A bizarre incident involving a phone call from an unknown number left Tim Dowling, a journalist, bewildered. The conversation started off inauspiciously when a male voice claimed to have urgent questions about Dowling's account. However, as the discussion progressed, it became clear that the caller was not who they claimed to be.
"I don't know who you are or what you're talking about," Dowling said, trying to play dumb. But the caller persisted, laughing and struggling to keep a straight face. Eventually, he hung up, leaving Dowling feeling annoyed but also somewhat amused.
As Dowling recounted the incident to his partner, they both couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Maybe he was on his first day of being a phone scammer, and forgot to read the part of the script where he pretends to be from my bank," Dowling joked.
Dowling's experience highlighted the growing problem of scams and phishing attempts. With the rise of technology, scammers have become increasingly sophisticated, making it harder for people to distinguish between genuine and fake communications.
In the past, Dowling had received a similar prank call, where he was texted a photo of a man in a pink jumper with a snowflake on the front, claiming that the package had been delivered. However, in this case, he didn't suspect a scam at all – he just thought it was a coincidence.
Dowling has developed a coping mechanism for dealing with such situations. He uses an automated voice assistant called Ron to answer his phone calls and respond to unwanted inquiries. Ron is a charming but blunt PA who lets scammers know that Dowling isn't available.
In the end, Dowling's phone rang again, this time from someone he had actually requested an interview with. He adopted his usual Ron-like demeanor and welcomed the caller with a bright smile. It was a refreshing change of pace from the earlier call, and Dowling was grateful for the opportunity to get back on track.
As the journalist reflected on his recent experience, it was clear that he had learned to take a step back and assess each situation carefully. He had developed a healthy dose of skepticism and had found ways to protect himself from scams and phishing attempts. In doing so, Dowling reminded us all of the importance of being vigilant in today's digital age.
"I don't know who you are or what you're talking about," Dowling said, trying to play dumb. But the caller persisted, laughing and struggling to keep a straight face. Eventually, he hung up, leaving Dowling feeling annoyed but also somewhat amused.
As Dowling recounted the incident to his partner, they both couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Maybe he was on his first day of being a phone scammer, and forgot to read the part of the script where he pretends to be from my bank," Dowling joked.
Dowling's experience highlighted the growing problem of scams and phishing attempts. With the rise of technology, scammers have become increasingly sophisticated, making it harder for people to distinguish between genuine and fake communications.
In the past, Dowling had received a similar prank call, where he was texted a photo of a man in a pink jumper with a snowflake on the front, claiming that the package had been delivered. However, in this case, he didn't suspect a scam at all – he just thought it was a coincidence.
Dowling has developed a coping mechanism for dealing with such situations. He uses an automated voice assistant called Ron to answer his phone calls and respond to unwanted inquiries. Ron is a charming but blunt PA who lets scammers know that Dowling isn't available.
In the end, Dowling's phone rang again, this time from someone he had actually requested an interview with. He adopted his usual Ron-like demeanor and welcomed the caller with a bright smile. It was a refreshing change of pace from the earlier call, and Dowling was grateful for the opportunity to get back on track.
As the journalist reflected on his recent experience, it was clear that he had learned to take a step back and assess each situation carefully. He had developed a healthy dose of skepticism and had found ways to protect himself from scams and phishing attempts. In doing so, Dowling reminded us all of the importance of being vigilant in today's digital age.
But seriously, it's crazy how scammers have gotten so smart with technology these days. I mean, who needs scripts when you can just make stuff up and hope for the best? 
And it's hilarious how he responded with "Ron, please take a message" – like, that's not a real thing at all. 
. Anyone else have experiences like this?
. I mean I get it, they need a living and all but geez, can't they come up with something better than just making random calls? 
I feel bad for Tim Dowling having to deal with that, especially when he's trying to do his job. But at the same time, you gotta hand it to him, he took it like a champ and even found the humor in it 
. And using that Ron automated voice thingy is pure genius 
. Can't trust those texts or emails anymore, gotta be careful what you click on 
.
scammers are like pros now lol I mean i get it they need to make a living but can't they just be original with their pranks? 
anyway seriously though we gotta stay one step ahead if we wanna protect ourselves online. I've been using that Ron thing too 
it's a lifesaver, no joke. but for real though, it's crazy how fast scammers are getting better at this stuff. like i get calls from "official" sources all the time and it's hard to know who's legit 
They wanna make some cash or get a laugh? Either way, it's not worth losing our cool. We need to be like Ron, that automated voice assistant - blunt and honest. Don't give 'em the time of day! 
he should get a merch deal out of it, "ron saves the day" t-shirts or somethin 
- you've got this person on the other end who's trying to trick you into giving them your info, but sometimes they just get so carried away with their own little game 
anyway, i think the real takeaway here is how easy it is to fall for these kinds of scams if you're not paying attention 
. and honestly, even with Ron helping him out (ron is literally the best), tim still had to be all cautious and stuff 
. but hey, at least he's learned from his mistakes and now he's more vigilant than ever 
.
i'm loving Dowling's coping mechanism tho 
.
That's over 600 calls a year! Can you imagine having to deal with that constant noise? 
. And some phone providers are starting to offer call-blocking features too 
.
and i'm so glad he was able to get back on track after that weird call 
. And btw, using an automated voice assistant like Ron is genius 
. Anyone with a brain can set up something like that to block scammers. Just remember, if it sounds too good (or bad) to be true, it probably is 
. I mean, who hasn't had a bad day or two? Maybe he should cut them some slack? 
Scams can be super annoying, but they're not always malicious. Some people just need to make a quick buck or get attention. Anyway, it's good that Dowling has found a way to deal with unwanted calls – using an automated assistant like Ron is genius 
. and can we talk about how some people just need to take a deep breath & realize they're being scammed? 
. It's just common sense to have someone like Ron on speed dial, you know? 
