Weird phone soliciation

[Rogar]

I'm on the do not call list but still get some bogus sales calls or scams. Today I got a call from a female sounding metered like the lady inside my cell phone. I must have been unusually patient or foolish as I using hang up immediately for anything like this. But I said, are you a real person or a computer. The voice said, I'm a real person but I'm talking through a voice box. So I said, what's a voice box. She said it's a device to normalize speech to make it clear and understandable for people who may not talk clearly or may be disabled. I was fairly, but not completely convinced it was a real person. Later, I'm picturing the countries that are know for scams but arouse suspicion because of a certain accent. I get these scam calls from "microsoft services" a couple of times a month that always come with an accent. Or the help desks that are barely understandable. Maybe someone with the right technology has found a way around this? Anyway, it's a new one on me.

[bae]

What was this particular caller trying to sell you?

[ToomuchStuff]

Sounds like your mixing some things in this.
You never get to what they were soliciting, so I can't tell if this is supposed to be a Microsoft services call or what.
Second, I know there are voice boxes that one puts to ones throat, to be able to talk, typically after cancer. (one friend had it, as well as an Linux supporter that I read, Ken Starks) But there are also devices that allow one to change the voice to disguise it (someone you know could call and try to either scam or practical joke you with), as well as text to speech devices, the most famous of which belonging to Stephen Hawking.
Third, did you either mention the DNCL or tell them to put you on their do not call list?

[Rogar]

I qualify for medicare next year and this was a call promoting some sort of health insurance service. I didn't stay on the line long enough to learn more. Once I answered a few screening questions the voice was going to transfer me to an insurance specialist, which is when I hung up. I get several calls a week for this and assume they may get by the DNCL being supposedly acting as some sort of adviser rather than marketing. I never listen long enough to say. I have heard the voice boxes one puts to the throat after surgery or cancer and it is mechanical. This was as clear and human as Seri. Next time maybe I will try to learn more or mention the DNCL. When I was young and naive I was a victim of identity theft and am overly cautious, but it might just be something to be aware of.

[19Sandy]

I got a new phone with a new number and within 24 hours was getting scammy phone calls.

I got this new phone to avoid that situation!

[razz]

I got a new phone with a new number and within 24 hours was getting scammy phone calls.

I got this new phone to avoid that situation!

When I got a new phone and number with my first cell phone, I got all the calls that the previous owner of the number would get. The numbers get recycled very quickly. It was a 6 month wait before being recycled way back then, so not sure how long the time for recycling of number might be now. Definitely numbers are not new and unused, it seems.

[Rogar]

I had another similar call today from another place. I asked similar questions and may have gotten the name wrong. The correct term is not voice box, but "sound board". I looked it up and apparently it is a real human and they may not even be talking, but pressing buttons with pre-recorded responses. So they actually could be overseas and I would guess it is unlikely they are disabled, but maybe. There was an article about it in The Atlantic that explains it pretty well and it seems to be a new trend in telemarketing. Anyway, mystery solved on my end and for anyone else who was curious or runs into the same thing.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/almost-human-the-surreal-cyborg-future-of-telemarketing/282537/

[razz]

That was interesting reading, Roger. Thanks for posting the info and Atlantic article link.