Call Termination
So then he passes me off to the “closer” another Indian sounding chap, for the recorded portion of the phone conversation. I ask the closer where in the world he is and he tells me “Leeds, South Yorkshire”. He asks for my credit card number and date of birth. I say I’m not comfortable giving out this information because they’ve called me, and ask if I can have a phone number to call them back on. He puts the phone down.
If anyone falls for this patter and finds out who’s taking money from their account, do tell all - I’d like to know who to register my TPS complaint against, but the caller withheld their number.
December 4th, 2006 at 12:09 pm
They just called again. This time it was “Eric”, he confirmed he’s working for “3Com on behalf of 3G Networks” several times. He also said he was in India, but when I asked him which city he hung up.
I gave (the real) 3Com a call to check if this is remotely connected to them. I spoke with Gary Stewart who was very pleased to be able to tell me that there are several 3Com’s and that this has nothing to do with them.
So the bit where the guy confirmed he was calling from “3Com as in the people who make networking stuff” saying “Yeah, obviously” can now be taken with a larger pinch of salt.
So I dig around and find one of the other 3Com’s, namely Threecom Communications Ltd. I call them and ask if they have people who call the UK (I also explain the background) and it appears they do indeed have approximately 20 call-centres worldwide in places as diverse as India an Czech Republic.
I spoke with a chap called John Sanders who deftly took charge of the problem, opening with an apology and offering to investigate - if this weren’t a telesales related conversation I’d be surprised at speaking with someone who could handle a problem call so well. John sounded concerned that the company had been named but not properly identified. He shared my concerns that when I’d asked for more information about the caller I’d been hung up on twice, and even talked of things like dismissal - whether that’s for poor Eric or the whole call-centre I’m not sure.
He has my number, so lets see what he finds. When he gets back to me I’ll post an update.
December 6th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Excellent work.
Unfortunately, it is my understanding that the TPS only works for calls that originate in the UK, or for those firms that actually check the TPS.
Nowadays I just feign interest and ask them to hold while I take a saucepan off the stove. I then continue whatever it was I was doing before they called, whether it be watching TV, reading, or going to the pub.
I only wish I could keep track of how long they stayed on the line.
December 12th, 2006 at 12:29 pm
Another call today, this time the call centre was obviously too busy because after 10 seconds (just enough time for me to get my trusty notepad and pen ready) they hung up without presenting me with the infamous unbeatable but unrepeatable offer.
The caller withheld their number, obviously, so I don’t know if it was Threecom again or not. The quality of the line and the musak selection was certainly the same as before.
So now it’s lunchtime, and I have to go and post a letter, but if I go out, I might miss a once in a lifetime bargain opportunity. Oh the quandry!
December 12th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
I got the same 5 minutes ago, from a mobile and I got their number, lol, 07976715311 so watch out if they’re stupid enough to use it again :D
January 19th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
They just called me. Exactly the same as above.
January 19th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Hi,
I Keep getting these, but unidentifiable company name
“oagzz”
“pardon?”
“urrggzzzz” -
“oh right - and if I need to call you back what’s your number?”
(Launches into sales patter again)
“Can I speak to your supervisor?”
“I am the supervisor”
“I don’t think you are”
(click)
” - oh they’ve gone”
Anyway - today they called with a different company name “Buzz” apparently of Green Lane a UK registered company on behalf of 3G … whatever!
- After advising I was not interested I passed him on to my 3yr old.
(still no shaking him)
I then launched into my own patter about the TPS service (not that is would affect the Indian gentleman, but hey, he has to listen to my crap now..)
Not long before he hung up.
- Well they didn’t hide the number, it was 08007018418
but when called it says that the number isn’t free from outside the United States.
DnZ
January 31st, 2007 at 12:52 pm
hi, i just had a message from someone saying they have a recorded message for me, call 08718723810, when i called they said a few questions first, can you punch in your phone number, a few times i got this has not been recognized, same as my network, not recognized, so im still on the line repeating this by punching keys on the phone, i got wary then hung up, im not sure if its genuine, or a scam, any advice please, cheers alan
January 31st, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I’m not taking any chances, I got the msge below this moring, thought “oh yeah bog off morons like I’m gonna fall for that” I aint even curious in the slightest about it so I deleted it pronto, and if they bother me again I’ll jsut keep doing the same. (dont care if it’s a scam or not I ant interested or curious enough to chance it).
says i have a msge waiting collecgtion and to ring 0871 872 3816
it’s gotta be tosh aint it.
February 7th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Yup, I have just received a text message (and I too am TPS registered). It states:
“We currently have a message awaiting your collection. To collect your message just call 0871 872 3816.”
The text message appears to come from the number 20105996500 which may be an Egyptian number.
I’m not going to ring an 0871 national rate number to find out what the scam is so forwarded the message to what I believe to be Orange’s spam reporting number: 7726 (but I may be wrong).
February 21st, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I just got almost exactly the same call today, I just hope giving them my name, number, address, and bank name wasnt enough for them to get enough info.
…but I did get this number from them 0018007018418 (it was the number that called).
Remember every one, if it is too good to be true, it ALWAYS is.