Power Saving Scam

[yogasun]

I have just had a phone call from an Asian man telling me he was from the Electricity Board and that because we pay our electricity bills immediately we have been selected for the provision of a device that plugs in and saves 40% electricity for all electrical appliances.
He asked for my date of birth which I didn't give and I said 'If this is so wonderful how come it's not been mentioned in the papers?' At which point he hung up. Have since done an internet search and found this is the latest scam (well, what a surprise) and had I continued with the conversation he would have got me to divulge my debit card no., etc.
If it's not that it's calls about 'errors on my computer' from callers purporting to be from Microsoft. I have done the 'telephone preference' bit but these calls are from abroad so you can't seem to stop them. Anyone else had this scam? Beware!

[gingejbee]

Firstly.....there are no Electricity Boards.....

[yogasun]

Good point. Sometimes these callers rattle stuff off and you don't take it in.
All scams.

[Baldric]

What I get are emails "from" Fedex or Ups telling me they're having problems delivering to me, all emails have an attachment, none of them get opened.

[rowanwitch]

I find an 'I do not deal with unsolicited callers please write to me and I will get back to you if I am interested' works they always ask for my address... oh dear surely if you are who you say you are you should know that..

[bednobs]

what a plonker! If there was a device that did this, everyone n the developed world would have one to save on carbon emissions

[yogasun]

That's a good one rowan!

[Smowball]

lol rowanwitch - good point!

The genuine calls which drive me mad are when my old bank used to call me, and then ask me to say my account number and sort code, D.O.B etc over the phone. I used to say " You called ME, surely you know who you have called?"

[Baldric]

I always answer concealed number calls and ones beginning with 08** with a positive "Hello, whose trying to sell me something this time?"
Amazing how often people hang up.

[rowanwitch]

'Hello you are through to watchdog...'

[Ratty2E]

Most of these switchboard callers never answer immediately when you say hello so I put the phone down. If they can't do me the courtesy of paying attention to me then I'm not interested whoever they are. The phone calls are bad enough but it's the people that come to the door that annoy me more. All of them though have a knack of calling/knocking when you're up to your eyes in something.

[mandimoo]

When these unsolicited calls ask for me, I ask who it is. They dont like to tell you, but unless they do, I just keep repeating 'who is calling?'. They'll either hang up or tell me. If its someone I want to speak to - fine. If not I say "I'll just go and get her" and leave the phone on the mantlepiece until they hung up. A small victory I know, but at least they pay for the call.