Interesting but sneaky new tactic by agents

[cybersquatter]

Maybe this is old news, but it is new to me.

Permie Colleague A based in Office X gets a phone call from Permie Colleague B based in Office Y.

B: "Hi, reception at Office Y told me you were trying to call me, how can I help?"
A: "I haven't been trying to call you."
B: "Reception said someone claiming to be you phoned the switchboard and asked for my mobile number."

Colleague A confirms with reception that someone claiming to be Colleague A has been phoning the switchboard asking for Colleague B's number. Apparently the receptionist smelled a rat, and told the caller she would get Colleague B to phone him back. Colleague A tells receptionist to let him know if the impostor calls again. Later that day, the impostor does indeed call back with the same request. Receptionist, now wise to the scam, points out that if it is really is Colleague A, when did he lose his Scottish accent? Caller hangs up

His theory is that the caller is a recruitment agent that got his name from Linkedin, and chose him because he's in the same company, in the same department, but works in a different office and therefore has a plausible reason to be asking for someone's number.

Needless to say, the guy isn't exactly happy about agents trying to pass themselves off as him. Can't fault their ingenuity though.

[Old Greg]

Maybe this is old news, but it is new to me.

Permie Colleague A based in Office X gets a phone call from Permie Colleague B based in Office Y.

B: "Hi, reception at Office Y told me you were trying to call me, how can I help?"
A: "I haven't been trying to call you."
B: "Reception said someone claiming to be you phoned the switchboard and asked for my mobile number."

Colleague A confirms with reception that someone claiming to be Colleague A has been phoning the switchboard asking for Colleague B's number. Apparently the receptionist smelled a rat, and told the caller she would get Colleague B to phone him back. Colleague A tells receptionist to let him know if the impostor calls again. Later that day, the impostor does indeed call back with the same request. Receptionist, now wise to the scam, points out that if it is really is Colleague A, when did he lose his Scottish accent? Caller hangs up

Needless to say, the guy isn't exactly happy about agents trying to pass themselves off as him. Can't fault their ingenuity though.

I often do this, pretending to be the agent pretending to be the permie. It's always worth a go once you've got a gig, to get the agent cut out of the deal and go direct.

[EternalOptimist]

totally off topic, but it reminds me of a student rag week back in the 70's.

The students saw some workmen with pneumantic drills digging up the road near the collge.
The got one of the older students togged up in a suit and sent him over to the workmen, he tells them that a bunch of students had hired police uniforms, and were coming around to 'arrest' them, after which they would be handcuffed to the railings and left there.
'Oh yeah, we'll see about that'

then he went around to the police station and told them that a bunch of students had gotten hold of some drills and were tearing a big hole in the high street.


Apparently the resulting punch up went on for nearly half an hour

[Sysman]

totally off topic, but it reminds me of a student rag week back in the 70's.

The students saw some workmen with pneumantic drills digging up the road near the collge.
The got one of the older students togged up in a suit and sent him over to the workmen, he tells them that a bunch of students had hired police uniforms, and were coming around to 'arrest' them, after which they would be handcuffed to the railings and left there.
'Oh yeah, we'll see about that'

then he went around to the police station and told them that a bunch of students had gotten hold of some drills and were tearing a big hole in the high street.


Apparently the resulting punch up went on for nearly half an hour

That reminds me of a tale of two halls of residence who were at war. Hoax phone calls were placed to the electricity board claiming power cuts in various places, so when there was a genuine power cut, the electricity board refused to come out.

When they finally turned up, they found that the substation padlock had been changed.

This during that hall's annual dinner and ball.