Fraudsters Abusing Canada's Do-Not-Call List

J ROC writes "Phone numbers on Canada's Do-Not-Call registry have apparently been sold to off-shore telemarketers, scam artists, and other ne'er-do-wells, according to reports in the Globe & Mail and CBC News. The CRTC, which runs the registry, sells lists of phone numbers online for a small fee; making it available to anybody who might be interested in buying it, including con artists. I guess this explains why, ever since I added my number to the registry, I've been getting phone calls from 000-000-0000 trying to interest me in some free vacation scam. Canada's Privacy Commissioner is currently investigating."

Comments

What Idiots

[kenj0418]

What idiots -- Illegally contact people that you already know are especially hostile toward dealing with you. How many sales do they actually expect to make?

Re:What Idiots

[PopeRatzo]

What idiots

I'm trying to think of what should be done with someone so sleazy as to do this.

I understand Guantanamo Bay's going to be vacant next year. Not even Amnesty International would mind if we put them there.

Spammers, too, while we're at it. Although I suppose if we lock them up we have to feed them.

I'm a man of peace, but I could take my nickel-plated M1911A1 to their heads and then enjoy a nice meal and peaceful night's sleep with no problem at all. Actually, I'm getting a little dreamy just thinking about being able to use my email address without having to worry about getting 40 of the same message asking if I want to "be more man", or having to squint at my phone's caller ID so I don't have to deal with some poor, bored young woman offering me aluminum siding or better interest rates.

Re:What Idiots

[rolfwind]

Just as with spam, the telemarketer gangs don't make money off of sales. Rather, they make money off of selling their "service" to the "companies" whose "products" are being advertised. So even if there are no sales at all, they still profit.

However, companies don't keep using tactics that aren't profitable, so if there were no sales, there would be no reason for those companies to buy telemarketing service - at least from that provider. In most businesses, repeat customers are the key to long term success and I suspect telemarketer service providers are not immune to that.

Re:What Idiots

[pnewhook]

- You can't trust the government with your data. Whether it's stolen social security numbers, do not call lists, or medical information, the government WILL be used and abused. Power corrupts politicians; they don't care.

Do you believe the politicians you vote for have anything to do with peoples private data? Your data is being compromised by lowly paid swivel servants that have the same job regardless of what party is elected in.

Re:What Idiots

[schon]

Your logic is astoundingly bad.

In most businesses, repeat customers are the key to long term success and I suspect telemarketer service providers are not immune to that.

Why do you suspect that?

These people are fraud artists. What on earth makes you think that they are "most businesses"?!?!?!

It's like saying "oh, those people running a pyramid scam can't stay in business for long, because eventually they'll run out of people to scam."

You are astoundingly naive if you think that con artists rely on the same methods as normal businesses.

Re:I saw that one coming...(I'm in Canada)

[nattt]

That is the most annoying call ever. I blame bell for all this. THey're making money of each scam call in network fees.

Simple solution ...

[phoxix]

The CRTC should create a series honey-pot numbers, and give different combinations to those who purchase the lists. Scammers and those-who-sell-to-scammers would not be aware of which numbers are honey-pot numbers, and would call them anyways.

The CRTC could use this to easily weed out the bad from the good.