Phony Calls

Phony Calls

May 17

I had another telemarketer call tonight, just as we were getting Aidan ready for bed.. I don’t mind telemarketers, per se, though sometimes their timing can be way off. (I will, however, make an exception for auto-dialed calls that don’t have someone waiting to speak to me when I pick up the phone. Those frustrate me.) Anyway I am a sucker and usually pick up the phone even when I don’t recognize the number. Tonight was not the exception.

I picked up the phone wondering who would be so keen to get ahold of us at this time of the evening only to be greeted by silence. After my second hello, as I was reaching for the hang up button, the background noise came on and finally a voice filtered through with a thickly-accented “Hello”. Here, to the best of my memory, is the conversation:

Them: Hello, is this the owner of this telephone number?
Me: No, I don’t own the number. I rent it from the telephone company.
Them: Is this the owner of this telephone number?
Me: No, I don’t own it. I rent it from the telephone company. But yes, I am the person who lives here.
Them: Hello, my name is “Jessica” and I am calling from the technical support office for windows.
Me: Thank you. My windows are fine, but I am getting a few replaced later on this year.
Them: No, this is technical support for Windows operating system. Do you have the Windows operating system?
Me: Yes, several versions. [pause] What about Linux, do you technical support for those computers as well?
Them: Shut up and hang up.
[click]

Now before you give me a hard time for messing with this person, please understand that I have received tons of these calls, my phone numbers are on the Do Not Call list and I know it’s a scam. I can tell. But I wasn’t rude. I kept my voice pleasant the whole time, didn’t yell or anything. This is, after all, a person who is just doing the job they have been told to do. And yes, they actually did say that last line, word for word.

Ahh, well, I guess it was a fun way to start off a long weekend… with a bit of friendly conversation about my windows. Never did get to the technical support part, though. I hope nothing bad happens to my computers!

~ Nat