Although most will be a human being you're speaking to, some resort to using an automated voice message that sounds like you are speaking to a real person.
Well, I might have some tips that may just give you some peace of mind the next time you receive such calls.
What's the difference between a cold call and a scam call?
A cold call is, more often than not, a genuine business taking a chance that you may be interested in a product or service they have to offer. This could be along the lines of selling you life insurance, a new mobile phone contract or even a charity calling for donations. These companies have normally received your details because you forgot to tick (or untick) that tiny little box that opts you out of third party contact, e.g. when placing an order online.
However, a scam call may only have as much as your name and number - sometimes not even your name - and can be a little more difficult to determine whether it's real or not.
If you've been asked "Have you been involved in a road traffic accident that wasn't your fault?" then it's most likely some form of scam.
How can I tell if it's real or not?
First and foremost, you need to ask yourself whether or not you have requested/agreed to a call back to discuss whatever it is the salesperson on the phone is trying to talk to you about. If you haven't, then the next thing to do to is to ask them where they are calling from (if they haven't already clarified), their name and how they received your details.
If you they are being vague, abrupt or stutter too much, the chances are that it's not a genuine company, so it may be best to skip to "I'm not interested, now what do I do?" below or end the call.
I'm interested in what they are selling. What should I do next?
One thing to look out for is whether they are asking you to confirm some of your details for security. Although this is perfectly normal for most legitimate businesses to ask, they should only really consist of the following details:
- Full name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Contact number (home or mobile phone number)
- Email address
- Specific characters from a password/PIN you have setup with the organisation calling you, e.g. 1st and 3rd character of your PIN etc. (this applies ONLY if you have set one up with the company)
Some companies might text you a code as part of security, however scammers are using similar methods to obtain sensitive information so unless you have signed up, or agreed, to such a service previously, it's probably best not to carry on with the call.
If you want to ask your own set of security questions, you could ask them to confirm their Company Registration Number (which you can search on Companies House), where they are based and, if they haven't requested you to confirm your contact details for security, you can ask them to confirm one of your contact details that isn't the phone number they just called you on, such as your address or email address.
If you're still unsure, ask them to send an information pack to you via email or post (just don't give them those details unless they confirm it back to you first), or either follow the steps outlined below or terminate the call.
I'm not interested, now what do I do?
So, you've gone through the above options and are satisfied they are either a scammer or just an unwanted sales call. But, what do you do now?
Well there's a couple of options you can choose from aside from simply hanging up on them.
1. If it's an automated call: You should be able to press 9 in many instances which is, effectively, the 'secret opt out' button. If this doesn't work, just hang up every time until you no longer receive such calls.
2. If it's a human being: I find that telling them "I already know someone who gets me the best deal" usually does the trick. Either that, or "I work/used to work in your line of business so I know what to look for" is another failsafe.
The chances are, you may already know someone who can sort a deal out for you if you don't know how to do it yourself, so you wouldn't necessarily be lying.
The verdict
If the caller is still persistent after you have gone through the above steps, you can tell to them that you will call the authorities if they do not terminate the call and remove your details from the system - after all, GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) was put in place so you could have control over what a company does with your data.
The important thing is DONT BE BULLIED into doing/buying something you don't want or aren't sure of!
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