Bizarre Robocall - help?
February 25, 2023 6:52 AM
I just now got a weird as hell robocall; can anyone help me figure out what in the stir-fried Jesus just happened and whether I need to worry?
I answered the phone and simply said "Hello" (I'm expecting a call from my parents). It was silent for a couple seconds, so I said "Hello" again. A robotic voice then spoke - it only said my full name. I said "Hello" again. The line disconnected.
I dialed *69 to see if I could get the number. It actually put me through to the other line - where the same robotic voice said: "Thanks for the call. Please visit your URL if you wish to change this message. Please call us if you wish to discuss your development." And then it hung up again. I have a VOIP through Ooma, and logged on to see if I could find out the number again; it only told me that the incoming call was a "Toll Free" call, and the outgoing call I'd been connected to was (844) 573-0729. I tried calling that again and got the same message. I can't find out any information about that number on Google.
....I haven't been inadvertently signed up for Scientology or something, have I?
Stressing that the ONLY thing I said at any point during these calls was "Hello". I've read about a scam where someone on the line asks you to confirm your name and then records you saying "Yes", and uses that clip as evidence that you verbally agreed to their timeshare condo or whatever, so that's why I only said "Hello" and nothing more.
I answered the phone and simply said "Hello" (I'm expecting a call from my parents). It was silent for a couple seconds, so I said "Hello" again. A robotic voice then spoke - it only said my full name. I said "Hello" again. The line disconnected.
I dialed *69 to see if I could get the number. It actually put me through to the other line - where the same robotic voice said: "Thanks for the call. Please visit your URL if you wish to change this message. Please call us if you wish to discuss your development." And then it hung up again. I have a VOIP through Ooma, and logged on to see if I could find out the number again; it only told me that the incoming call was a "Toll Free" call, and the outgoing call I'd been connected to was (844) 573-0729. I tried calling that again and got the same message. I can't find out any information about that number on Google.
....I haven't been inadvertently signed up for Scientology or something, have I?
Stressing that the ONLY thing I said at any point during these calls was "Hello". I've read about a scam where someone on the line asks you to confirm your name and then records you saying "Yes", and uses that clip as evidence that you verbally agreed to their timeshare condo or whatever, so that's why I only said "Hello" and nothing more.
Sounds like a garden variety poorly-set-up robocall to me, I wouldn't give it a second's thought.
posted by Stacey at 7:17 AM on February 25, 2023
posted by Stacey at 7:17 AM on February 25, 2023
Yeah, I get these calls too. Normally, after it says your name, it pauses, then goes to a recorded message for a police benefit "charity" or a political message or something. I think here the bot just was broken or misconfigured.
And the message you got when you called was probably the default message, intended for the operator of the bot. That they haven't set it up implies either that they don't expect to need inbound calls, or they also didn't get that set up properly.
posted by yuwtze at 7:21 AM on February 25, 2023
And the message you got when you called was probably the default message, intended for the operator of the bot. That they haven't set it up implies either that they don't expect to need inbound calls, or they also didn't get that set up properly.
posted by yuwtze at 7:21 AM on February 25, 2023
Ignore that. Someone configured this robocaller VERY poorly.
Basically, they are supposed to configure the voice to say a whole messsage, like "John Doe, this is a message from XYZ Pac. It is time to rally the troops, because ..."
Those robocallers are key'ed in to respond to "hello", and any callbacks are supposed to be routed to a hotline for that organization. But clearly, nobody configured this one, which is why it's the "default message" meant for whoever paid for the robodialer.
posted by kschang at 7:31 AM on February 25, 2023
Basically, they are supposed to configure the voice to say a whole messsage, like "John Doe, this is a message from XYZ Pac. It is time to rally the troops, because ..."
Those robocallers are key'ed in to respond to "hello", and any callbacks are supposed to be routed to a hotline for that organization. But clearly, nobody configured this one, which is why it's the "default message" meant for whoever paid for the robodialer.
posted by kschang at 7:31 AM on February 25, 2023
You have all brought me from alarm to schadenfreude at record speed. Thanks!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:36 AM on February 25, 2023
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:36 AM on February 25, 2023
Are you a creative writer by chance? (You’re one of the MeFites whose writing on the site I really enjoy.) Anyway it seems like someone probably could spin a nice creepy story out of this.
posted by eirias at 9:59 AM on February 25, 2023
posted by eirias at 9:59 AM on February 25, 2023
I reserve "Poorly-Configured Robocaller" as my MetaFilter sockpuppet handle.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 1:50 PM on February 25, 2023
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 1:50 PM on February 25, 2023
It's probably some latent Catholicism combined with just "how the words sound" which lead me to change "stir-fried Jesus" to "chicken-fried Judas". Use either as you see fit.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:57 AM on February 27, 2023
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:57 AM on February 27, 2023
Now that we've gone off-topic, there's an alternate name for you-tiao, aka "Chinese donut". Its alternate name, as listed in Wikipedia, is "yu char kway" 油炸鬼 (Cantonese) which is literally "oil fried devil/ghost".
posted by kschang at 3:04 AM on February 28, 2023
posted by kschang at 3:04 AM on February 28, 2023
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Also, even if some random ass thing has signed you up for something...? So? Shit gets breached all the time. All of our PII is floating out in the world for anyone crafty enough to go and get. No one can make you join the Sea Org just because they know your name and phone number.
tl;dr Ignore, continue good ID health (passwords, credit report monitoring, etc)
posted by phunniemee at 6:59 AM on February 25, 2023