The worst scammers I've ever encountered!
Cold-calling scammers are normally well spoken and polite. But this bunch were aggressive and incoherent.
Just what are these guys (never gals) on? You could rely on old style boiler room crooks to at least be polite and coherent. After all, a fair number went to some of the UK's best educational establishments, acquiring public school polish, even if they failed their exams. Cold calling fraudsters should be respectable.
But a recent brush with folk intent on ripping me off suggests that the next generation of scamsters are aggressive and incoherent.
This dodgy outfit flogged carbon credits, a fraud I've written about so often that I have lost count.
A pitch of gibberish
Someone who called himself Jacob addressed me as “Anthony”, starting with the usual “Have you ever invested in commodities before?” before launching into the unusual “What sort of laptop or tablet do you have?”
What difference does it make whether I have an Apple Ipad or a Dell desktop to their aim of stealing my bank balance?
Jake, who sometimes forgot my name and called me Andrew, told me he could post a brochure, but “due to the Data Protection Act” he could only send me one if I became a client. This was a “restricted document” under the Act and could only be sent out if I could give him my date of birth. This is total nonsense, of course.
He then forgot about data protection and promised to send the carbon brochure.
Or at least, that was his way of checking my address.
His firm's website is password protected, but I managed to get into a page which informed me:
“There is no such thing a typical client. We draw clients from around the world, from investors looking to stabilise their portfolios, to those looking to take advantage of the growing Green Energies Markets by making multiple purchases. Each of our clients is unique, and our personalised service ensures we are able to meet their personal needs, and get the returns they want from their assets.”
This is all nonsense. There is a typical client – well off and gullible.
A leading company, in just six months
The brochure failed to arrive but a week later a guy called Fraser phoned to check I'd received the non-existent literature. Fraser was strange. Between assuring me that he was “not offering me any investments” and not “expecting anyone to invest on the basis of a phone call”, he asked me outright how much money I had.
He told me that the firm specialised in carbon credits and was “a major company and a leading company”. So I asked how long it had been in business.
“Six months” came possibly the only honest response. I asked how it could become a major and leading company after just six months.
“It has been around as a partnership for 20 years,” he replied. I had already checked the firm and found the two directors, who give their address as that of a firm of South London accountants, were hardly old enough to have been around for two decades. One is aged 31 and his co-director is just 26.
They must have got into carbon trading very early...
Fraser did not know I had done my so homework, so I asked “Who are the partners?”
“I don't know. I am only a junior broker.” But when this junior broker mentioned his own junior, I became confused.
“I am a top junior and he is a junior junior,” came the more or less logical reply. “I'm putting you through to a senior broker.”
Vince, the senior, started by addressing me by my real name – he must have had my details in front of him. But every so often, he asked me “Who am I talking to?”
He became very angry when I asked him questions, shouting at me not to interrupt his monologue before forgetting my name again.
Finally, Vince informed that as I was so rude and a waste of his valuable time, he was going to punish me by depriving me of this investment opportunity. Then he slammed down the phone.
More on scams:
The car insurance scam we are all paying for
How this scammer beat his directorship ban
The 'can't lose' holiday property development scam that will cost you big
Multi-million Ponzi fraudster ordered to pay £1 compensation
The fraudsters that will scam you TWICE!
These scammers have cloned an entire company!
These sick scammers are taking advantage of war and death
ICSS: this premium rate number rip-off will cost you a fortune
Phishing - the simple scam that will never die
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@ukinformedinvestor: better advice would be not to spread hoaxes like this, which snopes.com describes as "a mixture of true, false, and outdated information." See http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/809.asp
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Minimum charge £1850 per Minute Scam Is The Worst I have come across...please advise all readers New Area Code - PLEASE READ Be sure you read this and pass it on. 809Area Code We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code. The woman said 'Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you- get back to us quickly. I have something important to tell you.' Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809. We did not respond. Then this week, we received the following e-mail: Do Not DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284, AND 876 from the UK . U.S. Or Canada . This one is being distributed all over the US & UK ... This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call. Be sure you read this and pass it on.They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc.. In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from the UK . U.S or Canada , you will apparently be charged a minimum of £1850 per-minute. And you'll also get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. WHY IT WORKS: The 809 area code is located in the Dominican Republic .. The charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong. Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.
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@ Tanni: Britain's (plus America and all the rich countries including the BRIC countries) foreign policy has always been questionable. It's always has been financially motivated, never about Human Rights or in the interests of the people/population. Also, it is the fault of Government (of all flavours) - but only because they gave free reign to the Banks who then went on to lend recklessly to those that borrowed recklessly (individuals and business alike). But it is also the fault of us, the consumer, for asking for cheap credit... SUPPLY AND DEMAND! BUT THIS DISCUSSION ISN'T FOR LOVEMONEY!!! Whenever I get a cold caller, or a scammer: I just put on my best impersonation of a police officer, saying that "x has been murdered", and start asking for THEIR details. And if possible, I report them to the ICO and OFCOM - not that it seems to do any good...
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08 March 2014