We all have received those calls from scammers claiming to be from NBN, Telstra or Amazon. As much as we try we can’t get them to stop. Makes us think they are stupid because we all know better. But it’s not stupid. It’s math.
It is still a call center.
For those of you who are new here. When I am not fixing Mac computers or Mobile phones I’m studying scams and disinformation. While many of you hang up the second you know that someone is trying to scam you. (This is a very wise choice) I’m trying to keep them online as long as I can so I can understand their techniques. One thing that I have noticed is that it always sounds like a call centre. While some people think this is part of the disguise I know that it’s because they are actually in a call centre. This is something I have some professional knowledge of.
I got my start working at Apple in the call centres in California, I have even managed call centres here in Austrlaia. I can tell you that the rules for a Scam call centre are the same anywhere else. “Keep the AHT down as low as you can”. (Average Handel Time). This means that they need to keep the calls as short as they can until they can find a sucker.
Call time cuts into profits
Every call centre works the same, process as many calls as you can to keep the numbers down. The more calls you can make, the more profit there is when you make someone pay. When working the call centres I would do everything I could to keep my calls down. Not putting people on hold, Writing notes as I went along. Most importantly shaving a few seconds here and there. I even made a big difference in my monthly AHT by changing how I said goodbye to the customers. This is why when you are talking to tech support they always want to find an excuse to get you to hang up or call back. Saving 60 seconds per call over a week can save HOURS per employee.
But how does this relate to the scammers using the same old scam?
Simple they don’t want to waste time on people who will not payout. Every sales class I have ever taken talks about “Qualifying the customer” this is why salespeople ask if you were going to “buy today?” then walk away if you say no. A scam caller needs to know if you are going to be smart enough to fall for the scam. If you hang up it means they can move on to the next call in 30 seconds, not 5 minutes.
Think about it. If they spend 10 min with each “mark” that is only 10 calls an hour they can make, and how many of those are going to payout? Now if you hang up making that call only 30 seconds. They can make 120 calls an hour and improve their odds at getting a payout. (Per scammer in the call centre )
Don’t think they are idoits you are not their target
While we do like to poke fun at the scammers they are not dumb. While many of the scammers are just reading off a script, someone has spent a lot of effort protecting this scam. and it works.
“When a wolf walks into a garden the rabbits run but the carrots are saved” This means that they are not after you. You never were. While you may feel like you have outsmarted them all you really did is prove you were not on the menu.
What to do if you get a scam call.
This is a double-edged sword. If you hang up they just move on to the next person who will be a possible victim. If you stay on the phone you risk giving out too much information that can be used for identity theft.
- Never give any personal information of any kind. (Address, email, phone number , ANYTHING)
- Hang up the moment you think it might be a scam.
- Report the number to scamwatch.
If you have been scammed have a tech check out your devices
If you have been caught by a scammer you need to act fast because every second counts.
- Call your bank and let them know what happend
- Contact the Police
- Change all your passwords to ALL Your accounts (Even Facebook and Gmail )
- Have a computer tech check out your phone or computer to make sure they did not leave anything behind.
If you are in the Lithgow, Bathurst or Katoomba area I can help clean your computer after a scam.
While I’m not a forensic computer tech. I have been able to find some data that might be helpful for the Bank and Police in their investigations. While I can not say that I will find anything useful I can make sure that the Scammers have not left anything sneaky on your computer or phone. If I do find something I am happy to turn all the information over to you!