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Now I really look forward to my turn to get this call. Have either of you tried calling that number back?</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div>
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<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sep 21, 2023 at 11:35:29 AM, David Breakey via VoiceOps <<a href="mailto:voiceops@voiceops.org">voiceops@voiceops.org</a>> wrote:<br></div>
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<p>This is clearly a scam of some kind, although I must admit I'm
totally baffled as to what the end-game actually is.</p>
<p>I just received an identical call, although I cannot be certain
what number they actually called, as I have <i>several</i>
numbers routing into the device it ended up at.</p>
<p>Since it was received on that device, during my lunch break, I
answered it as I would at my desk, professionally.</p>
<p>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.</p>
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<p>At that point, I told him that we are not a telephony service
provider (instead we offer tools and services that help <i>monitor</i>
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.</p>
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<p>Now here's the weird part.</p>
<p>I would <i>swear</i> that this was a fully automated call. But
if it was, it was <i>very well</i> 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
<i>sounded</i> fully human. <i>Almost</i> like someone was using
ChatGPT, or similar, to generate the text prompts, combined with
advanced TTS.<br>
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<p>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.<br>
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<p>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.<br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/19/23 10:52, Christopher Aloi via
VoiceOps wrote:<br>
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<div dir="ltr">Hey All,
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<div>I have a new one.</div>
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<div>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.</div>
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<div>Thoughts?</div>
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<div>Could it be a social engineering attempt? What for?</div>
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<div>Chris</div>
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