To ask where they get this so-called information from?

[JessieMcJessie]

Approximately once a week I get a call from someone saying "I have been informed that you have been involved a traffic accident that was not your fault".

Every time I say "No, absolutely not, please remove my personal details from your records" and hang up.

I presume that this is just speculative and they have not been "informed" of anything of the sort. Therefore, is it not against some sort of cold- calling regulations for them to state such an outright lie?

Today I actually asked "who has informed you of this?" And was told some nonsense about the "driving and accident Authority" or some such fictional organisation.

AIBU to wonder how these calls can be allowed?

[PatMullins]

I had one about a mortgage from when I would have been 12 years old

[BMW6]

I tell them I've already received compensation of £300,000 and don't need any more. Completely stumps them.

[CrohnicallyAspie]

The call I had, they used my actual name, and said we're from xx company, calling on behalf of your car insurance regarding the accident you had. Or something like that, anyway.

Like I said, they were very believable and it's only because they got the accident location wrong that I twigged. I then asked them to forward me some written information to my address (so I could read through and determine if it was a scam or genuine).

I said 'you have that on file, don't you' and the woman replied 'oh yes, it's number 1, my old street' (I had moved just a couple of weeks before, obviously my insurance company had my new address!)

And that's the point I went ballistic.

Anyway, the point is the woman had my actual details, I am not sure where she got them from, it could have been from failing to tick a 'no marketing' box or something and they were sold to a dodgy company.

[MrsJoeyMaynard]

Also, when DH really had been involved in a (minor) accident, the legitimate callers about it tended to start the conversation with "this is [name] from insurance / car hire company", rather than leaping straight into the whole "we've been informed that you were in an accident" line.

[MrsJoeyMaynard]

Usually when I get these calls, I start by asking them who it is they're trying to contact.

They've never once given the name of anyone in our house.

Usually they just repeat "the person who was in an accident" so they're clearly just fishing.

[tabulahrasa]

"Thing is, you don't need to be naive or stupid to get caught out. I had one, a week after I really had a car accident, and it was also the first time I had had someone call up saying 'we were informed you were in a car accident' so yes, I believed them at first and started talking."

Yeah, I didn't think once because I had had an accident the week before and was waiting for an update from the insurance...

But I'd reversed into a parked car, so they tried to persuade me to give them my DP's details do they could contact him about sueing me for compensation as he was my passenger

[CrohnicallyAspie]

Thing is, you don't need to be naive or stupid to get caught out. I had one, a week after I really had a car accident, and it was also the first time I had had someone call up saying 'we were informed you were in a car accident' so yes, I believed them at first and started talking.

It was only because they got the location of the accident wrong (thought it was in the same county as my home address, guess they go on the basis of probability) that I twigged, strung them along a bit more, then gave them an earful about having lied to me.

[Vvlgari]

I ask them if I died in the accident.

[StStrattersOfMN]

Same as Molly, we like to string them along with all our horrific injuries, gruesome details, then tell them we died. That or we enjoy a Bec conversation along the lines of "Have You Found God?", and refuse to speak to anyone who hasn't. They don't ring us very often.

Anyone got any good ways with the bloody boiler phone calls?

[wasonthelist]

I tried the "I died" line, the bloke on the phone said soemthing very offensive to me, then hung up.

This shit could be stopped if anyone in government cared about it, but they don't.

[RavioliOnToast]

Oh, depending on who is in the vicinity, I often break out into song. 'All the single ladies' is a favourite, as is 'cry me a river' they always hang up.

[Jessbow]

I had one once, he started his line about he knew i'd been in an accident, and it wasn't my fault.

I replied ''Oh yes it was dreadful''

I could almost hear his rubbing his hands together

he asked what my injuries were

I told him I was fatally injured in the collision, and he went on to say how I was entitled to compensation.

I asked him if he knew what ''fatally injured'' meant

he hung up

[Justaboy]

Just another scam call like those from BT, Microsoft like lets us download some programs on your PC and we'll charge you to get your data back. Those who call you from the bank for security please call us back, you put the phone down they keep it open and give you a dial tone so they answer the call you just made back to your bank they ask you personal details and your scammed:(

In the meantime have a look at these the first is a classic:-)

Not too politically correct!

[BoffinMum]

I ask them how they got the number and then say "Please remove this number from your records. It is a police line".

[AuntJane]

I tell them that I haven't had an accident.

I then remind them that it is an offence under the Data Protection Act to store incorrect personal data, which means I can take them to court unless they guarantee to remove all my details from their database.

It works.

[chicknquack]

We have a service that screens those calls so I rarely get them any more.

What I used to say is "you are a lying liar who lies because I haven't (had an accident/don't own a PC/whatever fits)" and hang up on them.

[WhatWouldCoachBombayDo]

I told one "thank god you've phoned, tell me more I have amnesia I can't remember what happened" they hung up

[Memoires]

I say "Yes! I have been in an accident. Please tell me what I can do about my amputated leg - I want a new one like the Olympic runners', and I need a heart/lung transplant, do you think you can get me one, they're going spare in 3rd world countries" and add anything else I think of on the spur of the moment becoming ever more ridiculous and unlikely. If you talk really fast they can't get a word in edgeways so hang up.

[Gatehouse77]

It's like the ones who ring about my Microsoft computer...that I don't have! I had one telesales guy accusing me of lying and threatening to turn off my internet!, so I said, "Good luck with that!" and out the phone down on him.

However, it's the people who are not so savvy that get shat on by these tactics and end up paying them

And any pre recorded telesales to my mobile get left to witter on at their expense...

[RavioliOnToast]

I always act really shocked-

So:

Scammer- I've been informed that you were injured in a car accident
Me- (hysterical) oh no, was I okay? Did I SURVIVEEEE???????
Scammer- hangs up

[milkyface]

I got them even before I could drive

[5Foot5]

We used to get a lot of nuisance calls like this, usually early evening when I was cooking tea. I had DD trained to answer the phone and ask who was calling then repeat what they had said so I could hear. If it sounded like one of those calls I could signal to her to get rid of them and she was then at liberty to make any excuse she saw fit to get rid of them. The best, I think, was when she told the caller that I couldn't come to the phone right now as I had fallen down the stairs drunk!

Unfortunately most of the nuisance calls we get now are just automated message so you don't even get the satisfaction of taking the piss out of them.

[MollyRedskirts]

I tell them that they're right - I was in a car accident and I was so badly injured in it that I died. They don't know what to say and kind of go 'Oh... um' and hang up.

[Nataleejah]

I just say FUCK OFF and put the phone down. Hate nuisance callers with passion.