I picked up the phone, thinking it would be Jimmy or Mother. It wasn't; it was 'Mike Smith*' from the 'Accident Investigation Department'. Despite me asking which company's AID, twice, he wouldn't tell me. He alleged that somebody at my number had suffered an accident or injury in the past couple of years. I asked twice for the name of the person. The first time, he said he didn't know, he just had the number; the second time he couldn't tell me because of Data Protection Act.
It was a spectacularly stupid attempt at cold-calling. For a start, if you google my home phone number, you actually get my name (a legacy of being on the Council); any decent Investigation Department would have access to a searchable phone directory (my number is publicly listed).
'The past couple of years' is really not good enough. I am trying to envisage a situation where someone is involved in an accident and only gives their phone number. It's not terribly surprising or unusual in itself, or indeed they give a name but the person writing it down is illegible. I would imagine that the case file would include a date and location of the incident.
If I was genuinely attempting to establish more information about the person, I would begin by apologising for disturbing the person who picks up the phone. I would go on to introduce my company, and explain without evasion the reason I was trying to contact a unnamed person. I accept that there are limits which may be disclosed under the DPA. Therefore, I would leave instructions that if anybody at this number has had an accident to contact Named Person, Named Company, Phone Number.
I suspect it was a scam to appeal to someone's greed and excitement at possibly getting a payout for a non-existent accident, which, at its most benign would end up with the person taking out an insurance policy for accidents.
Now, is it just me, but why would anyone want to sign up with a company which employs deceit to sell a policy? I ask myself, why do these companies use these tactics? The answer is - people fall for it.
I know that it's not right to adopt a superiority complex, but there are times when I just have to note that I am, in fact, better than many other people. I am not one of those greedy, probably self-absorbed people, who idiotically fall for these scams. I may not be the body beautiful, and owner of designer this-and-that, but I can see them coming. I just wish other people would, too, and stop these companies wasting my time.
* with an accent unlike any that I would expect from 'Mike Smith'
