Sometimes at work we get called up by machines trying to tell us we've won stuff- seriously, they're too cheap to even pay a human being to make the calls, it phones you up and plays a recorded message.
I leave it off the hook as long as possible- not only does it cost them the price of the call, but every second they're on the phone to me is a second that line is connected to someone who is not going to pay out.
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Devious Plan A:
1) Use a happy-excited tone of voice as soon as you realize what is going on.
2) Say "this phone isn't secure, let me call you back from my other phone"
3) If they give you a real number to phone, forward it to the authorities!
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Devious plan B
1) Use a happy-excited tone of voice as soon as you realize what is going on.
2) Say "this phone isn't secure, call me back on my other line"
3) Give them the number to a premium rate sex-chat line (preferably one that you get all the profits from=-)
Another nasty scam that's emerged in this country recently is that a woman knocks on your door and tells you that her car has broken down just up the road, and that her mobile phone is out of charge. She asks to use your phone to call her husband. You let her in and she makes the call, offering you a few coins for the price of the call. Her husband is "tied up in a meeting" or something, so she makes two or three short calls before finally getting through, then thanks you and leaves.
When you get your phone bill a few weeks/ months later, you discover that she actually dialled a premium rate number at something like £50 per minute, and guess who all that money goes to. Yup, her and her mafia friends.
The worst thing is that she hasn't even committed a crime: You gave her permission to use your phone. My advice- rather than to deny anyone use of your phone (because if this happens to you it's far more likely to be a genuine emergency than a scam) - is to ask for the number she wants to dial and dial it yourself, or just watch her dial. As long as you know what all the premium rate prefixes are in your country, you'll know straight away if you are being scammed.