Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
ToxicSlurpee
Nov 5, 2003

-=SEND HELP=-


Pillbug
You know, I swear I put my phone on the do not call registry. Did it again to make sure but is it normal to get spammed anyway? I swear I get robocalled five or six times a day sometimes.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Tunicate
May 15, 2012

ToxicSlurpee posted:

Robocalls are difficult to deal with because there's a spoofing arms race right now. I think a lot of them are also international so the FCC can't do much more than just :shrug: and wish they could do something about it.

Also because the phone companies don't give a poo poo.

m0therfux0r
Oct 11, 2007

me.

ToxicSlurpee posted:

You know, I swear I put my phone on the do not call registry. Did it again to make sure but is it normal to get spammed anyway? I swear I get robocalled five or six times a day sometimes.

That list is for legitimate telemarketers. Scammers aren't legitimate telemarketers.

Collateral Damage
Jun 13, 2009

Keep an air horn next to the phone for when scammers call.

A 50S RAYGUN
Aug 22, 2011

m0therfux0r posted:

That list is for legitimate telemarketers. Scammers aren't legitimate telemarketers.

i don't know if ive ever gotten a call from a legitimate telemarketer in like, the last decade.

Eric the Mauve
May 8, 2012

Making you happy for a buck since 199X

Michael Lewis posted:

I'm now convinced that the worst thing a man can do with a telephone without breaking the law is to call someone he doesn't know and try to sell that person something he doesn't want.

:emptyquote:

ToxicSlurpee
Nov 5, 2003

-=SEND HELP=-


Pillbug
Telemarketing was the worst job I ever had. I'd rather go back to overnighting at a convenience store and cleaning up after drunks again than do that. All they really did was buy cigarettes and puke in the sink. As long as the floors were mopped and the till was even come morning the boss was happy.

At the telemarketing place we got told that the best calls to get were old people with mild dementia because they'd sign up for basically anything. I guarantee that robocall spammers are thinking the same thing.

Tunicate
May 15, 2012

ToxicSlurpee posted:

At the telemarketing place we got told that the best calls to get were old people with mild dementia because they'd sign up for basically anything. I guarantee that robocall spammers are thinking the same thing.

That's why Lenny is such a good honeypot. He just keeps going off on tangents and then saying yes

Initio
Oct 29, 2007
!
Is there some reason we can’t just add literally every US phone number to the Do Not Call list?

The website says you just need to call from the phone you want to register. So spoof the number and -bam- you could get the country enrolled in probably less than a week.

Platystemon
Feb 13, 2012

as a person who never leaves my house i've done pretty well for myself.

Initio posted:

Is there some reason we can’t just add literally every US phone number to the Do Not Call list?

The website says you just need to call from the phone you want to register. So spoof the number and -bam- you could get the country enrolled in probably less than a week.

This sounds like a good way to go to prison for a long time.

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



Just do it from outside the country, as obviously nobody gives a gently caress about that.

goatsestretchgoals
Jun 4, 2011

Platystemon posted:

This sounds like a good way to go to prison for a long time.

Agreed but I might have put emphasis on different words.

jobson groeth
May 17, 2018

by FactsAreUseless
I'm on holidays in Italy right now and it's actually been kind of interesting seeing scams in the wild. Don't really get a lot of that in small town Australia.

Strangest one so far is someone throwing a tiny balled up bit of plastic at me with something white inside and telling me I just bought a gram of coke and to give him 50 Euro. I was just reading a book in the park dude, how on earth did you think that would get me to hand you money. Saying 'polizia' repeatedly doesn't make me think I'm going to get in trouble for this 'transaction'.

I've also had a lady help me navigate the train ticket system and ask for money. She was helpful though and definitely made my day easier so a couple of coins doesn't matter. Could have easily not spent them but it was basically a service charge for a service I appreciated.

Then there was the guy in Venice who whispered at me and when I leaned in to hear him better tried to get stuff out of my backpack. I only carried it to hold my water so bad luck buddy.

Scams are kind of fun when it's not your every day and you lose nothing.

Initio
Oct 29, 2007
!

EL BROMANCE posted:

Just do it from outside the country, as obviously nobody gives a gently caress about that.

Platystemon posted:

This sounds like a good way to go to prison for a long time.

It’s practically a made for Hollywood movie too. Some aging hacker dying of some terrible disease wants to pull of one last hack while doing some good in the world. He knows that he’s trading his own freedom for millions of others no longer being harassed by telemarketers and quasi-legal scams, but to our hero the good outweighs the cost. While working to arrest him, the government actually manages to stop spoofing all together, ending a massive IRS fraud campaign. And the last scene is now the hacker is handcuffed to a hospital bed, finally receiving the medical care for his illness. Fin.

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



jobson groeth posted:

I've also had a lady help me navigate the train ticket system and ask for money. She was helpful though and definitely made my day easier so a couple of coins doesn't matter. Could have easily not spent them but it was basically a service charge for a service I appreciated.

When you’re in a badly designed, busy transport hub these people are definitely useful. Throw in a language barrier, and they’re essential. It’s good to know they exist and are doing it for a few bucks (the ones I’ve seen before were homeless) rather than kindness and the system works.

the holy poopacy
May 16, 2009

hey! check this out
Fun Shoe
At random occasional intervals at work we'll get a robocall from a spoofed number that's just... a looped recording of various office noises. Quiet chatter, a phone ringing in the background, etc. Same recording every time. No idea what the point is supposed to be. Once when I was bored I gave it a good 30 seconds to see if anyone would come on the line, but nope.

Lone Goat
Apr 16, 2003

When life gives you lemons, suplex those lemons.




Straight White Shark posted:

At random occasional intervals at work we'll get a robocall from a spoofed number that's just... a looped recording of various office noises. Quiet chatter, a phone ringing in the background, etc. Same recording every time. No idea what the point is supposed to be. Once when I was bored I gave it a good 30 seconds to see if anyone would come on the line, but nope.

https://www.gimletmedia.com/reply-all/104-case-phantom-caller

a scam that involves calling 800 type numbers and making something just interesting enough to keep them on the line, then splitting their proceeds with a telecom company.

the holy poopacy
May 16, 2009

hey! check this out
Fun Shoe
That probably explains it, although whoever's got our number doesn't seem to be doing a very good job since it's only the one clip and nothing interesting happens in it. At this point it's less effective than dead air since everyone who answers the phone recognizes it.

Depressio111117
Oct 18, 2014

A whole world of imagination beyond the oompah band.
I didn’t get any “press 2 to be put on our do not call list” calls until I read this thread, then I got one this morning! I blame you people. :argh:

JacquelineDempsey
Aug 6, 2008

Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34



EL BROMANCE posted:

When you’re in a badly designed, busy transport hub these people are definitely useful. Throw in a language barrier, and they’re essential. It’s good to know they exist and are doing it for a few bucks (the ones I’ve seen before were homeless) rather than kindness and the system works.

In a similar vein, my favorite panhandler when I lived in NYC would say "hey, you wanna hear some jokes?" and follow you for a couple blocks, telling jokes the whole way, for some spare change and/or a cigarette. He didn't hassle you for it, seemed genuinely destitute (not like the trustafarians/crust punks that dominated the LES), and made me laugh on the way to my soul-crushing job, so he was kinda providing an essential service to my mental health. :unsmith:

PhazonLink
Jul 17, 2010
If spammers can spoof any number can they use the numbers that businesses often have posted publicly?

Confirmation bias but I seem to be getting a lot of coincidental wrong numbers from various businesses recently.

Lutha Mahtin
Oct 10, 2010

Your brokebrain sin is absolved...go and shitpost no more!

that sounds like it would get business owners to start putting political pressure on the issue

BiggerBoat
Sep 26, 2007

Don't you tell me my business again.

PhazonLink posted:

If spammers can spoof any number can they use the numbers that businesses often have posted publicly?

Confirmation bias but I seem to be getting a lot of coincidental wrong numbers from various businesses recently.

Probably.

I've gotten bullshit calls from my OWN number before and also from my ex wife's number. Fun thing to try is call Verizon and see how few shits they give. I love how the world's largest communication companies positively suck at actually communicating

ToxicSlurpee
Nov 5, 2003

-=SEND HELP=-


Pillbug

BiggerBoat posted:

Probably.

I've gotten bullshit calls from my OWN number before and also from my ex wife's number. Fun thing to try is call Verizon and see how few shits they give. I love how the world's largest communication companies positively suck at actually communicating

They know they don't have to care. Simple as that.

peanut
Sep 9, 2007


Initio posted:

It’s practically a made for Hollywood movie too. Some aging hacker dying of some terrible disease wants to pull of one last hack while doing some good in the world. He knows that he’s trading his own freedom for millions of others no longer being harassed by telemarketers and quasi-legal scams, but to our hero the good outweighs the cost. While working to arrest him, the government actually manages to stop spoofing all together, ending a massive IRS fraud campaign. And the last scene is now the hacker is handcuffed to a hospital bed, finally receiving the medical care for his illness. Fin.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Someday soon...

Corsair Pool Boy
Dec 17, 2004
College Slice

ToxicSlurpee posted:

They know they don't have to care.

The entire Telco industry summarised in seven words.

504
Feb 2, 2016

by R. Guyovich

Collateral Damage posted:

Keep an air horn next to the phone for when scammers call.

Obviously, don't actually do this.

goatsestretchgoals
Jun 4, 2011

How else are you going to tell the telemarketer they won a cruise?

504
Feb 2, 2016

by R. Guyovich
With bad English!

YOU A WINNA HAHAHA!

BiggerBoat
Sep 26, 2007

Don't you tell me my business again.
Let's talk about razors for a second

The biggest bullshit with all the different razors is that I'm never 100% sure which blades I need to get to fit my razor so maybe 2 or 3 times out of 10 I wind up buying the Atra III Trac Super Turbo Deluxe instead of the the Atra II Normal Slow Regular and when they don't fit I forget to return the fuckers. Why can't every Atra cartridge fit every razor?

I'm sure this is not intentional in any way nor a scam designed to sell more stupid razor blades.

cptn_dr
Sep 7, 2011

Seven for beauty that blossoms and dies


Just get a safety razor and never have to worry about cartridge bullshit ever again

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



Yeah a double edge razor and a box of 50 decent blades will last for ages. Better for you too.

BiggerBoat
Sep 26, 2007

Don't you tell me my business again.
Will do.

Arrhythmia
Jul 22, 2011

cptn_dr posted:

Just get a safety straight razor and never have to worry about cartridge living bullshit ever again

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



Definitely feel that more accepted cons like Gillette should be talked about here more.

Ein cooler Typ
Nov 26, 2013

by FactsAreUseless
When you think about it, capitalism is a con.

PhazonLink
Jul 17, 2010

There's even a thread in You Look Like poo poo for help if you need help.

ToxicSlurpee
Nov 5, 2003

-=SEND HELP=-


Pillbug

EL BROMANCE posted:

Definitely feel that more accepted cons like Gillette should be talked about here more.

It isn't Gillette's fault it's the fault of capitalism and marketing, really. You can't really make something that's a significantly better product than the competitors because, well...it's just blades that you use to cut hair off of your face. Sorry but the ship of innovation has sailed on that one. So instead they rely on marketing and bullshit. "We have FOUR blades while they only have THREE!!!!" "THIS IS A MANLY RAZOR FOR MEN IT WILL MAKE YOUR DICK BIGGER I SWEAR!!!"

When really you can get the job done just as easily with a $10 straight razor you bought 40 years ago as you can with the $900 MAN BLADE FOR MEN!!!! that has 78 blades and lasts a week.

MightyJoe36
Dec 29, 2013

:minnie: Cat Army :minnie:

EL BROMANCE posted:

Yeah a double edge razor and a box of 50 decent blades will last for ages. Better for you too.

This. A halfway decent safety razor will last you forever and even decent blades for it are cheap.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

silence_kit
Jul 14, 2011

by the sex ghost

ToxicSlurpee posted:

It isn't Gillette's fault it's the fault of capitalism and marketing, really. You can't really make something that's a significantly better product than the competitors because, well...it's just blades that you use to cut hair off of your face. Sorry but the ship of innovation has sailed on that one. So instead they rely on marketing and bullshit. "We have FOUR blades while they only have THREE!!!!" "THIS IS A MANLY RAZOR FOR MEN IT WILL MAKE YOUR DICK BIGGER I SWEAR!!!"

When really you can get the job done just as easily with a $10 straight razor you bought 40 years ago as you can with the $900 MAN BLADE FOR MEN!!!! that has 78 blades and lasts a week.

Modern safety razors are relatively expensive (still they aren't a huge expense if you re-use the cartridges many times), but they are much better than the old fashioned safety razors. The newer safety razor products are much easier and faster to use, and give a closer shave with less irritation.

There is a reason why the old-fashioned safety razor communities on the internet have a tonne of how-to's and introductory videos and guides--you have to do all of these things and buy all of these accessories to get around the shortcomings of the old fashioned razor. The old fashioned safety razor people on the internet kind of remind me of Linux users in many ways.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply