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Telco land line scam!

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:14 pm
by blade888
Heads up people! It's happening again!
Back in 2009 a company called 'Yourtel' outsourced an Indian call center to steal customers away from Telstra. They did so by stating they are calling in regards to your Telstra land line and to notify you that you are entitled to a discount on your next bill.

Refer to: http://www.notgoodenough.org/viewtopic.php?p=327350

In fact what they doing is shoving themselves in as the middleman to be your new telco land line provider by re-selling the Telstra line you already are paying for directly from Telstra. Also it would be at a slightly higher rate. As most ADSL customers pay for Internet and land line in one sum. They only offer the land line, so it's a play on totals and numbers with a fast sales pitch. (example: Internet+line=$79 - they offered land line only for $59, as they repeatedly say nothing will change in your phone number or Internet plan. Just the land line bill will come from Yourtel instead)

I got call from them on my land line yesterday on my day off.

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:55 pm
by Fitter
That's why I don't have a landline

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:02 pm
by tencents
i get that call every now and then " We're calling to tell you that u can get discount on your next bill.. blah blah blah BS" I don't mean to be rude, but i tell them to F- oFF and hangup.

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:05 pm
by woodduck
Yep this happened to me. Persistent buggers too!

They called me and said they were calling about my Telstra bill...He said "Im just calling about your telstra bill, to let you know that from next month you will get a discount on your local and capped mobile calls, My name is Peter Forster and my Job ID is ***** incase something happens and your discount is not applied to your billl" I didnt believe it but thought i would hold on and see what he had to say, seeing as he had given me his name and job ID. He then started asking me questions like "Now to be eligible for this telstra line offer you must be under the age of 75 and a Australian resident. Can you confirm this by giving your DOB and telling me that your a Aus resident?". Then he started to say things like "How much internet do you use per month?" to which i replied "you should already know that" to which he claimed he was from a different department bla bla. He then asked me "Do you own a business? I have a superannuation fund her in your name" WTF? I said "that's none of your business" and he said "Can i just get a licence number, a medicare card number or a bank card number". That was when i hung up the phone. He then called back 3 times that night. Then 3 times the next day. The last time my housemate answered and when he asked for me my housemate said "Who are you? Who do you work for? Can i get a return contact number" he just kept saying "Its peter from Melbourne, Carl will know what i wanted just tell him i called" my housemate said "HOW CAN HE CALL YOU BACK IF YOU WANT GIVE ME A RETURN NUMBER?" and he hung up and never called back haha. If i was an older person i would have been sucked right in!!!

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:51 pm
by Gleno
Generally what i do with these stooges is if I decide to answer the phone and it's someone trying to sell a phone rental plan or Internet etc, i just say to them "one moment and I'll get the owner of the house to talk to you". I put the phone down (not hang up) and leave them hanging while i go about doing there own buisness. I love wasting there time :)

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:11 pm
by blade888
Yea, I got suspicious when the numbers didn't add up and when I asked could I have a think about it and do they have a return phone number I can call them on (so I could get them off the phone politely) they said no, the deal is outbound call available only and I would have to sign up and do all my personal details right there and then. Then I get a 10 day cooling off period to make my enquires?!? That's just pressure sales and an excuse to get my personal details.. 100% Scam.

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 5:25 pm
by Tarquin
A lot of these places work off the call hang-up rate for thier stats (how many times we hang up on them) - So, the best way to get them to leave you alone is what Glen suggested....

Leave the phone somewhere and just go about your business, and wait for them to hang up the call - It effects the call centre guy's stats and makes them look bad to their manager - lol

I do it alot... or I give the phone to my little one who doesn't talk yet

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 6:41 pm
by dannyboi
Apparently I got a call from someone yesterday, but my mum picked up. They were asking for me, but from what she heard it sounded like an Indian call-centre. She said I was at work and they promptly hung up. I wouldn't be surprised if it was something along the same lines.
If it was anyone else from any of my accounts, they would have access to my work and mobile number.

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:42 am
by tommo08
my landline usually informs me of an 'intonational' call so its funny when I answer and i get some indian lady saying she is calling from the optus department from melbourne (2 problems there 1. it said international and 2 im with telstra... go figure then they blab on about my mobile ......which is also with telstra but is not connected 2 landline which is even funnier