Since my earlier comments, in which MBNA Canada called perhaps 2-3 times per year, they are now calling 2-3 times per day!

Caller ID shows the majority of their calls are between 10:00 am - 4:30 pm. Luckily, I'm rarely home at that time.

This was a call from "Way To Go Travel, Inc." in Bellingham, Washington. They're on a telemarketing campaign to expand their business into neighbouring states/provinces.

The caller offered an invitation to a "travel club" that provides reservations for lodging at discount rates. As an inducement to join, you supposedly receive two free airline tickets and a 7-day cruise. If you press them for details, you'll find out that you're on the hook for numerous fees and taxes if you accept the gifts. This fits the definition of a "prize pitch" scam.

In conjunction with the telemarketing, Way To Go Travel is sending out postcards with the same offer. There's more info about this part of their campaign at: komonews.com

I received one of the postcards earlier this week and looked for more info about it on Google. The postcards are pushing the same "travel club" mentioned in the link above. The club's membership fee is a one-time payment of $3495 with annual dues of $109. The "free" airline tickets and cruise will set you back another $600 in fees and taxes. Doesn't seem like much of a deal unless you're a non-stop traveler.

The call display showed "unknown" (all lower case). Seems like an obvious bit of spoofing.

Anyway, the call consisted of a couple of clicks and then dead air. But, a Google search shows this number being connected to a prize pitch scam involving a "free vacation".

Received the same pre-recorded message as Bill from a company calling itself Medical Alert Systems.

I've reported this company to the CRTC via their National Do Not Call List website (lnnte-dncl.gc.ca). With any luck, they will soon be out of business.

This was yet another call from "Card Services" with an offer to lower your credit card rates.

This was a call from Global Market Insite (gmi-mr.com) on behalf of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada (hkstrategies.ca). A recorded message states that they are conducting a survey targeted at British Columbians about "lifestyles and issues discussed in the media".

The message directs you to a website (bcperspectives.ca) to join a survey panel. Note that the website's address is remarkably similar to an actual B.C. government website (bc-perspectives.ca) which is a resource site for teachers and students preparing for post-secondary life/education.

I'm not sure if this is an attempt to confuse people into thinking that this survey site is somehow connected to the B.C. government. The similar website names leads me to think so.

This was the BCIT Alumni Association calling about donations. As a BCIT alumnus, I expect these kinds of calls and don't consider them a nuisance.

Received two calls from this number a few minutes apart. Caller ID showed "Unknown".

A Google search brings up only one other complaint about this number, but the area code and prefix are similar to other prize pitch scam calls listed on whocalled.us.

Yet another "free cruise" prize pitch scam.

This was Ipsos (ipsos.ca) calling for a market research survey.

This was a call from Strategic Communications ( stratcom.ca ), a company that does telephone fundraising for non-profits/charities. They also design campaign strategies for politicians.

According to their website, you can contact them by phone or e-mail to be removed from their calling database at: stratcom.ca

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

This is NRG Research (formerly "Nordic Research Group") (nrgresearchgroup.com). They call periodically with surveys asking about customer (dis)satisfaction with your bank, insurance company, etc.

Not covered by the DNCL, unfortunately. However, they say that they'll take your number out of their calling database if you send an e-mail to: donotcall@nrgresearchgroup.com

Purports to be from Shaw Cable, offering TV/phone/Internet bundle deals.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

The caller offers a Caribbean cruise vacation in exchange for answering a survey. Questions range from topics both domestic (e.g. "Are you in favour of Enbridge's proposed pipeline through B.C.?") and foreign (e.g. "Should Canada offer military aid to Syrian rebels?").

Obviously, this is just a prize pitch scam. They are trying to use the survey as an excuse to get around the DNCL regulations. However, the CRTC still prohibits this kind of call.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

Dead air on the line when I picked up.

A Google search doesn't turn up any info about this number. However, it should be noted that the area code and prefix (514-447-xxxx) are the same as those used for the recent prize pitch scam disguised as a political opinion survey. I would not be surprised if it was the same scumbags.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

This number has been calling on and off for about 6 months (since early February 2012). Up 'til now, it has been the usual debt consolidation scam. Every once in a while, we got "Rachel from Card Services" offering lower credit card interest rates.

But, currently, it seems to be the prize pitch scam ("free cruise") masquerading as a political opinion survey (e.g. "...our nation's debt crisis" or "How would you rate the job that the President/Prime Minister is doing?"). See the following article for more information about the scumbags who are making these calls: foxnews.com

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey (about the "Canadian debt crisis").

A variation of the 'win a free cruise by answering a political survey' scam that's been going around lately. Up to now, that scam seemed to be focused on the U.S. political scene and, by extension, U.S. citizens.

However, this latest one targets Canadians by mentioning the "Canadian debt crisis". As with the other scam, this is just a prize pitch scam disguised as a survey.

@ Resident47

Unfortunately, the FTC's TSR can't be applied here (Canada). The Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) does have similar regulations, though. However, these regulations contain loopholes that exempt companies with whom Canadians have had prior business relationships. In that case, these companies can call with impunity for 18 months after the last transaction. Meanwhile, if a prospective customer contacts a company (for any reason, including pre-sales info, billing, returns, complaints, etc.), then the company is exempt from the DNCL and can call that customer for a period of 6 months from the time of that contact.

Seems like they have us coming and going.

Anyway, assuming that we buy nothing from Sears (for a span of 18 months since our last transaction), then these calls should stop. Might be a worthwhile experiment to keep track.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group/Political Opinions of America for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group/Political Opinions of America for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group/Political Opinions of America for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

As I and many others have mentioned in our earlier posts, this is Sears calling about various things (i.e. extended warranties, repair claims, etc.) that concern products or services that we've purchased. In those cases, these calls are legitimate.

However, it seems that the vast majority of the calls that I've received lately are just blatant telemarketing (i.e. duct/furnace cleaning, roofing, cell phone plans, etc.). For example, I've received 42 calls from this number in the last 11 days. That's just shy of 4 calls per day, although they're not spread evenly across those days. Some days they call only once; other days they call 7 or 8 times.

Anyway, I guess that's the dark side of doing business with Sears. Once they sell you something, they can call you with impunity due to the "prior business relationship" loophole in the DNCL.

Personally, I'd love to block this number. But, I can't because, someday, one of these calls might actually be legitimate.

Seems to be a variation of the 'win a free cruise by answering a political survey' scam that's been going around lately. Up to now, that scam seemed to be focused on the U.S. political scene and, by extension, U.S. citizens.

However, this latest one targets Canadians by mentioning the "Canadian debt crisis". As with the other scam, this is just a prize pitch scam disguised as a survey.

The latest in a string of spoofed numbers used by the Independent Survey Group/Political Opinions of America for a prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

Reports from other phone spam-reporting sites mention that these scammers call themselves the "Federal Credit Card Authority of Canada", among others. The typical spiel involves lowering your credit card interest rate to 6.9%.

Filing a complaint with the CRTC's DNCL ( lnnte-dncl.gc.ca ) is probably fruitless because the phone number is spoofed. Apparently, it belonged to a deceased (c. 2006) man in Kamloops, B.C. ((250) 372-xxxx is a Kamloops, B.C. prefix.)

No message left on the answering machine.

As of 2:00 pm PDT, on Wed., July 18, 2012, a Google search shows only three other mentions of this phone number. None of those three (on other phone spam-reporting sites) reveal any information about the caller or its purpose.

It would probably be safe to guess that it's some sort of scam, though.

Yet another credit card interest scam. Here's the spiel: "Don't be alarmed, your credit cards are still in good standing. However, this call is to inform you that you may be qualified for a substantial interest rate reduction on your accounts. Now, if our information is correct, you may qualify for a 6.9% interest rate. So, press "1" to speak to a Card Service representative, or press "2" to be removed from our call list. Press "1" now!"

I've reported it to the CRTC's DNCL website ( lnnte-dncl.gc.ca ), but fear that it will do little good as the phone number is surely spoofed.

Regardless, I've also blocked the number on my phone, so these cretins won't be bothering me again, anyway.

Received a call this morning from this number. Same spiel that Michael B. mentioned in his earlier comment (i.e. prize pitch scam disguised as a political opinion survey).

So far, I've documented about 25 different phone numbers being used by these cretins (check my profile to see other reported calls). Judging from what I've read from other spam-reporting sites, the actual number is probably closer to 50. Blocking each number is tedious, so if you don't normally receive calls from these area codes (mostly in Washington and Oregon), then blocking the entire area code does an effective job of cutting these scumbags off.

This company is now using this number to perpetrate their prize pitch scam (for a "free" cruise) disguised as a political opinion survey.

Received a call from this number at noon on a Sunday. Nobody on the line when answered and no message left on the machine.

Looking for more info on Google shows that this number is associated with a market research firm doing surveys.

Another phone call from the scumbags at the "Independent Survey Group/Political Opinions of America". As before, it was a prize pitch scam ("free cruise") disguised as a political opinion survey.

It seems that this number has become active again after nearly a two year hiatus.

Back in 2010, it was used to deliver a screed against the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare"). As mentioned in the earlier comment (from August 2010), the caller asked him to press 1 to sign a petition against the Act.

Today, this number is being used by the "Independent Survey Group" to conduct a prize pitch scam ("free cruise") disguised as a political survey. The same scam is also being conducted from several phone numbers. If you have room in your call block list, you could add these:

206-462-1812
206-496-0948
206-496-0953
206-496-0955
206-496-0960
206-496-0962
360-474-3942
425-390-8922
425-390-8930
503-457-1350
503-457-1358
877-852-5405
971-208-9939
971-208-9960

Offers a "free" cruise if you participate in a survey about U.S. politics. A rather pathetic attempt to disguise a prize pitch scam as a legitimate survey.

Obscene phone call received at 3:21 am on Tuesday, July 3, 2012.

This was a prize pitch scam (for a resort vacation/cruise) masquerading as a political opinion survey on the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

They are trying to get around the DNCL regulations by calling themselves a "market research" company. Quite a scummy tactic!

This number called twice today. Both times, it rang twice, then stopped.

This caller left dead air on my answering machine.

Googling for more info shows that this company has been conducting a survey about the upcoming U.S. presidential election (in November, 2012). However, a few complaints have indicated some scammy behaviour, including prize pitches and credit card interest rate schemes.

Not sure why they're calling Canadians about U.S. elections. Seems like a waste of time for all parties concerned.

Received a call from this number today. The call display showed "Oregon". There was nobody on the line when I picked up.

Doing a Google search shows that this company is doing a survey on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. I'm not sure why they'd be calling Canadians.

Still getting calls from "24/7 Customer" on behalf of MBNA Canada. (See: 247-inc.com ). So far, I've found that it's no use asking them to take you out of their calling database because they only seem to do that for the phone number that they are currently calling you with. It's sneaky, but it allows them to harass you non-stop.

Anyway, here are the other numbers that they call from:
613-907-2515
866-428-1533
866-210-7635

Yet another credit card interest rate scam.

The first call left dead air on the answering machine. They called again a short time later, but nobody was on the line when I answered.

A Google search suggests that this is NRG Research Group (nrgresearchgroup.com) doing a market research survey. They are based in Winnipeg, MB, but the number on the call display indicates a cell phone number from B.C. Very odd.

Left dead air on the answering machine.

However, a Google search shows that there are two types of scams coming from this number: 1) the typical credit card interest rate scam; and 2) the Microsoft Windows virus removal scam.

It was Canadian Tire Financial Services calling about various (paid) features that can be added onto our "Options" MasterCards. Nothing sinister, just a sales pitch.

This was a call from Sentis Research, a market research/survey company based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. (sentisresearch.com)

Simultaneous calls on both phone lines in my house. This usually indicates a spammer using a phone book attack via a robot dialer. One message was left which consisted of 30 seconds of deep breathing noises and at least a half-dozen people yelling in the background.

Unfortunately, I can't block this number because I have a friend who has called me using Google Voice.

Another credit card interest rate scam. These scammers are also calling from 604-555-7541. Both of these numbers are spoofed, obviously.

As S. Marasco said earlier, it's coming from Fort Lauderdale. Reverse lookup indicates a Sprint mobile number.

Left dead air on my answering machine, but as S. Marasco also indicated, calls from Florida are generally "prize pitch" scams from vacation resorts.

Yet another recorded message pushing a credit card interest rate scam.

Yet another credit card interest rate scam.

"24/7 Customer" has called me twice a day for 7 days. 14 calls in total. I answered one call because I knew that it had something to do with my MBNA MasterCard.



As with all the other times they've phoned over the last few years, the intent is to sell two credit insurance services to existing members: 'CreditWise' (AKA "balance protection") and/or 'Credit Alert' (AKA "identity theft protection").

Recorded message for a debt relief scam. Identical to robocalls coming from these other phone numbers:

647-212-3011
905-205-0849
416-555-5555

I let this call go to the answering machine and listened to at least three men arguing in what sounded like Arabic. Very strange.

Just dead air on the answering machine. Many reports of the same thing on other spam-reporting sites.

This number left a message on my machine in which the robot woman pretends that she's somehow connected to government programs that can help debtors. To really sell it, she adds a plea about helping your entire community by getting out of debt and learning how to manage money.

It's a pretty slimy tactic because someone who is slightly gullible might believe it's an actual government-sponsored program.

The same scam is also being run from at least one other number (905-205-0849).

Yet another credit card interest rate scam.

This was yet another recorded message pushing a scheme to reduce your credit card debt and lower your interest rate.

Googling for the number brings up reports that this number is also used in other types of scams. For example, there's the one where someone posing as a Microsoft employee says that they've detected a virus running on your computer. They ask for your username and password to remotely log in and "disinfect" it. Obviously, there is no virus and it's a pretense to steal your private info.

Received another call from Forum Research. This time, it was a survey about federal and provincial political issues (in Canada).

Two calls from this number today. The first was a hang-up, but the second call left a message on my machine that I consider to be quite slimy. That is, more slimy than the usual debt relief scams.

In this message, the robot woman pretends that she's somehow connected to government programs that can help debtors. To really sell it, she adds a plea about helping your entire community by getting out of debt and learning how to manage money.

It's less direct than the other message that comes from this phone number (i.e. the one that I mentioned in my earlier post), but this one might fool somebody if they think it's a government-sponsored program.

Received two calls from this number last night. After reading on here that it was a scam, I picked up the second call.

As others have said, it was someone (in my case, a man with a thick Indian accent) who stated that he worked for Microsoft. He claimed that my computer had been infected by a virus and was also part of a bot network. I could barely contain my laughter as he said that he needed me to turn remote sharing on, turn my firewalls off, and supply my username and ID so that he could access my computer to "disinfect" it.

Anyway, I gave him false info and pretended like I was a computer novice. He spent 20 minutes trying to talk me through the procedure to allow him onto my computer, while I kept saying "I don't see that button on my screen. Can you go through that again?" Finally, I said, "I have a Mac. Is that why you can't get on?"

To his credit, the scammer kept his cool, but he was gritting his teeth as he said "Yes, that's the reason. Thank you for your time, but I can't help you. Goodbye!" and I said "No, thank YOU for your time!"

Normally, I wouldn't waste my time like this, but this was just too good an opportunity to pass up. :-D

The following message was left on my machine:

"If you have $10,000 or more in unsecured debt, press '1' for a free debt consultation. There are programs in place which may allow us to lower your monthly payments by half and reduce your total debt up to 50%. Credit card bills, personal loans, and many other types of unsecured debt. Make one low monthly payment you can afford. Become debt-free in months. This opportunity will not last. Take back control of your life. Consultation is free but the results can change your life. To reduce your debt by thousands of dollars, press '1' now. If you're not interested, then press '2' to be removed from our calling list."

The same recorded message is coming from (905) 205-0849. I've reported both to the CRTC (lnnte-dncl.gc.ca).

They called again today for the first time in eight months. Not sure what they wanted (probably a survey) because I've still got them blocked. I only noticed that they called because the number showed up in my Call Display list.

So, if you have a phone that has a call-blocking feature or if you get call-blocking through your phone company, then just block them. Asking one of their agents to be removed from their database is pointless because they won't honour your request.

Yet another debt consolidation scheme with a recorded message that starts off with "If you have $10000 or more in unsecured debt, press 1 for a free consultation".

I'm not sure if the number appearing on call display is spoofed or not, but I'll be reporting it to the DNCL website, anyway. (lnnte-dncl.gc.ca)

Just dead air and a click on my answering machine.

But, Googling the number suggests that this is yet another credit card interest rate scam.

I've answered a few of these calls, but have only gotten clicking and a hangup each time. Obviously, it's a robot dialer (which I thought was illegal these days?).

Anyway, as others have mentioned, it's BBM Canada (bbm.ca).

On Feb. 23, 2011, Market Probe Canada called to do a customer satisfaction survey the day after I had an appointment with an RBC investment advisor to talk about RRSPs.

Well, it feels like deja vu. Yesterday, I had another chat with an RBC advisor and Market Probe called today (Jan. 19, 2012) to ask if I was satisfied with the service.

At least in my case, these calls seem to be rather innocuous. Still, it's annoying because they call repeatedly throughout the day and leave dead air on the answering machine. One would think that they wouldn't bother to call at times when people are usually at work (i.e. 9 am - 5 pm), right?

Left dead air on the answering machine.

Comments on other phone spam-reporting sites indicates that this might just be another credit card interest rate scam.

It's the same old "Card Services" spiel about lowering your credit card interest rates.

In mid-December, I was contacted by an investigator with the CRTC's Compliance and Enforcement Sector. I was told that several people had lodged complaints about Eaton's Residential Services and that an investigation had been launched into their activities. I was asked to provide testimony about these illegal activities and to sign a witness document affirming the statements that I'd made in my complaints. I readily agreed.

All of the witness documents are now being forwarded to a commissioner who will determine what sort of penalty should be assessed. From what the investigator said, this appears to be a slam-dunk because of the number and severity of complaints, and the penalties should be quite harsh. So, it looks like Eaton's is finally going to get its just desserts!

By the way, this goes to show that lodging complaints with the National Do Not Call List does pay off. Don't hesitate to call the CRTC or fill in the form on their website if you have a complaint. It's not a futile gesture! We ARE being heard!

These scumbags called at noon on Boxing Day. Same spiel as my previous report in October...

"This is Lisa calling about your credit card account. There's no problem! This is just to notify you that your credit card company has now qualified you for a lower interest rate, as low as 6%. Press 9 to be connected to a representative."

Just a click and dead air when I picked up the phone.

Googling for this phone number brings up the name "Select Field Services", a subsidiary of Innovative Research Group (innovativeresearch.ca) which does market research and management counselling for businesses, governments, and charities.

Not sure why they're phoning here, but it seems likely that it's a survey of some kind.

This number called twice today; once at 10:30 am and again at 1:23 pm. I answered the second time and was greeted with the sounds of breathing and a couple of clicks before the line went dead.

From what everybody else has written here, it seems like I didn't miss much.

Recorded message touting a debt reduction scheme.

I reported these scumbags on the CRTC's DNCL site (lnnte-dncl.gc.ca), but they're probably using a spoofed phone number. Doesn't matter to me, though. I've blocked their number, anyway.

A message was left on my answering machine by a computer-generated voice stating that my debit card had been locked and to press "1" to be transferred to the security department. No bank name was mentioned.

An obvious and poorly-devised scam attempt.

This is a company called "24/7 Customer" (247customer.com) which specializes in providing call center services for other companies.

At the moment, they appear to be calling on behalf of MBNA.

As mentioned in my previous comments from October 2009 and January 2010, this was Ipsos Reid's Loyalty Research division calling with a survey (this time about grocery buying habits). See for more info: ipsos.ca

I cut the agent off and asked to be removed from their calling database. She thanked me for my time, then ended the call.

This company does ad campaigns and fund-raising for various non-profit organizations, charities, and political parties. Some of their clients are listed here: stratcom.ca

Today, they left a message on my machine concerning an upcoming civic election. Although I'd prefer not to receive these kinds of calls, I must say that it was a welcome change from the usual phone spam (i.e. debt consolidation, prize pitches, interest rate scams, etc.).

Yet another debt consolidation scam.

Received two calls from this number at 6:59 am and 7:04 am.

It was yet another "prize pitch" scam where they declare that you've won something (in this case, a cruise vacation) in exchange for a "handling" fee. These guys are a bit bolder, though. They just ask for your credit card information!

Obviously, nobody with half a brain should fall for this scam.

Just received a call from Wilkins Research Services in regards to my radio-listening habits. Seems kind of odd that they'd be phoning kitty-corner across the continent (from Chattanooga, TN, to Vancouver, B.C.) just for a survey.

Anyway, a very polite person named Cindy thanked me for my time after I declined to answer any questions.

Nobody was on the line when I answered, but the "V0261917800122" on the Call Display seemed to indicate that it was a predictive/auto-dialer (which are banned by CRTC regulations in Canada).

So, I Googled the number and learned that it's yet another of the "Your computer has a virus..." scams where they try to fool you into giving them remote access to your computer. Once in your computer, they scoop up all your personal info, including credit card and other financial info.

Yet another credit card interest rate scam. This time, they're calling themselves the "Consumer Debt Relief Network".

But, whatever name they go by, they're still scum-sucking dirtbags.

Whenever I see the Google Voice number (760-705-8888) now, I always expect it to be a nuisance call. So, when both lines in my house rang simultaneously and showed this number on their Caller IDs, I knew that it was going to be phone spam.

And, sure enough, it was the ridiculous "Your computer has a virus" scam. As one of my friends (a cranky nonagenarian) says, these scumbags need to be shot with a ball of their own sh*t.

Yet another credit card interest rate scam.

This company is once again making unsolicited calls. Both of my phone lines received calls at the same time, which indicates that they used a predictive (robot) dialer. Caller ID showed no company name.

So, that's three violations of the DNCL rules per phone line, for a total of six. These guys never seem to learn their lesson. Until they do, I'll be making more complaints to the CRTC.

This number called nine times between 6:33 am to 7:24 am. The call display shows "unknown" (all lower case letters). Each time, a short message was left in which the speaker said a few words in Punjabi followed by some clicking and static.

Googling "202-239-6000" indicates that it's a Magic Jack number. Since I know no one who calls me using a Magic Jack, then I can safely block this number from now on.

This is a "prize pitch" scam. In this particular one, you've supposedly won a prize draw for $1600 "travel dollars" redeemable on an all-inclusive resort vacation. However, to claim the prize, you must pay an activation fee (usually $69-99) and a hotel tax (usually $100-125), make a verbal agreement to pay for "incidentals" (which they refuse to explain beforehand), and a promise to attend a two-hour presentation about timeshares.

If you're dumb enough to actually give them your credit card info and allow them to charge you for the prize, they then direct you to a website which explains what you've won. That's when you find out that your "all-inclusive" vacation is not so all-inclusive, after all. In the fine print, you'll notice it says "Accommodations Only" and that the "incidentals" that you agreed to pay earlier on is everything else (i.e. food, drinks, gratuities, phone calls, taxes, etc.).

Therefore, this "prize" ends up costing you money and... worst of all... they have your credit card info! So, don't fall for this!

Yet another debt-consolidation scam.

A recorded message that begins with "This is a public service announcement. You can be debt-free!", then launches into a debt-consolidation scheme.

Obviously, you should not give these scammers your personal or credit details.

This recorded message was somewhat garbled and hard to understand, but appears to be another credit card interest rate scam.

This caller claims that they've detected a malicious virus or trojan running on your computer, then offers to either sell you an anti-virus solution or to remotely log on to your computer to remove the virus.

Obviously, choosing either is a bad decision. With the first option, you've just wasted your money and provided them with your credit card info for further scamming purposes. With the second option, you've given them access to your banking and credit info, important documents, your raunchy photos, etc. and any other sensitive dat on your computer.

Just dead air on the machine. Other spam-reporting sites mention "Com Tel Marketing" as a possibility. They're a call centre in Toronto that specializes in newspaper subscription sales. comtelmarketing.com

Just received a call from this number. Dead air.

A Google search turns up this:

"Calev Print Media
Address: 4915 Northwest 159th Street,
Hialeah, FL 33014
Phone: (305) 621-3949

Calev Print Media is conveniently located in the city
of Hialeah FL and specializes in Printing & Publishing.
Call us at (305) 621-3949 or our toll-free number.
Do businesses with us.

Products / Services
Coupons / Promotions
Employment Opportunities"

Got another call from this number today and decided to pick it up.

As mentioned in my earlier post, this is a "prize pitch" scam. In this particular one, you've supposedly won a prize draw for $1600 "travel dollars" redeemable on an all-inclusive resort vacation. However, to claim the prize, you must pay an activation fee (usually $69-99) and a hotel tax (usually $100-125), make a verbal agreement to pay for "incidentals" (which they refuse to explain beforehand), and a promise to attend a two-hour presentation about timeshares.

If you're dumb enough to actually give them your credit card info and allow them to charge you for the prize, they then direct you to a website which explains what you've won. That's when you find out that your "all-inclusive" vacation is not so all-inclusive, after all. In the fine print, you'll notice it says "Accommodations Only" and that the "incidentals" that you agreed to pay earlier on is everything else (i.e. food, drinks, gratuities, phone calls, taxes, etc.).

Therefore, this "prize" ends up costing you money and... worst of all... they have your credit card info! So, don't fall for this!

Recorded message stating that I'd won a prize for participating in some sort of survey. In actuality, this is yet another "prize pitch" scam where they charge you a fee to claim the prize, then take your credit card info and scam you some more.

In this call, an excited-sounding woman tells you that a "friend or relative" entered your name into a draw at a local retailer (in this case, the Hudson's Bay Company (AKA "The Bay")) and you miraculously won the grand prize ($2500 towards an all-inclusive resort vacation in Cancun). Just press 1 now on your touch tone phone to talk to an operator and claim your prize!

Well, obviously, this is the old "prize pitch" scam. What you've actually won is the privilege of paying them an activation fee (usually $69-99) to claim your prize, a hotel tax (usually $100-125), a verbal agreement to pay for "incidentals" (which they refuse to explain beforehand), and a promise to attend a two-hour presentation about timeshares.

If you're dumb enough to actually give them your credit card info and allow them to charge you for the prize, they then direct you to a website which explains what you've won. That's when you find out that your "all-inclusive" vacation is not so all-inclusive, after all. In the fine print, you'll notice it says "Accommodations Only" and that the "incidentals" that you agreed to pay earlier on is everything else (i.e. food, drinks, gratuities, phone calls, taxes, etc.).

Therefore, this prize ends up costing you money and... worst of all... they have your credit card info! You've been warned!

This number called three times over a spam of two days. Each time, there was nothing but dead air.

However, searching for the number on Google brings up many reports of a typical "prize pitch" scam where you've supposedly won a cruise or resort vacation, but must pay a fee to receive the prize. Obviously, you should never give these people any credit info or personal details!

This is yet another credit card interest rate scam. The recorded message goes something like this: "Hi, it's Alison. We spoke last week about lowering your interest rates to reduce your monthly credit card payments. So, I wanted to let you know that I found a solution...".

This company also calls from the following phone number: (612) 808-9741

This caller (a deep-voiced man with a slight drawl) left the following message on my machine: "I'm sorry. I have the wrong number."

Seems innocuous enough, however there are hundreds (possibly thousands) of complaints about this number on numerous spam-reporting sites (including here on whocalled.us). I guess I'm just glad that he wasn't trying to lower my credit card rates or tell me that I won a free cruise. :-)

Received a call from this number at 1:00 PM PDT. It was a recorded message that went something like: "Hi, it's Alison. We spoke last week about lowering your interest rates to reduce your monthly credit card payments. So, I wanted to let you know that I found a solution...". I hung up at that point.

Obviously, I did not speak to "Alison" last week. Just another scumbag scammer/spammer.

Yet another scammer/spammer with an offer to lower your credit card interest rates.

Yet another phone spammer offering to lower your credit card interest rate.s

Received calls from this number on both phone lines in my house. Both calls were identical, i.e. my name was drawn as the winner of a contest that they claim that I entered at Zellers (nevermind that I haven't shopped at Zellers in years!). The prize is supposedly an all-expenses paid cruise.

This is a typical "prize pitch" scam where you have to pay a fee to claim your prize. Obviously, it would be foolish to give these people any money or personal info.

This call was from Worldwide Commerce Associates (AKA "WCA"), a company that runs a subscription rewards service that plays recorded messages to consumers. See more info about them here: http://www.wcaconsent.com/HOME.html



This is supposedly an opt-in service. However, I have never signed up for this program, despite what WCA says. I know several other people who have gotten these calls, yet none of them has signed up for this program, either. Obviously, WCA's pledge to comply with federal communications regulations is a lie.

WCA also uses the following numbers to send out their spam messages:
(302) 394-9503
(909) 259-5642
(917) 398-9590

This was yet another spam call from Worldwide Commerce Associates (AKA WCA or WCAconsent). This time, they're offering to consolidate credit card debt. Obviously, nobody in their right mind should taken them up on their offer, unless they want to be scammed out of even more money!

As for WCA themselves, they are breaching the compliance procedures listed on their own website. A search on Google brings up dozens, if not hundreds, of people complaining that WCA does not have consent to phone them, yet they have received calls. Many say that they continue to receive calls even after asking to be removed from their calling database.

Same old spiel about consolidating credit card debt and lowering interest rates.

Typical "prize pitch" scam. They call to say that you've won a "free" gift, then state that you have to pay a service/handling fee to receive it.

Obviously, you should not send these people any money or give them any personal info!

Same old phone spam offering to reduce credit card interest rates.

I received the same recorded message as Sandy B.

Obviously, these credit card debt reduction services are just scams, as described in articles like this: msnbc.msn.com

Don't fall for them!

I got the same recorded message about reducing credit card debt that JN mentioned earlier.

Googling for more info seems to indicate that the origin of the call is Worldwide Commerce Associates, also known as WCA: wcaconsent.com

They've been on a phone-spam blitz for the last couple of weeks with bogus "prize pitch" and other scams. Not surprised that they're now in the debt reduction business.

This call was from Worldwide Commerce Associates (AKA "WCA"), a company that runs a subscription rewards service that plays recorded messages to consumers. See more info about them here: http://www.wcaconsent.com/HOME.html



This is supposedly an opt-in service. However, I have never signed up for this program, despite what WCA says. I know several other people who have gotten these calls, yet none of them has signed up for this program, either. Obviously, WCA's pledge to comply with federal communications regulations is a lie.

WCA also uses the following number to send out their spam messages: (917) 398-9590

This call was from Worldwide Commerce Associates (AKA "WCA"), a company that runs a subscription rewards service that plays recorded messages to consumers. See more info about them here: wcaconsent.com

This is supposedly an opt-in service. However, I have never signed up for this program, despite what WCA says. I know several other people who have gotten these calls, yet none of them has signed up for this program, either. Obviously, WCA's pledge to comply with federal communications regulations is a lie.

WCA also uses the following number to send out their spam messages: (909) 259-5642

These calls originate from:

Innovative Vision Marketing Inc.
55 Nugget Ave Suite 204,
Toronto, ON
M1S 3L1

Web: innovativevision.ca
Tel: 416-321-8189
Fax: 416-321-0487


They declare their intention of increasing the number of G&M subscribers in this press release: innovativevision.ca

Hadn't heard from these cretins in a few months, so I thought they'd gone away. No such luck!

Still the same spiel about refinancing credit card debt.

Turns out to be the "prize pitch" scam where they say that you've won a gift (in this case, a free cruise), but that you have to pay a "service/handling fee" to actually receive it. One of the oldest scams in the book.

Don't give them any of your personal info and, by all means, don't give them any money!

Yet another company offering to lower credit card rates and refinance credit card debt.

Obviously, it would be foolish to give these scammers any of your credit or personal info.

Dead air when I answered which seems to indicate a robot dialer. If so, then it's likely to be yet another scumbag spammer/scammer.

A Google search reveals that this may be a telemarketer, although the name seems to suggest a survey or market research company. Or possibly even a government agency.

"Public Sector" also calls from (604) 637-5632 and (604) 637-5634.

Still getting these calls almost everyday. As mentioned, I've made a formal complaint to the CRTC's Do Not Call List site. I urge anyone else who is getting these nuisance calls to do the same.

CRTC DNCL complaints webpage: lnnte-dncl.gc.ca
CRTC DNCL complaints hotline : 1-866-580-3625 (toll-free)

As mentioned in all of my comments about this phone number for the last five years, this company (PDC) calls between mid-July to early-August to see if we got our phone books.

As far as phone spam goes, this is pretty minor. They're not trying to sell you anything. They just want confirmation that you got your phone book. I just can't seem to work up much animosity for these people. I save that for the scumbags with the prize pitch, debt reduction, and credit card scams.

This company persists in calling. Although I have them blocked, the number still shows up in the caller ID log.

I guess the only thing to do is to keep making complaints to the CRTC's DNCL site (lnnte-dncl.gc.ca) and/or the BBB until they get the message that it's not okay to bombard people with unwanted commercial calls.

Another "prize pitch" scam where they ask for a handling/service fee to receive a "free" gift. A Google search reveals that this company may pose as a major retailer (e.g. Wal-mart, The Bay, Sears, etc.) and claim that you (or someone you know) entered your name into an in-store contest.

Obviously, giving these people any money or private info would be extremely foolish!

Nobody answered when I picked up. A Google search reveals that this may be a telemarketer, although the name seems to suggest a survey or market research company. Or possibly even a government agency.

"Public Sector" also calls from (604) 637-5634.

Nobody answered when I picked up. A Google search reveals that this may be a telemarketer, although the name seems to suggest a survey or market research company. Or possibly even a government agency.

"Public Sector" also calls from (604) 637-5632.

Looked for this company on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site and found a rather scathing report about them: bbb.org

Ten complaints resulting in a grade of "F". Doesn't sound like the kind of company that I want working on my house.

This number called again, exactly two months after their first call. This time, they left a message on the answering machine similar to the one that Mark received (see his comment from June 13). It states that this is your final chance to lower your credit card interest rates and/or reduce your credit card debt before your file is closed and sent to collections. So, they encourage you to take advantage of their services before it's too late.

Well, it should be obvious that this is a scam. Only a complete fool would provide them with any personal information or give them any money.

Yet another debt consolidation scam. People should know by now that these schemes generally put you deeper in debt!

I've also seen the report that mentioned the Royal Bank (RBC), specifically a marketing campaign for their "RBC Talk & Save" phone plans. However, the few times that I've answered the phone, I've received nothing but dead air and can't confirm it.

A Google search brings up the following info:

----------------------
Braswell & Son
8601 W. Markham St.
Little Rock, AR 72205

1 (888) 879-0666

goldpartyonline.com
----------------------


They organize so-called "gold parties" at your home. You invite your friends to the "party" to sell their surplus gold (jewelry, coins, etc.) to one of Braswell & Son's buyers. Then, you get a percentage of the proceedings for being the host.

More info about how they operate at the following links:

manta.com

commercialappeal.com#

Got the same basic message as Alistair (see below) about lowering my credit card rates and paying off unsecured debts.

However, I don't have any faith in the phone number removal function, so I've just blocked these guys.

Appears to be from some sort of survey/market research company. I could not get any information out of them before they ended the call.

So, it's just another number to go on my block list. :-)

The call was from a company offering debt consolidation services. Blocked.

A typical "prize pitch" scam where a company offers you a gift (a vacation, in this case), but then states that you must pay a fee to receive it.

Obviously, you should never give them any money or personal info!

This was an automated survey on the upcoming HST referendum taking place in British Columbia, Canada. Googling for more information reveals that the entity behind the call is Prime Contact, a company that specializes in polling on behalf of governments (in this case, the B.C. Liberal Party). See: primecontact.ca

For more info about both the company and the poll, see: billtieleman.blogspot.com

This number has called twice this week. Hangs up just as the answering machine kicks in, so it appears to be an automated dialer.

Yet another automated spiel about reducing credit card debt. Yet another number to go on my block list. :-)

By the way, I've spoken to several agents over the last three weeks and have asked each one to remove my phone numbers (two of them) from their calling database. So far, my request has not been acknowledged.

Yet another spam/scam call from "Credit Card Services". As usual, it was a recording with an offer to reduce credit card interest rates.

These were telemarketing calls from Eaton's Heating Co. in Burnaby, B.C. (eatonsco.com). They were offering discounts on various services, including furnace cleaning.

I haven't done business with them before, so this was actually a violation of the Canadian DNCL.

It's another "prize pitch" scam. They tell you that they're from a large retailer (e.g. Sears, Wal-Mart, The Bay, etc.) and that you've won a prize in an in-store draw. Then, they say that you need to pay a handling/service/administration fee to claim the prize.

Obviously, there is no prize. And I shouldn't need to say that giving them your credit card info would be pretty dumb.

Another "Lower your credit card rate" scam. Blocked.

Received more calls today from the same spammer/scammer using Google Voice that called on March 16 (see my earlier entry below). Same routine as before where they called both phone lines in the house, indicating a "phone book attack (i.e. running sequentially through the names in a phone book).

Called at exactly noon today and left dead air on the answering machine.

Searching for more info on Google reveals that at least two kinds of fraud are being perpetrated from this number: One is the Florida timeshares that "Crudbuster" and "simon bontjer" mentioned; another is a call claiming to come from a major company (such as Microsoft) with a warning that your computer has a virus or trojan. The latter scam involves you allowing them to remotely connect to your machine. Obviously, that would be a pretty dumb thing to do.

Two calls within three minutes from this number. Left dead air on the answering machine both times.

This behaviour suggests an auto-dialer which, in turn, suggests that this is a phone spam (or scam) call.

Yet another "prize pitch" scam where they say that you've won something (a vacation in Cancun, in this case), but that you have to pay a service/shipping/handling fee to claim it.

Opinion Search is still calling about twice per month, despite asking them to take me out of their database. I originally asked them to remove me back in March 2008 (search or scroll down to see my earlier post).

Since then, I've had them blocked. Doesn't seem to be any other alternative.

This was a call from Postmedia Network Inc., Canada's largest English-language newspaper publisher. They are on a telemarketing blitz to sell subscriptions.

I subscribe to one of their papers, so they can call me on the pretext of a "prior business relationship". Still annoying, though.

This was a call from StatsCan gathering statistics on tobacco use among 15-24 year olds. It's an ongoing project called the "Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey" that has been running since the early '90s.

It was the same old "Card Services" spiel about lowering credit card interest rates.

Just received a call on my other phone line from this number, a few minutes after the first one that I reported. This time, the call display showed "conservative pa".

Same recorded message as before.

The call display showed "Trinidad Tobago", so I let it go to the machine. Interestingly, it was the Conservative candidate (Paul Forseth) for my riding (voter region). Basically, it was Forseth talking for several minutes about how awful the incumbent M.P. is and why we shouldn't vote for him.

This number has called a couple of times today. So far, it has left only a few clicks and dead air on my answering machine.

Looking for info on Google shows little information, other than the fact that several others have received calls with the same results (i.e. dead air or clicks).

This is the "Voter Outreach Centre", which is affiliated with the Conservative Party of Canada. They called to ask my opinion of "the unnecessary election orchestrated by the Michael Ignatieff-led coalition" (their words). Obviously, the only purpose of this call was to slag the Liberal Party.

Yes, it was the Collections Dept. of HBC's Credit Services calling. I called HBC Credit via the toll-free number on HBC's website (1-800-263-2599) and they confirmed that they had phoned me today about an overdue payment. The problem is that I _do not_ owe them money. I provided the agent with the reference number of my latest fully-paid statement, which did appear in their records, and the agent apologized for bothering me. Before ringing off, she tried to sell me their "Account Protector" balance protection plan.

Except for the sales pitch at the end, the agent was pleasant and helpful.

This was a call from BR Interviewing (brinterviewing.com), sister company of Braun Research (braunresearch.com).

Their website shows the following blurb: "BR Interviewing is a privately held research firm located in Rocky Hill, New Jersey. BR Interviewing is employed by Government Agencies, Corporations, Religious Organizations, Advertising Agencies and other entities solely for the purpose of collecting data for survey research purposes. We are not a sales or telemarketing firm and we will never divulge individual answers to any client for any purpose."

Down at the bottom of their site is a field to leave a comment or ask for your phone number to be removed from their calling database. Not sure that I trust them not to call again or sell a phone number...

I received the same "prize pitch" call as everyone else: "You've won an all-inclusive cruise to the Caribbean...etc."

Pressing 9 gets you to an agent, but good luck trying to get any information out of them. However, doing a bit of research on the web indicates that the origin of the calls is the Calypso Cay time-share resort in Florida. Lots of complaints about them! See: google.com

This was a call from the Liberal Party of Canada (B.C. office). it consisted of a recorded message from Michael Ignatieff (leader of the Liberal Party) asking folks to attend a town-hall meeting to discuss the Liberal platform for the upcoming federal election.

No answer was left on my machine.

However, according to other phone-spam sites, this number belongs to a company that is trying to pull the old "prize pitch" scam where they ask for a service fee or handling charge before they will release the prize to you. An obvious fraud, so don't fall for it!

The caller was Synovate Canada, a market research/survey company. The call originated from their call center based in Vancouver, B.C.

The caller was Synovate Canada, a market research/survey company. The call originated from their call center based in Vancouver, B.C.

The caller was Synovate Canada, a market research/survey company. The call originated from their call center based in Vancouver, B.C.

Received a market research survey from the B.C. call center of Synovate Canada:

Suite 1550
1090 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 3V7

Telephone: +1 604 664 2400
Fax: +1 604 664 2456

This number left a message on my answering machine purporting to be a survey about the upcoming federal election.

It starts out by asking if you are of legal age to vote ("If you are 18 years of age or older, press 1. If you are not, press 2"). Apparently, it is an automated survey.

This was an automated message plugging a weight loss solution. The robot lady asked that I press 1 if I or anybody I knew wanted to lose weight. Or, press 8 to be removed from their database.

This was Shaw Cable calling to offer various promos on their Digital Cable and Internet packages. I'm a Shaw customer, so they are allowed to call me because of our "prior business relationship".

However, I've read on other phone spam-reporting sites that Shaw has been calling people who subscribe to Rogers and other cable/internet/phone companies. That would seem to be a violation of the National Do Not Call List.

Some phone spammer/scammer or another calling via Google Voice. I have two phone lines in the house; one started ringing right after the other one hung up. Obviously, this spammer is just going through the phone book sequentially.

It was a recorded message from the Canadian Diabetes Association. They're doing their annual "Clothesline" campaign to collect clothing, electronics, furniture, etc. which will be sold through Value Village stores.

The funds go towards diabetes research.

Info from other phone-spam reporting sites suggests that the caller is Forum Research, a survey and marketing company based in Toronto. See: forumresearch.com

Apparently, they're doing a survey on behalf of the "Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation" (CMHC).

The caller asked for me by name, then stated that he was calling from Shaw Cable. Apparently, they've started their latest round of promotions and have been calling current and former customers to get the word out.

Contrary to comments left on other phone spam-reporting sites, nothing about these calls seems particularly sinister.

This was yet another company offering to restructure one's credit card debt.

This number has phoned twice today. No answer when I picked up, and no message when I let it go to the answering machine. Reports from other phone spam sites indicate the same kind of behaviour.

These calls are coming from Market Probe Canada, a market research/survey company based in Toronto. They do customer satisfaction surveys for various companies. RBC/Royal Bank is one such client (as mentioned by RD earlier).

Speaking of RBC... I was at my local RBC branch yesterday to discuss my RRSP options with an investment advisor. Today, at 10:00 am, I got a call from Market Probe, on behalf of RBC, asking if I was satisfied with the service that I received. The agent didn't ask for any sensitive info. He just wanted me to rate my experience with RBC.

So, overall, these calls seem fairly harmless.

This was a call from the "Fraud and Security Division" of Chase Financial (AKA "JPMorgan Chase & Co."). They detected the usage of my Sears credit card at a Petro-Canada gas station and phoned to ask if I had authorized the transaction.

I had, in fact, used the Sears card at Petro-Can to buy gas. Using the Sears card allows you to collect Sears Club points and Petro-Points at the same time.

So, this was a legitimate call. An agent called my home phone number only 90 seconds after the transaction, which goes to show that these people are pretty vigilant!

After a bit of Googling, it seems like these calls are being made by Logit Group, a survey/data collection company in Toronto, Ontario. They do surveys for various Canadian companies and organizations, including the Conservative Party of Canada.

Here's their website: logitgroup.com (warning: very intensive Flash-based site)

Have gotten calls from this number about once per week for the last 4-5 weeks. No answer when I pick up. Random clicks when I let it go to the answering machine.

A Google search shows that this is a telemarketing company. A couple of years ago, they were asking for donations on behalf of the B.C. Epilepsy Society. No idea if it's the same now because I only got dead air when I picked up.

It seems that Callright Marketing Services (CMS) has started another round of telemarketing for the New Year. This time, they are pushing the National Post.

They called today with an offer for credit card debt restructuring services. Here's a transcript of the recording:

"Right now, credit card companies are accepting reduced settlements from people just like you. We would be happy to talk to you about your situation. If you would like to be removed from our list, then please press '2' right now. But, if you're struggling with any type of unsecured debt and you'd like to find out more about getting completely debt-free, then press '1' now to be connected to a counselor. Press '1' now to be connected."

Obviously, one would have to be an utter fool to take these people up on their offer, or to allow them any kind of access to your financial info.

Got a call from this number today. It is another "prize pitch" scam where one has to give personal info (e.g. name, credit card info, etc.) to claim a prize.

This time, they identified themselves as calling on behalf of Air Canada (i.e. "As a valued customer of Air Canada...", etc."). Other phone spam-reporting sites show that this same company has run scams where they claim to be from Air Miles and Air Transat.

This number called this morning, but there was no reply when I answered. I could hear some noises in the background, but nobody spoke.

So, I looked up the number via Google which shows that this company runs every kind of scam in the book: mortgage refinancing, credit rate refinancing, fake product warranties, prize pitches, and plain old identity theft.

I reported them to PhoneBusters: phonebusters.com

This is a company called "24/7 Customer" (247customer.com) which specializes in providing call center services for other companies.

At the moment, they appear to be calling on behalf of MBNA, offering their "Balance Protection" coverage to current clients.

I've had two calls from this number in the last couple of days.

I answered the first one and heard the typical "prize pitch" scam where you have to provide your credit card info to claim the prize. I let the second call go to the answering machine and someone with a Chinese accent said "Feng Shui" then hung up. Go figure.

A recorded message stating that I had won a prize for being a "loyal Air Canada Jazz customer". This is the typical "prize pitch" scam where you must pay a fee or buy a product to get your prize. Well, surprise surprise! Once they have your info (i.e. credit card number), then you are up the creek without a paddle.

I reported this to PhoneBusters: antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca

Called at 8:15 pm and left dead air on the answering machine.

Searching the web didn't turn up any info about the caller's identity.

This number has called twice in two days. The first time, it rang three times, then stopped before my machine picked up.

I answered the second time. It starts off with a recorded message ("Are you tired of creditors calling you at home and at work?") which seems to indicate a debt consolidation scam.

Yet another number to put in my call block, I guess.

It was a Google/Gmail call. (see: google.com)

I've received several calls on this number over the last couple of months, but nobody has answered when I pick up. I've asked friends and family if they are calling me via Gmail, but none have. So, I'm not sure what the purpose of these calls might be.

Called about credit card debt refinancing. According to other phone-spam-reporting sites, this is actually a Canadian company using a spoofed Montana area code.

This number has been calling here every day for the last five days. I answered today, but there was nobody on the line.

Anyway, info from other phone-spam-reporting sites indicates that this is a market research company that carries out surveys for financial institutions.

This number belongs to a company in the Phillipines called "BHM BPO". They specialize in telemarketing, phone surveys, etc.

See: bhm-bpo.com

Since I have an MBNA MasterCard, this constitutes a "prior business relationship", so they can call me with impunity. However, the agents have been friendly when I say that I'm not interested. No hard sell or badgering. So, I don't really mind the calls.

On the flip side, I don't get telemarketing calls from Visa or American Express. I have credit cards from both of them, too, and neither have ever phoned me for telemarketing purposes. Visa and AE do send a lot of paper junk mail, though.

Received two calls from this number this afternoon. I have two phone lines and the calls came back-to-back separated by less than a second, which means that they are just doing a phone book attack through an autodialer. Neither call left a message. Just dead air on the machine.

According to complaints left on other phone-spam reporting sites, the callers claim to be from either Bell Canada or Sunlife Financial. They ask for private details, then offer false names and fake return phone numbers when asked to identify themselves.

PDC phoned shortly after the new Yellow Pages were delivered to my house. They followed the same routine as described in my comments from the last three years (search on my name to see my other comments).

As mentioned, they are the U.S.-based subsidiary of the firm that delivers the phone books in my city. That explains why the call display shows "Colorado" and the 303 area code.

I'm not sure why people get so agitated about it. As far as phone spam goes, this is really quite harmless.

This was a very strange call. Upon answering, a man spewed several gibberish words, then hung up.

Judging from complaints left at other phone spam reporting sites, this is a telemarketing call offering 3000 travel dollars for being a "valued customer" of one of several companies (Aliant, Canadian Tire, MTS, etc.). Who knows? All I got was a crazy man on the phone.

No answer when I picked up.

Secondhand info (i.e. other websites) says that this is the telemarketing department for the "Women Against Violence Against Women" rape crisis centre in Vancouver, B.C. After looking around their site, I found a page detailing how to get taken out of their database. Go here for instructions: wavaw.ca

No answer when I picked up. Just a couple of clicks, then a dial tone.

From what I've read on other phone spam-reporting sites, this might be Shaw Cable. I know that Shaw is on a telemarketing blitz right now because I'm getting a lot of calls from them (from a variety of numbers). So, maybe this is just part of it.

Shaw called to offer discounts on various Internet/TV/Phone bundles. I'm a Shaw cable TV customer, so I suppose they're allowed to call me because of our "prior business relationship".

I asked the agent to remove me from their calling database. We shall see if they follow through.

This number has called a couple of times over the last few days. Each time, it rings twice, then stops. Pretty weird.

But, from what I've read, I don't really want to talk to these people, anyway. I'm not a Bell customer and I haven't bought anything from Canadian Tire in ages.

The last time that I got a call from this company was more than two years ago (see my comment from 2008-03-10). At the time, I thought it was some sort of mortgage scam due to the nature of their questions.

Anyway, this latest call also dealt with mortgages. They claimed to be calling on behalf of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Once again, I asked that they remove me from their database. The agent said "Okay, no problem". Let's see if they leave me alone for another two years. :-)

This was an RBC telemarketing call. The latest promotions seem to be long distance calling plans and identity theft insurance.

Note: I'm an RBC customer. They called me because we have a "prior business relationship".

Two different scams are running from this number: 1) the usual "lower your interest rates" credit card scam; and 2) the "you've won a prize" scam that bmw experienced earlier.

I got the credit card scam today.

One thing to add... They always call me in the mid-morning, around 10:30 am. Most people are at work at that time, so it seems like a waste of effort on their part.

Of course, it's not like I want to talk to them, so I don't mind if they call at that time. ;-)

This was a telemarketing call from MBNA Canada. Since I have an MBNA MasterCard, I expect these kinds of calls. They only call about twice per year, so I don't consider it a bother.

Laury,

I've pressed "1" a couple of times to speak to live agents, but both times they've hung up on me when I complained. That's why I contacted PhoneBusters. However, almost a month later, I'm still receiving these calls. This is probably due to them being a U.S.-based company, despite Caller ID showing a phone number with a B.C., Canada area code. It's very easy to spoof such things.

As for additional charges, I don't think you have to worry unless you gave them any credit card info. Getting that info seems to be their main goal. But, if you do see any odd charges on your phone bill, then contact your phone company immediately and tell them that you're a victim of a kind of fraud called "cramming". For an explanation, see: en.wikipedia.org)

Just another phone spammer offering lower credit card interest rates.

There seems to be two different scams operating from this number.

The first one is an offer to lower your credit card interest rates. The second is the old "prize pitch" where they tell you that you've won a prize (a vacation, for example), but need to pay a fee or buy something to receive your prize.

Obviously, both offers are bogus. The only thing that you'll end up with is a bunch of headaches from either a stolen identity or frivolous credit charges.

As Raymond says, this appears to be a phishing attempt to gain credit card numbers and birth dates.

Reported to the RCMP (via (PhoneBusters.com).

Another call from "Erica at Credit Card Services" with an offer to lower my credit card interest rates. She has a much more pleasant voice than Kami or Rachel. ;-)

Having said that, these calls are still very annoying. As others have mentioned, pressing "2" to be removed from their calling database does nothing, and pressing "1" to complain to a live agent usually results in abuse. As a result, I'm now blocking these calls. It's apparent that neither the Canadian or U.S. DNC registries are able to touch these vermin.

As mentioned by "bob", it was a recorded message about credit card rates. The message was very garbled and then cut off part way through.

Received a call this evening at approx. 7:30 pm.

Refer to my earlier comment left here on Oct. 1, 2009. It was Ipsos Reid again, calling to ask some survey questions. Pretty much the same routine as last time. I declined and the agent thanked me and hung up.

These calls originate from a company based in the U.S. The Canadian DNC Registry doesn't apply to them, unfortunately, so they think that they're free to call us with impunity.

Perhaps the only way for Canadians to deal with it is to file a complaint at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre. More info at:

consumerinformation.ca

Got a call at exactly noon PST. After not hearing from these guys for almost eight months, I thought that I'd seen the last of them. I guess that was too optimistic, eh?

Oh well, maybe they'll go away for another eight months. That would be nice. :-)

Well, they've been calling both of my phone lines for about a week. Averaging about two calls a day per line.

So far, I've been home for one of the calls, which turned out to be offers to upgrade my existing Visa to a rewards card, "Balance Protector" insurance (pays off outstanding balances for a fee), and "Info Protector" insurance (identity theft protection). The agent was very persistent, but I kept saying "No thanks" and he eventually relented. He was pleasant, but the hard sell is a major turn-off.

As for RBC itself, I do some of my banking with them, so they can fall back on the "prior business relationship" excuse to justify their calls. Still, if the call has nothing to with my own personal banking concerns, then it would be nice if they'd leave me alone.

They've phoned everyday at noon for the last week and a half. I assume that they want to either sell me another newspaper subscription (I already subscribe to one of their papers), or they have some other promotion going on.

However, I guess I'll never find out what they want. I'm not usually home at noon, and they only leave dead air on my answering machine. But, due to the fact that we have a "prior business relationship", I'll probably keep getting these calls for the foreseeable future.

Shaw Cable phoned at 5:30 pm. The agent (I didn't catch her name) was very pleasant. Since I'm a Shaw customer, she described a few promotional deals that I was eligible for. When I said that I wasn't interested, she said "Okay, thanks for your time. Bye-bye."

No hard sell or pressure tactics. A refreshing change of pace from the usual overly-aggressive phone spammers.

Typical credit card spammer with an offer to reduce debt, lower interest rates, etc. Waste of time, as usual.

EKOS Research called three times today; twice in the mid-morning and once in the late afternoon. I had originally asked to be to removed from their calling database back in February and they left me alone until today. I'm not surprised that this was only a temporary removal.

I guess a nine month break isn't too bad, though. However, it would be nice if they stopped completely.

These calls appear to be from the "Loyalty Marketing Research" division of Ipsos Reid. Apparently, they want to know if I'm satisfied with the service that I've received from my bank.

Like the others who've posted here, I don't discuss my banking habits with strangers, so I declined to participate in their survey. However, their questions did seem kind of innocuous. Telling someone that I'm happy/unhappy with my bank doesn't seem to be the kind of thing that a scammer would be interested in. :-)

This company phoned shortly after the new Yellow Pages were delivered to my house. They pretty much followed the same routine as I described in my comment from last year (August 15, 2008).

As mentioned, they are the U.S.-based subsidiary of the firm that delivers the phone books in my city (Vancouver, B.C., Canada). That explains why the call display shows "Colorado" and the 303 area code.

Have been receiving calls from this number and other similar numbers (604-495-4813, 604-495-4817) for a little while now. Sometimes, it only rings twice before stopping. Other times, there's just dead air on the answering machine.

Googling this number brings up a ton of complaints posted on other phone spam reporting sites. So far, nobody has a clue what this person/company is calling about. Is it a telemarketer, survey, or charity? The name probably stands for "Event Processing Centre"... so, what "event" are they "processing"?

As mentioned by others, these are Sears delivery reminders. I'm expecting a new leather sofa on Monday, so these were legitimate calls.

However, according to the call display, they called eight times between 10:58 am and 5:48 pm. No message was left on any of these calls. One would think that a single call with a message left on the answering machine would be sufficient, eh?

Received a call from Telus Mobility this afternoon. As mentioned by other commenters, they were pushing their cellphone services. I expect these sorts of calls because I'm a Telus customer (Internet & home phone). They're allowed to call me because of our "prior business relationship".

I get cellphone services from another carrier, though, so I always tell them "no thanks". So far, they haven't given me the hard sell, as experienced by Larry (in his comment from April 13, 2008).

Basstel phoned a few minutes before noon today, but nobody answered when I picked up. I could hear people talking in the background for a few seconds, but that's it. Pretty odd.

Even odder is that they would be calling on the first Monday of August, which is a civic holiday in B.C. I never would have expected to get a telemarketing call while enjoying a long weekend. But, perhaps I can excuse them since they're in Manitoba and may not know about it.

The final thing is that I'm already a Vancouver Sun subscriber. My office has a Vancouver Province subscription under my name. So, technically, we have a "prior business relationship". However, trying to sell me multiple subscriptions to either the Sun or Province seems fruitless.

Received a call today from the "Small Business Finance Centre" (AKA "Small Business Funding Centre") offering a free publication that describes how to obtain federal loans/grants for small business owners. They're based in Ottawa, but are using a New York telemarketer to get around the Do Not Call restrictions.

To be blunt, SBFC are scammers. Once an agent has you on the line, they give you the hard sell. The supposedly free publication turns into a $600 fee (two payments of $297 to 350) to obtain the information necessary to get the grants. Don't get sucked in! This information can be found for free with a bit of research. The federal government's "Canada Business: Services for Entrepreneurs" website is a good place to start: canadabusiness.gc.ca (Click the "Financing" link for solid info on loans and such)

Got seven calls from these cretins, spread out through the entire day, at 9:10 am, 9:18 am, 11:18 am, 11:32 am, 11:33 am, 11:37 am, and 5:52 pm. That four-call stretch in nine minutes must be some kind of record!

Nobody on the line when I answered, and no messages left when I didn't. Pretty damn annoying.

Started to get calls from this number yesterday. Same spiel as other credit card scammers, i.e. reduce your interest rates and eliminate existing debt.

Got another call from these cretins as I was sitting down to dinner. Same tired spiel as before about reducing interest rates and eliminating debt. Talking to an agent solves nothing. All you can do is block this number, if you have that option.

As for being on the Do Not Call registry... Unfortunately for Canadian residents, these U.S.-based scammers can call with impunity because our Canadian DNC registry can't touch them. The only thing that will stop them is if Canada and the U.S. get together to create a North American DNC registry. I'm not holding my breath.

Another credit card scammer with the same old schtick about eliminating your debt. Anybody who falls for that line of BS deserves to be scammed.

Anyway, they claim that pressing "1" will remove your number from their database. I doubt very much that they will honour it.

These scammers use several numbers from the same Massachusetts area code and prefix. The others that call me regularly are (978)-570-2039 and (978) 570-2040. So far, I've been blocking them because (as others have noted), the Canadian DNC registry can't do anything about U.S. companies phoning up here.

I guess turnabout is fair play, though, because Canadian companies have been getting around the U.S. DNC registry in the same manner for several years. Maybe it's time for a North American DNC registry, eh?

Joe,

I feel your pain. These calls are coming from a Massachusetts-based credit card scammer. Since they are calling from outside Canada, our DNC registry doesn't affect them, unfortunately. Your only recourse may be to block this number, if you have that option.

They also call from (978) 570-2340. Block that one, too, for good measure.

Back in October 2007, I requested that they remove me from their database. They flagged my account (note: I am a Shaw Cable TV customer) and, for the next 20 months, I did not receive another telemarketing call. However, today, they finally called again. I was not home to answer and no message was left.

So, I guess I'll have to ask them to remove me from their telemarketing database once more. And, hopefully, it'll be another two years 'til I hear from them again. (fingers crossed)

p.s. My call display now shows "SHAW" associated with this number. Earlier calls showed "Unavailable". At least they are no longer hiding their identity.

These people have called a few times, but today was the first time that I picked up. It turns out to be just another credit card scammer with the typical "This is your final notice" spiel.

These guys always call around noon on Sundays. Annoying.

This company performs market research and surveys, among other things. They called today to ask about product branding.

As others have mentioned, this is Sears. They are likely calling in regards to either an extended service agreement, warranty extension, repair service follow-up, or Sears credit issue. For example, today, they phoned to follow-up on the warranty service performed on my snowblower. So, in my case, this call was legitimate.

However, in the past, I've also had the dead-air/hang-up calls that others have gotten. Obviously, something is wrong with the dialing software that Sears is using.

This is the third call that I've received from EKOS Research in two days. As "Raq" mentioned in an earlier comment, they try to sign you up for recurring surveys. Unfortunately, Canada's DNC registry doesn't cover phone survey/market research calls, so these people can call with impunity.

Okay, I just learned that Allstream was formerly AT&T Canada. They were bought by MTS a few years ago and renamed. So, it seems likely that they were trying to sell long-distance plans or somesuch.

According to reverse lookup, this number belongs to MTS Allstream (a Winnipeg, Manitoba-based telecom company). Hung up when I answered. Not sure why they'd be calling me (I'm in Vancouver, B.C.) and, frankly, I don't really care.

This company is Ipsos Reid, calling to ask survey questions. They've called repeatedly, but I haven't been at home to answer any of them. So far, they've just been leaving dead air on my answering machine.

I've started to receive calls from Ipsos Reid again. These are the first calls I've received in almost exactly six months as I asked to be removed from their calling list back in April. Looks like I'll be asking for my number to be removed again. Hopefully, they won't call again for another six months.

Received another call from this number at 10:06 AM PDT. As before, it was a recording about lowering my credit card interest rate. And, as before, I could not get through to a human to complain.

Well, now that Canada's Do Not Call Registry has finally kicked into gear, we may finally be able to say goodbye to cretins like these. I registered my numbers on September 30 and the Registry will be in full effect by October 31. We shall see.

Another one of these "small-business loan" outfits masquerading as a government agency.

Rob,

Yes, the number belongs to the St. Andrew Roman Catholic Parish. As mentioned in my earlier comment, the number connects to the St. Andrew Catholic Regional School (which is right next door to the church).

I can almost imagine all the little kids, sitting at folding tables in the school's gymnasium, phoning people to offer them business loans. ;-)

This number called again today. I answered, but there was nobody on the line. So, I followed-up on the information in PDC's comment (left on Aug. 4, 2008) and found that PDC is the sister company of the firm (teamcanwest.com) that delivers White/Yellow Pages in my area. Therefore, it's possible that this call is connected to the recent delivery of the Yellow Pages to my house. If so, then I suppose that I technically have a "business relationship" with these people. These calls still feel very "spammy" to me, though

Also, it seems odd that the Caller ID always shows "Colorado" and the agent asks if I got my Verizon phone book. As mentioned in my earlier comments, Verizon does not offer any services in Canada (except for some business services in partnership with MCI Canada). So, there's really no reason that I can think of for Verizon to call me.

Hung up on me when I answered the phone. Didn't even get a chance to yell at them. ;-)

According to this recorded message from "Teresa McDonald" at the "Business Funding Centre", this is supposedly a means for B.C.-based entrepreneurs and small businesses to receive start-up funding from the British Columbia provincial government and the Canadian federal government. The message skipped and jumped so much that I couldn't figure out how exactly the scheme works, but the phone number quoted at the end (613-686-1157) is in a Kingston, Ontario exchange and is listed on other "WhoCalled"-type sites (do a Google search for more info).

As for this number, it belongs to St. Andrew Catholic Regional School in Bridgeport, Connecticut. If they truly own that number, then telemarketing seems like a weird sideline for a Catholic school!

They called a year ago to see if we had received their phone book (see my comment from Aug. 18, 2007). Once again, I have to ask why they would be phoning me about a phone book when I am not a Verizon customer. For that matter, I'm in Canada where Verizon doesn't even offer any services.

Frankly, this is a waste of both my time and theirs.

Apparently, this is a company called "Wilkins Research Services", based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The usual spiel is that you have a chance to win a trip for two to Florida (or some other vacation spot) in exchange for participating in a survey.

The agent that I spoke with seemed friendly. She just said "Okay, no problem" when I declined the survey and asked to be taken out of their database.

I received the first call from Telepoll Canada yesterday at 6:00 pm. They called again at 9:00 pm. Both times, they left 90-second messages consisting of dead air and various clicks.

On their website (telepoll.net), they practically crow about their ability to interrupt your dinner anywhere in North America. But the site also has a wealth of contact info (telepoll.net) for their management team. I suggest phoning one of them or sending an e-mail to have them remove you from their calling database if you can't get through to an agent during one of their calls.

They've called at least a dozen times over the past week, but nobody was on the line until today. The first thing that the agent said was "Please don't hang up, I'm not trying to sell you anything!" I guess they get a lot of that. Why am I not surprised? :-P

Anyway, she wanted me to participate in a survey. I said no, and asked to be removed from their phone database. She said that she would do so. We shall see.

Ipsos Reid has called twelve times in the last four days, according to my call display. I wasn't home for any of them, except for the twelfth call today. I answered and was asked to participate in a survey. I said that I wasn't interested and asked that they remove my number from their database. The agent said he'd do that, thanked me, then rang off.

Seemed like a fairly painless process. We shall see if they carry through with their pledge to remove me from their database.

I hadn't heard from the jokers for more than a month, so I thought that I was finally rid of them. Well, they've started to phone again with the same "free cruise" baloney as before.

This is the third time they've phoned in the last two days, yet they always hang up before I can say a word. Not exactly a good way to drum up business, I'd say. ;-)

By the way, Karen still managed to get her sales spiel in, even while I was in the middle of complaining. Looks like I'm going to get some brochures in the mailbox whether I want them or not.

Had a very bad time with Weedman, today. I have two phone lines in the house; they phoned six times on one line and twice on the other, all within a span of 1.5 hours. Most were hangups, but I managed to get an agent named "Karen" on the line once. After I explained how annoying these calls were, she explained that the hangups are due to an automated system that listens for two rings, then picks up on their end and waits for a voice. When it detects nothing, it hangs up. That's why most of these calls end after three rings. By the time that we hear the third ring, the automated dialer is already in the process of hanging up.

Anyway, Karen said that she would put my numbers on their do-not-call list. She also stated that it would take up to four days for the numbers to be removed. I do know that the number removal works, but is only temporary. The last time that I was put on the DNC list, they began calling me again after exactly eight weeks.

So, in the meantime, I guess the only recourse is to call the BBB.

After an absence of nearly eight weeks, Weedman has started calling me again. So far, it has just been hangups whenever I answer the phone. Doesn't seem like a very good way to drum up any business... ;-)

As Tammie mentioned earlier, this is Shaw or one of their affiliates. I'm a Shaw Cable customer, therefore I'd expect to get calls from them about their other services due to having a prior business relationship. So, this isn't phone spam, in my case.

Still annoying, though.

Mr. A,

Thanks for the useful info. I hope it helps somebody.

Unfortunately, it didn't help me. I just received another call from your company a week after asking your phone agent to remove my number from your database.

The caller (a real human, not a recording) wanted to ask some questions about my current house and if I had plans to buy a new house. Although I didn't let him continue, I suspect that this was another mortgage scam.

I told him to remove me from their calling list and he said that he would. We shall see.

It's the same old spiel about winning an all-inclusive vacation after a "relative or friend" entered you in a draw at Bloomingdale's, Walmart, etc. Anybody who falls for this racket needs their head examined.

Same spiel as everyone else: a free Caribbean cruise. I'd say that it's time to contact Phonebusters (1-888-495-8501 or phonebusters.com).

This is the third call from MCS in as many days. Obviously, pressing "3" to have your number removed from their database doesn't work.

mixbsd: By the way, "vishing" is a combination of "voice" and "phishing". Instead of phishing for info through the internet, a 'visher' perpetrates his scams by telephone/VOIP.

Feb 21, 2008 at 2:39 pm PST.

I just received another call saying that I had "won a Caribbean cruise, press 9 to talk to an agent", etc. This is the first time that I've seen this number, although it appears to be the same people who call from a Florida-based company using several other numbers (notably 802-681-4148 and 727-831-2410)

This call was extremely garbled and staticky. I could barely make out an offer for a long distance calling plan before the caller hung up on me. Very strange.

I got the same spiel as everyone else, i.e. I had won a draw at Kmart for a trip. Well, considering that there are no Kmarts in B.C., obviously this is a load of BS.

I had a week's respite from the Weedman until they called again today. The guy on the phone was very pushy. When I refused their offer of a free evaluation of my lawn, he wanted to know what was was wrong with me. "But, it's free!" he kept saying.

Even if they offered to pay me to evaluate my lawn, I'd still refuse to do business with these cretins.

Well, they're still calling. Twice yesterday and twice today. As before, they let it ring three times, then hang up, so that the answering machine doesn't pick up. Looks like I'll have to call them again and tell them to piss off.

I can't wait until Canada's Do Not Call registry comes into effect on Sep. 30, 2008. It can't come soon enough!

Well, this is the third time that they've phoned and hung up right in the middle of their opening sentence. If it wasn't so damn annoying, I might find it humorous. Anyway, I phoned them back and actually got a real person on the line. I told him to remove my number from their database. We'll see if they honour that request or not.

"Chris" phoned again, and hung up again, right in the middle of a sentence. So far, this telemarketing technique is not making much sense.

Well, they phoned again today and I picked up. The fellow asked for me by name, then said "Hi, my name is Chris", then promptly hung up. Very odd.

Apparently, this is the Weed Man lawncare people trying to drum up some business. They've called a couple of times in the last few days. They always hang up after the third ring to avoid letting the answering machine pick it up.

This number has called several times per day for the past two days. Regardless of whether I pick it up or let the answering machine pick it up, all I get is a few seconds of static, then a hangup.

Pretty damn annoying.

Well, they called again, a few hours later, on my other phone line and left the usual spiel on my answering machine. Very annoying.

I just got a call from "Rachel" with another offer to lower my credit card interest rates. She really gets around, doesn't she! She's called me from half a dozen U.S. states in the span of only two weeks. ;-)

These people have been calling on and off for a few months to say that I've won a Caribbean cruise. If you "press 9 to talk to a live agent", you get routed to a Florida call center where they put on the high-pressure sales tactics. No matter how many times you ask to be taken out of their database, they will always call you back after a short time.

They appear to be the same company that calls from (727)831-2410 (which is also based in Florida).

Kami/Cammie called again today after more than a month's absence. Apparently, asking to be removed from their database gives you a one month reprieve before they start calling you again.

Anyway, she's still plugging the "Feature Films For Families" thing for Dove Foundation. She asked for the woman of the house, I told her there was no woman of the house, then she asked if there were any children or grandchildren in the house. I suppose that if I was a single father, then that question would have made sense. So, at that point, I told her to remove me from their database again. She cheerfully wished me a good evening and rang off.

It doesn't seem like anything will stop these people short of a bullet to the head. :-/

These people have called several times in the last week. When I answer, the line is always dead. If I don't answer, they don't leave a message. That's okay with me, though, because the Dove Foundation/Feature Films For Families is a convicted Do-Not-Call registry violator. I have no interest in anything that they have to say.

This number has called repeatedly for the last two weeks. Most of the time, the line goes dead as soon as I pick up.

Very odd.

I've received this same spiel ("Rachel from Cardholder Services") from two different phone numbers today; this number and (702) 818-2427. I've also received calls with this recording from at least three other numbers.

Obviously, "Rachel" really gets around. ;-)

Got another call from "Rachel from Cardholder Services".

This is the third call this week from these people. I've pressed 3 each time to be removed from their list, but it's obvious that they ignore it.

I picked up the phone, but there was only a series of clicks. Perhaps their tape machine got stuck? I can only hope.

I believe this is Shaw's promotions department, trying to get people to sign up for cable or Internet services.

They've phoned me repeatedly over the last year or so, but I don't really consider them to be a phone spammer. After all, I am a Shaw Cable customer, so there is a "prior business relationship" there.

However, most of the time, I can't understand a single thing that the agents are saying. They either need to have more English language training or learn to enunciate their words more clearly. Also, it would be nice if they didn't fill up my answering machine with garbled, unintelligible messages.

NRG Reseach called three times in the last two days. So, far, they haven't left a message. Apparently, they are looking for a live person to answer their survey questions.

Gordon,

I pressed "3" the last time these jokers called, as described in my last comment. However, they called again today.

Obviously, they are not honouring the removal request.

I'm in Vancouver, B.C. Canada.

The recording said that I'd won a trip to Cancun. Press 1 to accept, press 3 to decline.

Which one do you think that I pressed. ;-)

KC,

No need to be rude. Obviously, not everybody here has heard of that scam.

As for the rest of us (who haven't been pressing "9"), we've been trying to get through to a real person when these jokers call. How else do you expect Canadians (who do not, at present have a "Do Not Call" registry... as you should well know being in London, ON) to notify this company that their calls are not welcome?

I'm in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Got a call from this number today. Caller ID showed "Michigan". When I picked up, there was no answer.

Maybe they didn't like the sound of my voice? ;-)

I thought that I'd seen the last of these jokers, but they called again today after a week-long absence.

Apparently, they didn't believe me when I told them to stop calling or I'd hunt them down and ram their phones up their asses.

I'm in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. I got the same spiel as everyone else about winning a free cruise. Annoying.

I'm in Vancouver. B.C. Canada. No answer when I picked up the phone.

If this is about Verizon phone book delivery, then why are they phoning Canadians? Seems like a waste of our time.

Today's call from Dove Foundation went a little differently from previous days. The woman posing as "Cami" today was very polite, unlike some of the others.

When I picked up the phone, she said, "Good afternoon, may I speak to the lady of the house?" When I said that there was no lady present, she said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you. Thank you for your time."

At that point, I asked if she would remove my phone number from their calling list, and she replied, "I certainly will. Have a nice day. Bye-bye."

It was a refreshing change from the usual nasty badgering that I've come to expect from them. But, having said that, I still want to kick these people down a deep well.

This telemarketer has called a few times in the past few weeks. I answered today in the hope of telling these people to stop calling, but there was so much background noise on their end (sounded like loud music) that I couldn't understand a thing that the woman said. She kept talking and talking, so I told her to stop calling, then hung up.

Just a waste of my time.

Acrobat Research called again today with another survey involving what I consider to be my private financial/banking information.

I declined to participate and asked them not to call again. We shall see.

I'm in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. This company has called three times over the last two days. So far, they have not left a message.

As a few others have noted, Dove Foundation has begun to call Canadian numbers in the last couple of weeks.

I'm in Vancouver, B.C., and have two phone lines in the house. Both lines get at least one call per day from Dove. If they get the answering machine, the leave no message. Even if I answer, they hang up most times. Once in a while, they ask for the lady of the house, but since I'm single, they have no use for me. That's fine with me because I have no use for them, either. :-)

This number began to appear on my caller ID, beginning about a week ago. The display shows "Long Distance - Unavailable". They call several times per day, but never leave a message. I haven't been home to answer it, but I suspect that it's another one of those mortgage scams.

Hopefully, this kind of crap will end soon, as Canada is finally instituting a "Do Not Call" registry. It can't come soon enough, in my opinion!

I got the same spiel as everyone else (i.e. lower your interest rates, press 1 to talk to an operator, press 3 to discontinue, etc.).

I have no idea why these morons bother to call Canadians.

"Rachel" called again today after a two month absence. Same spiel as before: We're from your credit card company, you qualify for a mortgage, blah blah blah.

Stupid and annoying.

Ex Telus Client,

You need to do some more research! It is not a Telus number - it's one of several dummy numbers used when the caller is masking its ID.

The real culprit is Primus! See the following for more info:

dslreports.com

This company phoned twice before, but I did not pick up. Each time, no messages were left on the answering machine.

This time, I picked up, but there was only a faint clicking before it disconnected. Annoying and a waste of time.

I'm in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and this mortgage referral company from Iowa has called several times over the last few days.

Do they seriously believe that I would want to remortgage my house through fly-by-night phone spammers in another country via a cold call?

I'm in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. "Debit Control" has called half a dozen times over the last two days. I have two phone lines in the house and they both ring one after the other. Obviously, they're just doing a phone book attack.

Anyway, the thing that bothers me the most is that a Wyoming company would bother to phone people in Canada. Not only would it be unlikely for anybody (in their right mind) to do business with obvious scammers/spammers, but do they seriously think that I'd re-mortgage my house with a company based in another country? Get real.