Oooh! Oooh! I gotta share this before I forget. I have fun with telemarketers when they call if I'm bored. Well last Friday I was. I get a call from this guy, very "Indian" (dots not feathers) I mean he sounded fresh off the boat. In my experience they are not as fun as they don't get some American stuff. I decided to try anyway. He starts out the conversation saying that I have been awarded a grant from the government in the amount of $8,000. He then verfies my name and address...
me: why do I get this money?
guy: for being a good tax paying citizen
me: Cool so when will the check get here?
guy: we cannot send by check...
me: I'll take cash
guy: Ma'am we will deposit it directly into your bank account.
me: Oh sure, you must have that info on record from when I got my tax refund.
guy: Is your bank "x" with a routing number of "xxxx"?
me: Sounds right.
guy: I just need the next series of digits from your check book.
me: (laughing) Are you crazy? I'm not giving you my account number. Send me a check.
guy: I work for the federal government and I already have your routing number...
me: Anybody can get that number, I'm not impressed. What branch of the government do you work for?
guy: For the federal government of the United States..
me: I understand that, but what branch? What department?
guy: I don't understand...
me: What part of the Federal government do you work for...
guy: Utah
me: Utah? That's a state.
guy: Utah
me: What part of Utah?
guy: St. George, now if I can get your checking account number...
me: No, send me a check, send my bank a check I don't care but I'm not giving you that number. What do you do for people that don't have a bank account? Do that for me.
guy: We give them time to open an account and then we call them back.
me: Well I'm pretty busy, and I'll have to open another account just for this so give me your company name and number and I'll call you back when I have it.
guy: 1-800-551-7099
me: company name?
guy: New Federal Grant Information (continues trying to get checking info, but I'm dialing the 800 number on my cell)
me: Ok why does no one answer that number? I just get a recording saying thank you for calling customer service.
guy: We are very busy trying to help other...
me: But your company doesn't even identify itself on the recording, any legitimate business would at least identify itself...
guy: Ma'am I assure you this is the federal government...
me: Tell you what, I want the toll number, the local number to your office.
guy: What number? I don't have any other number...
me: What number do you use to call in sick? That's the number I want, if you're in St.George it should start area code 435...
guy: I can't give you that number...
me: You can't give me your local number and you want my checking account number? (googling 800 number now)
guy: Ma'am...
me: (I start reading him the news article from New York)
guy: Where are you getting this information from?
me: The internet (start reading article from Attorney General West Virginia). Do you understand what that means?
guy: No, I make calls they pay me hourly.
me: It's a scam. You are ripping people off. You get account numbers and who you work for takes the money out of their account.
guy: What I'm doing is a scam? Where are you reading this?
me: The internet, Attorney General for the State of West Virginia. They are looking for the people you work for and they are going to put them in jail.
guy: Jail?
me : yea it's illegal, look from one person to another I also work in a call center...
guy: You do? You make calls?
me: No, I take calls from customers for a legitimate business, you need to quit and find another job because they will put you in jail too. Ok?
guy: So I should quit.
me: Yes before you go to jail.
guy: Thank you.
me: You're welcome.

Tada! My work is done here. I finally got one to quit.