Joe used to work at a multi-million-dollar fax spam company. Since it’s illegal to cold call fax, here’s the trick they would use to start fax-spamming a company and be covered in case of legal action. It’s all about pretexting the secretary. Here’s how it works:

Joe writes:

1. Telemarketer calls company X and says “hello my name is Jim and I was looking for the person in charge of (ex.) Computer equipment. Often the secretary will say that he or she does not know who is in charge and other times they will get a name their first time up to bat. The telemarketer (if turned down) will then try back another time with “Can I please speak with your I.T. Manager.”

2. Eventually the telemarketer will get a contact name and that is what they build off of to begin faxing. Calls will continuously come in asking more information each time. For example, if you found out Tom handles I.T. then you (the telemarketer) would call into the office and say “Hello can I please speak with Tom in I.T. (which you are generally turned down because Tom has no idea who you are) that is when you ask the secretary “ I am just trying to get Tom some information, can I have his fax number quickly.”

3. As long as the companies secretary (or anyone at the company you are trying to fax) clears it then they are free to fax as much as they want until written notice is given. Generally they will call the company using the lines above and right before hanging up say “I am trying to send Tom some information is his fax number still 123-456-7891? Once the secretary says yes, that is his fax then they legally have the green light to start faxing. All calls are recorded so when these things go to court the telemarketing firm generally will pull out the tape of the secretary giving the verbal and the case is thrown out or the other company drops their complaint.

Really? That’s all it takes to cover their asses? So how do you fight it? I guess by training whoever answers the phone to never say “yes” if a stranger over the phone asks for a fax number to be confirmed and to say something different instead. Any ideas?

PREVIOUSLY: “How Do I Stop Fax Spam?”

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