Received call from this number, transferred to me by a co-worker. When the caller (foreigner, Indian?) got to my line he asked for someone with my first name but different last name. I was highly suspicious as my co-worker swore the person asked for me by first and last name, now they want someone with last name "Smith" who works elsewhere, they claim? I hung up. Calling the # back I found it was to Google Voice. Thank you Google, for facilitating yet more fraud and techo-grift.
3 days later, same thing. Only this time the call comes through our switchboard, and the person asks for my first name but last name "Miller" with yet another company. This time I played along and claimed to be that Mr. Miller. This stumped the foreigner on the other end of the phone. I asked him what his business was, and he just said his manager asked him to call. I asked if I was correct in inferring that someone was paying him (and the others in the call center - I could hear the commotion and voices in the background) to call people they don't know with no agenda whatsoever. He said his manager wanted to speak with me, but he couldn't get a manager on the line. Later I confirmed with our co. operator that the person asked for me by name. She was emphatic that he did. So much for chance error.
All I can think is that they want me to say "no, this isn't Mr. Smith or Miller, this is Mr. XXX". They already have my name, so they know that. Are they confirmed I am here? I have no credit issues or any outstanding business, debt, etc. of any kind that would cause someone to track me, so why? And why not just call my office # directly? They know my name and where I work! They could just look up my direct extension on my employer's website so why bother with all the run-around?
It just makes no sense. By the nature of what I do I am involved in data security and IT identity mgmt, and I thought I've heard of every scam there is. This one, I can't figure out. Run it by colleagues, no one gets it.
Wondering if anyone else has had this same experience.
Received call from this number, transferred to me by a co-worker. When the caller (foreigner, Indian?) got to my line he asked for someone with my first name but different last name. I was highly suspicious as my co-worker swore the person asked for me by first and last name, now they want someone with last name "Smith" who works elsewhere, they claim? I hung up. Calling the # back I found it was to Google Voice. Thank you Google, for facilitating yet more fraud and techo-grift.
3 days later, same thing. Only this time the call comes through our switchboard, and the person asks for my first name but last name "Miller" with yet another company. This time I played along and claimed to be that Mr. Miller. This stumped the foreigner on the other end of the phone. I asked him what his business was, and he just said his manager asked him to call. I asked if I was correct in inferring that someone was paying him (and the others in the call center - I could hear the commotion and voices in the background) to call people they don't know with no agenda whatsoever. He said his manager wanted to speak with me, but he couldn't get a manager on the line. Later I confirmed with our co. operator that the person asked for me by name. She was emphatic that he did. So much for chance error.
All I can think is that they want me to say "no, this isn't Mr. Smith or Miller, this is Mr. XXX". They already have my name, so they know that. Are they confirmed I am here? I have no credit issues or any outstanding business, debt, etc. of any kind that would cause someone to track me, so why? And why not just call my office # directly? They know my name and where I work! They could just look up my direct extension on my employer's website so why bother with all the run-around?
It just makes no sense. By the nature of what I do I am involved in data security and IT identity mgmt, and I thought I've heard of every scam there is. This one, I can't figure out. Run it by colleagues, no one gets it.
Wondering if anyone else has had this same experience.