[VoiceOps] Request to block number?

[David Breakey]

This is clearly a scam of some kind, although I must admit I'm totally 
baffled as to what the end-game actually is.

I just received an identical call, although I cannot be certain what 
number they actually called, as I have /several/ numbers routing into 
the device it ended up at.

Since it was received on that device, during my lunch break, I answered 
it as I would at my desk, professionally.

No preamble; he just went straight into his pitch, first wanting to know 
what department I was in. I refused to answer, and asked what I could do 
to assist him, because I do not volunteer information if I can help it, 
esp. for an unsolicited call, and that's when he asked if we could block 
him, and prevent him from calling us.

    At that point, I told him that we are not a telephony service
    provider (instead we offer tools and services that help /monitor/
    telephony networks--both VoIP and PSTN), and that we do not offer
    such services, upon receipt of which he promptly hung up. No "Thank
    you for your time" or anything like that; just ... gone.

Now here's the weird part.

I would /swear/ that this was a fully automated call. But if it was, it 
was /very well/ done. It actually responded to me as quickly as I would 
expect a live person to do. But despite that prompt response, something 
about it felt off, even though it /sounded/ fully human. /Almost/ like 
someone was using ChatGPT, or similar, to generate the text prompts, 
combined with advanced TTS.

    I did have a similar call, years ago (I think about 8?), and it took
    me 5 minutes before I suspected enough that I actually asked, at
    which point it actually told me it was a Microsoft lab project,
    testing out an advanced response IVR. Fortunately, this was a call I
    had initiated, so that didn't bother me too much.

So maybe this is somebody simply testing an automated IVR? Although that 
does feel unethical, and it also does make me worry that it's just a 
lead-in to something more. This could be scammers testing out a fully 
AI-based social engineering attack vector.

On 9/19/23 10:52, Christopher Aloi via VoiceOps wrote:
> Hey All,
>
> I have a new one.
>
> We (hosted phone provider) have received three calls today from an 
> individual asking us to block him from calling our company.  I can't 
> figure out his end game.  He's tried multiple times and didn't 
> explain why when questioned.  He said multiple times he wanted his 
> number to be blocked from calling our company.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Could it be a social engineering attempt?  What for?
>
> Chris
>
>
>
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