bogus calls from the Telecommunications relay service

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Tom

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This is picking up on another wandering thread in another post, but I wanted to see how broadly this problem occurs.
sandynn and alibike commented on bogus calls from the Telecommunications relay service. I have had ... maybe 6 such calls spaced out over as many months. Always asking to place a to go order, once for pizza. I figured it was a bored, possibly not even deaf person using the tty relay service. The relay service can't interact. Mild annoyance, but a waste of that resource.
But, it this a scam or just prank calling targeting B&B? Your experiences?
[Edited, got my references straight.]
 
If that infrequent, would it just be someone dialing the wrong number?/ I haven't a clue about this kind of system.
 
If that infrequent, would it just be someone dialing the wrong number?/ I haven't a clue about this kind of system..
Not random wrong number, always seems like the same person.
 
Total scam. Generally the ones I get are calling to place a huge deli order or they want to set up a birthday party for 125 guests. Another one of those cc schemes where you charge 'their' card and then they ask you to send money back to them.
Here's another one: http://www.inc.com/articles/2007/03/scams.html
 
If that infrequent, would it just be someone dialing the wrong number?/ I haven't a clue about this kind of system..
I used to work with a deaf guy so I got to use the TTY machine whenever I needed to call him at home. Essentially, the machine is a keyboard the deaf person types their message on. It prints out on a screen (like the very old data processing machines, or the huge 'ticker tapes' on Times Square) so the deaf person can read it. As a hearing person, I would type in the msg and the deaf person could then read it instead of listening to me talk.
To use the TTY service between a hearing person without the TTY machine and a deaf person with the TTY machine, you call the TTY service. They have the machine and a person who talks to the hearing person and types the response to the deaf person's TTY machine.
Did that help?
Really, in the case of a scammer it's a way to ensure you don't know who is calling. ie- no trace back phone number. If they were serious, they would email! But it's always a scam.
Deaf people who want to stay here email me. They don't use the TTY service to make a reservation.
 
Deaf people who want to stay here email me. They don't use the TTY service to make a reservation.
RIGHT!
I would say - prank, not scam. Hate to admit this
embaressed_smile.gif
but my son told me of he and his friends doing this once at a party a few years ago. We sat and had a long conversation
angry_smile.gif
about how the service is there for those that NEED to communicate and if people abuse the service by these practical jokes the service would be shut down. He never spoke about it again until he was working and an order came in using the service - it was a real order...
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call.
 
Read in a Get Smart Voice:
ahhh the old "receive advance delivery of his bags" trick.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
I agree Eric.
But on the other hand there are innkeepers and YES lo and behold members of PAII who do not have online reservations! So if they get caught in a scam it is their own fault. Or they make online booking so difficult, I feel if it is that difficult than why bother calling, you will have the same dim-wit over the phone. LOL!
A sucker is born every minute.
Forum members are the elite, I mean they seriousely know their stuff - of if they don't they get the info here and process it and are not suckers.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
.
Warning - run-a-way thread!
Alibi Ike said:
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
Had similar experience recently, call came in while in the check-out line (not check out yet). I asked if I could call them back in 10, she wanted to give me another number. Please lady, how would you like to be behind me in line... Called back, husband answers the phone, SHE's not interested, click... I too dodged that bullet.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
.
One phone reservation in three years. When I mention the online discount, they usually can't wait to get off the phone with me and book online. $10 off a night, $11.79 with taxes.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
.
One phone reservation in three years. When I mention the online discount, they usually can't wait to get off the phone with me and book online. $10 off a night, $11.79 with taxes.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
One phone reservation in three years. When I mention the online discount, they usually can't wait to get off the phone with me and book online. $10 off a night, $11.79 with taxes.
I just spent 18 minutes on the phone with one woman planning 2 weeks in this area. After the first 6 minute call I figured she was looking somewhere else and went back to my life. She called back an hour later and we chatted for the next 12 minutes about where she should go, maybe she should fly into this airport instead of that, where else she's gone on vacation with this group of friends, yada yada.
Can't help it, I'm a yakker.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
.
Warning - run-a-way thread!
Alibi Ike said:
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
Had similar experience recently, call came in while in the check-out line (not check out yet). I asked if I could call them back in 10, she wanted to give me another number. Please lady, how would you like to be behind me in line... Called back, husband answers the phone, SHE's not interested, click... I too dodged that bullet.
.
I don't know, maybe I'm missing out on a lot...but I've never understood the whole take the Inn with you on the road concept. I can't possibly take a reservation without the computer and my book in front of me. I'd never be able to do that in the grocery store, etc. Do people really move on that quickly? I always figure if you want to book here you'll listen to the message and go book online, and save $10/night for your trouble.
We just get pesky people who need to call. They end up being high maintenance when they get here so I really don't want them.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
.
Warning - run-a-way thread!
Alibi Ike said:
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
Had similar experience recently, call came in while in the check-out line (not check out yet). I asked if I could call them back in 10, she wanted to give me another number. Please lady, how would you like to be behind me in line... Called back, husband answers the phone, SHE's not interested, click... I too dodged that bullet.
.
I don't know, maybe I'm missing out on a lot...but I've never understood the whole take the Inn with you on the road concept. I can't possibly take a reservation without the computer and my book in front of me. I'd never be able to do that in the grocery store, etc. Do people really move on that quickly? I always figure if you want to book here you'll listen to the message and go book online, and save $10/night for your trouble.
We just get pesky people who need to call. They end up being high maintenance when they get here so I really don't want them.
.
I would never take a rez without being online. And, yes, there are people who won't wait that long. I've had callers at 8:45 PM to whom I've told, 'I've just shut the office for the evening, would you be able to reserve the room online?' only to be told that if I wanted the reservation I could open the office. Oy. Maybe I should tell them they can save $10 if they do the work themselves!
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
.
Warning - run-a-way thread!
Alibi Ike said:
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
Had similar experience recently, call came in while in the check-out line (not check out yet). I asked if I could call them back in 10, she wanted to give me another number. Please lady, how would you like to be behind me in line... Called back, husband answers the phone, SHE's not interested, click... I too dodged that bullet.
.
I don't know, maybe I'm missing out on a lot...but I've never understood the whole take the Inn with you on the road concept. I can't possibly take a reservation without the computer and my book in front of me. I'd never be able to do that in the grocery store, etc. Do people really move on that quickly? I always figure if you want to book here you'll listen to the message and go book online, and save $10/night for your trouble.
We just get pesky people who need to call. They end up being high maintenance when they get here so I really don't want them.
.
I would never take a rez without being online. And, yes, there are people who won't wait that long. I've had callers at 8:45 PM to whom I've told, 'I've just shut the office for the evening, would you be able to reserve the room online?' only to be told that if I wanted the reservation I could open the office. Oy. Maybe I should tell them they can save $10 if they do the work themselves!
.
I've had people try that nonsense on me. I tell them to book online to save the $10 a night. If they don't want to, then they can call back between 11AM and 5PM Eastern. If they don't book the room, someone else will book it. I believe my price is fair and my product is fair and enough people do, as well.
 
For any in the Pacific Northwest (in particular, though it really could appear anywhere), the PAII forum has recently had a thread about a TTY scam similar to the email scams - with some saying nearly all Seattle-area B&B's receiving this call.
Here's the post, so you can see how the experience went:
In a different but not new twist on the so-called Nigerian scam, I was approached yesterday by a Bobby Cruise posing as a deaf or similarly disabled person via a relay operator. He wanted to stay here for two weeks in my most expensive room starting Thursday. Said he was traveling from Wisconsin to meet with a business associate. My suspicions were raised right away, of course, including by the vague references to my "establishment" and "hotel" and the fact that the person had apparently not seen us on the Internet. But I stuck with the call for a while to make sure I would not be insulting a real person with a disability by hanging up. I also wanted to see where the advance-payment request was going to enter the conversation.

A relay call is a time-consuming process, if you haven't had one. The caller types, and the operator verbally relays his words to you. Then you respond and the operator sends your words, type-written, to the caller. A pan of muffins can bake in the time it takes to complete a reservation.

Just before Bobby gave me his no-doubt-stolen credit card number, he asked for a "huge favor." Because of his disability, he said, managing luggage was very difficult and would I be so kind as to receive advance delivery of his bags. All I had to do was "be so kind as to send payment to Western Union today" and simply add the amount -- plus a generous tip for myself -- to his "hotel bill," which he wanted to pay now in its entirety.

When I replied that "regrettably I was unable to manage luggage myself and perhaps his local business associate could perform that service," the operator informed me that "Mr. Cruise has ended the call..
While I dislike the use of these federally funded programs being used for prank calls, when it becomes more than just a prank but an attempt at fraud the FCC need to be informed. They may already be montoring for such use but if not they should. Obviously they have time to trace the call and once they have attempted the scam once, they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
.
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
.
Alibi Ike said:
copperhead said:
they will continue to do so until they either get caught or get a sucker, so the mediator/operator/transmitter person should have authority to flag the call. Otherwise shouldn't they be held as an accomplice?
Personal opinion here, but no. The operator is supposed to act as the voice of the deaf person. Now, should that call involve murderous intent, my guess is they have a protocol for that.
I told the operator the operator, 'You are a scam artist and I'm hanging up.' The operator is supposed to relay that to the caller. What they do with the info is unknown to me.
I think the scam callers are using Skype, which only shows the Skype phone number, not a 'real' traceable phone number.
Someone who is deaf can certainly book online. There is no point to calling to book, never mind using TTY. The answer is simple. Tell them to book online. But they won't book online, there is no point, they can't get you to send money if they book online, all they get is a confirmation. Simply tell them "I am sorry, we take all bookings online, only. Have a good day and goodbye.
.
None of my callers have wanted to make a reservation. They have all wanted to order large amounts of sandwiches.
That said, I'm back to 65% of my reservations coming in on the phone. I don't tell anyone 'book online' unless I am not home. I understand you're saying to tell THESE callers to book online. However, lots of people do not want to make a reservation online. (And, no, the callers are not asking for special privileges, most of them say, 'We're not comfortable making a reservation online, we want to talk to someone.')
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
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Warning - run-a-way thread!
Alibi Ike said:
And, as we found out last night, some guests won't even wait for us to start up the computer to take their reservation. We asked for their phone number and in 2 minutes' time they had reserved somewhere that 'had their computer running when we called'. (OK, probably dodged a bullet on that one, but you see what I mean! And we did suggest THEY book online, but that was not an option as far as they were concerned.)
Had similar experience recently, call came in while in the check-out line (not check out yet). I asked if I could call them back in 10, she wanted to give me another number. Please lady, how would you like to be behind me in line... Called back, husband answers the phone, SHE's not interested, click... I too dodged that bullet.
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I don't know, maybe I'm missing out on a lot...but I've never understood the whole take the Inn with you on the road concept. I can't possibly take a reservation without the computer and my book in front of me. I'd never be able to do that in the grocery store, etc. Do people really move on that quickly? I always figure if you want to book here you'll listen to the message and go book online, and save $10/night for your trouble.
We just get pesky people who need to call. They end up being high maintenance when they get here so I really don't want them.
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I would never take a rez without being online. And, yes, there are people who won't wait that long. I've had callers at 8:45 PM to whom I've told, 'I've just shut the office for the evening, would you be able to reserve the room online?' only to be told that if I wanted the reservation I could open the office. Oy. Maybe I should tell them they can save $10 if they do the work themselves!
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I've had people try that nonsense on me. I tell them to book online to save the $10 a night. If they don't want to, then they can call back between 11AM and 5PM Eastern. If they don't book the room, someone else will book it. I believe my price is fair and my product is fair and enough people do, as well.
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And this is the difference between being 95% full and being 60% full. I can't be that casual.
 
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