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My Genius Cold Call I Received This Morning

by Claude Whitacre
9 replies
Here's the call I got earlier this morning;

"Hello, my I speak to Claude Whitacre?" (Clear voice,and he pronounced my name correctly)

Hello, I'm (whatever) with (Whoever) company. I have a business proposition for you. I need to verify that this is you. May I have the last four numbers of your social security number?"

Me "No. What do you want?"

"Well, like I said, I'm interested in sharing a business proposal for you. But I need to verify that this is you. What is your full address?"

I laughed a little, and said "Go away", and hung up.

As I'm eating my lunch, I'm thinking "Did this technique ever work? On anyone? Did someone train this guy to use this approach? Am I the first person he's ever called?"


I keep hearing that cold calling doesn't work. No...incredibly incompetent cold calling doesn't work.
#call #col #genius #morning #received
  • Profile picture of the author umc
    Hey Claude,

    I'm sorry that our caller earlier was so inconsiderate. We would never ask for such personal information. If you would be so kind as to pm me your bank account number, I would be happy to start funneling the money from your deceased uncle Akbar who recently left you 6.3 million dollars in his royal estate.

    Again, my apologies for the caller earlier. He obviously had an agenda.
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    • Profile picture of the author Talltom1
      Originally Posted by umc View Post

      Hey Claude,

      I'm sorry that our caller earlier was so inconsiderate. We would never ask for such personal information. If you would be so kind as to pm me your bank account number, I would be happy to start funneling the money from your deceased uncle Akbar who recently left you 6.3 million dollars in his royal estate.

      Again, my apologies for the caller earlier. He obviously had an agenda.

      Awesome!

      I should probably start calling Claude though, to sell vacuum cleaners by phone, so that he can join the rest of his neighbors in using the latest and greatest products in the carpet cleaning world. And since we're working by phone, we can undercut anybody's price by at least 30%.

      Tom
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  • Profile picture of the author AffordableMarketingLists
    The scary thing is that scams like that do work. They also make legitimate cold calling where folks do ask for credit/health information over the phone (like insurance agents) much more difficult.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by AffordableMarketingLists View Post

      The scary thing is that scams like that do work. They also make legitimate cold calling where folks do ask for credit/health information over the phone (like insurance agents) much more difficult.
      I don't think it was a scam. I think it was a terrible attempt to sound like it was "official" business.
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  • Profile picture of the author umc
    Actually, it kind of sounds like a debt collector chasing someone with a specific last four of the SSN. Not a good pitch regardless.
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    • Profile picture of the author positivenegative
      Claude, strangely, the experience you mention rekindled my childhood memories of geography lessons at school.


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    • Profile picture of the author Jack Gordon
      Originally Posted by umc View Post

      Actually, it kind of sounds like a debt collector chasing someone with a specific last four of the SSN. Not a good pitch regardless.
      Any debt collector attempting to collect like that would not be a debt collector for very long.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by umc View Post

      Actually, it kind of sounds like a debt collector chasing someone with a specific last four of the SSN. Not a good pitch regardless.
      I thought about that later. But I'm not aware of owing anyone money that they would turn me over to a debt collector. And the name of his company sounded more business oriented than like an attorney's office.

      But it was a good guess.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I get a LOT of calls as I am home most of the time. I had one yesterday.... there was the usual pregnant pause indicating it was from overseas.... and a lady then said, in a thick accent, may I please speak to the homeowner?

    I asked where she got my number from? She said they use white and yellow pages.
    I said, then she should know my name. She said she didn't and did I own the home?

    I said my number is on the do not call register and she can be fined for ringing me and to take my number off the list. I then hung up.

    I get a lot of similar calls. I ad one the other day ringing from ""Windows" and they were ringing to fix my computer problem. I asked what problem. She said they were told I had a problem and they needed my log in to access my computer remotely.

    I said, no way. I have no problems and I fix them myself and hung up.

    I have not had any relatives die in the last week or 2, from Nigeria,, so that is good. Am sick of funerals.
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