Fraudsters Abusing Canada's Do-Not-Call List 229
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."
What Idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
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?
Double Up (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I saw that one coming...(I'm in Canada) (Score:4, Insightful)
That is the most annoying call ever. I blame bell for all this. THey're making money of each scam call in network fees.
How to get around the Do-Not-Call list (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
Simple solution ... (Score:5, Insightful)
The CRTC could use this to easily weed out the bad from the good.
Re:Double Up (Score:2, Insightful)
What we need is a "My Data is worth $5000.00 to me" so IF you use my data,
YOU OWE ME $5000.00 per disclosure.
IF My data is worth anything, it is worth MORE to me than you.
Turn the idiots in to a collection agency and ruin their credit, etc.
Simple.
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
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 (Score:3, Insightful)
Technically, the telemarketers aren't breaking the do not call list laws. They aren't in canada.
I'm in the US and recently have had canadian based companies calling me.. I tell them I'm on the do not call list "we're in Canada so the US list doesn't apply to us" Canuck companies are doing the same thing now.
That's not exactly correct. Technically, they are breaking the law. They just can't be prosecuted easily.
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
- 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.
This was easy to predict (Score:3, Insightful)
If there is a list, and it has value, it will eventually be sold. It is important to remember that the government consists of regular people, not angels, no different from people doing any other job. A certain percentage will be unscrupulous, as in any collection of people, and the unscrupulous will be attracted to positions of power, influence and money, just like in any other organization.
You might be able to vote out the person who wrote the bill, and the politicians that put it into law, but you can't vote out the bureaucrat that actually handles the goods -- that person is outside the influence of us regular citizens. Not because of any Star Room conspiracy, but simply because he's the person who has access, and the temptation is too great.
So for a given list, like a do-not-call list, or back-door passwords held in escrow, or a list of people in a certain position, if it has value, an unscrupulous person will find a way to cash in on it, or someone will be coerced into doing so by another unscrupulous person. The more valuable the list, the more likely that the attempt will be made.
This is vital to remember. When you hear "the government will take care of it" the first question you should ask is "why do you think so? What makes the people that make up the government any different from the people who make up, say, the phone company?"
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
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:Simple solution ... (Score:3, Insightful)
Since the lists are cheap, the scammers can just get 10 copies and filter out the differences. I don't think it would work (at least more than once).