digg

Join DiggAbout

The Digg Crew wants to hear your thoughts!
Please take our short survey about Digg and potential feature ideas.

See the original image at consumerist.com —

Man Tells Fax Spammers To Go Fax Themselves...

consumerist.com — ...One great advantage of my VOIP provider (Primus, for anyone who cares) is that their base package includes many interesting features, including the possibility to redirect any number to another. Thirty seconds later, I had the fax number redirected to the receptionist's number.

show profanity settings
expand all
  • dreams800, on 09/17/2008, -1/+101That is awesome. Kudos to him. It also gives me a wonderful idea.
    • unreg, on 09/18/2008, -19/+2Somehow I don't think this is going to lead to him getting laid.
      • nmnnotmyname, on 09/18/2008, -0/+11Neither will any of us, but at least his idea helps us deal with fax spam.
    • zantos420, on 09/18/2008, -6/+18mail them bricks: http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/
      • leerayIG88, on 09/18/2008, -4/+1wtf....is that really real? I might try it..lol
      • metalgodz, on 09/18/2008, -0/+8No, it's not real. Buried because not only is it inaccurate, but it's been PROVEN inaccurate, contains links in their forum to the USPS procedure stating that it's inaccurate, and because it's ridiculous that people still post this crap up given how long it's been proven incorrect for.

        Although, while we're on the subject of old hoaxes, I have a recently deceased relative in Nigeria who left me a large sum of cash that I need a foreigner to move for me...Willing to help? :D
    • Calcularius, on 09/18/2008, -1/+3Wouldn't you rather sue them for cash?
      http://www.keytlaw.com/faxes/tcpa.htm
  • Surferess, on 09/17/2008, -0/+49I have great respect for this guy. Brilliant!
  • 7FluidAH, on 09/17/2008, -0/+73There are no words to describe how much satisfaction this story gives me.
  • AmyVernon, on 09/17/2008, -1/+62That is about 8,000 kinds of awesome.
  • Badfish2, on 09/17/2008, -1/+97Digg needs a hero section for this guy
    • TimAllanCard, on 09/17/2008, -1/+23And then we can have a digg convention once a year and all the heroes will get special invites.
  • dorianh49, on 09/17/2008, -1/+42I like Ben Popken's (the Consumerist blog creator) commentary: "It's like a delicious irony cake wrapped in irony ice cream and topped with chocolate irony sprinkles!"
  • crashbang, on 09/17/2008, -0/+84I just send them back a piece of paper that I've colored in black with the words "don't fax me" at the bottom. It uses up all thier ink and ties up thier fax machine forever. I don't usually get any more faxes from that particular company.
    • n8r0n, on 09/18/2008, -0/+72works even better if you can tape both ends of the paper together to create an endless loop, then let it run until the terminate the connection. That usually stops them too.
      • aerion, on 09/18/2008, -29/+2The problem with this otherwise brilliant tactic is that _you_ pay for the call...
      • onelikeseabass, on 09/18/2008, -2/+32Yes, because so many of us still pay for long distance.
      • aerion, on 09/18/2008, -8/+3I've got no idea about call charges in the US, but even if you don't pay for the call, it still ties up your own line as well as theirs...
      • Murdats, on 09/18/2008, -0/+9@aerion
        yes but they are using their line to make money, you generally aren't and don't need it as often (who doesn't have a mobile they can use? [don't answer that you rare folk who actually don't])
    • beachtrader, on 09/18/2008, -0/+16You know most big and mid-size companies have faxes which go to electronic form now right instead of paper?
      • skatoolaki, on 09/18/2008, -0/+9Well, someone's Inbox will get spammed up - that works, too.
      • captmorgan555, on 09/18/2008, -0/+8In that case use something that would take up more memory that flat black.
      • FLarsen, on 09/18/2008, -1/+7Send them random noise. It's hard to compress something without a pattern.
    • Commodore84, on 09/19/2008, -1/+1Yeah a lot of companies use thermal paper which the fax machine "burns" to print the fax. It uses no ink.
  • imasuperDOTcom, on 09/17/2008, -0/+15Makes me want to do that with all my telephone solicitors. Genius.
  • 1nflux, on 09/17/2008, -0/+27I need to switch to Primus VOIP.
    • wontstoptalking, on 09/18/2008, -0/+65Optimus Prime VOIP is way better.
      • snotrokit, on 09/18/2008, -0/+7I tried that a year ago, my phone kept turning into a toaster.
    • scottybowl, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4I literally just did! I have my own Asterisk/FreePBX server which is causing more problems than it solves

      Rang up Primus, great support, my new VOIP will be up and running by tomorrow - bloody PR got me again!
    • asnider, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3Primus VOIP is fantastic. I canceled my service awhile ago because I didn't see the point of having a cell phone and a home phone, but if I'm ever in a situation where I need a home phone again, I'll definitely be reopening my Primus account.
    • drex8, on 09/18/2008, -1/+1@fnflux: Can you provide me with the Primus VOIP website link? Did a Google search, and the best possible site I came up with is http://www.primustel.com/ which in turn links to Lingo http://www.lingo.com/ and GlobeTalk http://globetalk.primustel.com for their Residential Services. Is this the same link where you sign up for Primus VOIP?

      @wontstoptalking: I was wondering if you have a link for Optimus Prime VOIP? A Google search tells me practically nothing, and actually links to your comment on Digg here. And how is Optimus Prime VOIP better?

      My knowledge in VOIP services is terribly lacking. :( And I believe that Optimus Prime VOIP is just a pun on the Optimus Prime ~ Transformers. I suck. )
  • papastout, on 09/17/2008, -0/+10This guy is a true hero! I wonder what would happen to the folks who call my work cellephone to 'renew my car warranty' if I redirected those numbers back to them... let's find out shall we?
    • NoozeHound, on 09/18/2008, -1/+3you'll pay for a call back to them for something you don't want. What if they have you on auto-dial? Bye-bye minutes.
    • captmorgan555, on 09/18/2008, -0/+1These guys seriously piss me off. Luckily they call my work cell phone which i don't pay for, so i typically screw with them if i have time.
  • NikoKun, on 09/18/2008, -0/+9*Sigh*... This makes me remember Blue Frog... and I miss it so... =/
    • EmileVictor, on 09/18/2008, -0/+5I loved that little app - I'd really like someone to develop one that's a bit more like tor; where there is no one central point which can be attacked by the spammers themselves.

      It'd be absolutely brilliant if we could at least cost the spammers a few cents each; communitively we'd end up costing them a lot more.
  • ryan83189, on 09/18/2008, -3/+22You sir, win over 9000 facsimile interwebs!
  • wtrwlkr, on 09/18/2008, -1/+15I have nothing original to contribute to this. The guy who did this is 1000 types of awesome. I wonder if the receptionist is willing to remove this guys' number now.
  • morpheus69, on 09/18/2008, -18/+3Umm...if he redirects his line wouldn't ALL of his calls now go to that receptionist? Not just the junk fax calls, but everyone calling him?
    Reverse Revenge Scenario:
    John's Wife: "Is John there?"
    Receptionist: "Yeah, he's here but he can't talk now because his mouth is full of my pussy."
    • Jus2Gud, on 09/18/2008, -1/+20You lack comprehension skills,

      FTA: "the possibility to redirect any number to another. "

      So you'd redirect a specific number, i.e. the company faxing him to the receptionists desk...
      • morpheus69, on 09/18/2008, -2/+1Yeah, but what I lack in comprehension I make up for in imagination... you should try it.
  • pacman122, on 09/18/2008, -7/+20PRIMUS SUCKS!
    • mojoel, on 09/18/2008, -0/+9I get it.
      Like the band, not the phone guys. Their motto is "Primus Sucks" just in case anyone else is about to digg him down.
      • Lunarsight, on 09/18/2008, -2/+6Oh darn it. My 'bury' finger was getting itchy.

        Now what will I bury?

        (looks around for somebody using the word 'thunk')
      • DestroyFascism, on 09/18/2008, -1/+1No iPrimus sucks...too expensive and limiting...

        Getting something done at support is like hitting your own head with a baseball bat...
      • Scrappy1850, on 09/18/2008, -1/+3fish on
    • TheSavant, on 09/18/2008, -1/+2I have heard KMFDM sucks as well.
  • sincewednesday, on 09/18/2008, -12/+6The only problem with his plan is that the receptionist probably isn't answering calls at 6AM. This is just pointless passive-aggressiveness. Just block the phone number and be done with it.
    • BuzzFriendly, on 09/18/2008, -0/+12Maybe maybe not. Ever hear of time zones?
    • Valisk61, on 09/18/2008, -0/+7You make it sound so uninspiring.

      It's more fun his way!
    • aerion, on 09/18/2008, -0/+14While blocking the number might solve your problem, it doesn't solve the underlying problem of spam calls/faxes. Hitting such companies where it hurts (their pockets) or subjecting them to the same ordeal they put their 'victims' through will make them realise that their business practices are unacceptable.
      • skatoolaki, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3That's exactly how I feel - if we don't start doing something on our own, the endless loop of perpetual spam has no end in sight. The government isn't able to stop it, so at some point we - the consumers - must take matters into our own hands. Spammers make beacoup money by driving others nuts; they pay no price and have no consequences. Sometimes, it's nice to create some for them.
      • crazyhorse13, on 09/18/2008, -0/+1Hold it.
        Beacoup? As in pronunciation: boo-koo? It's actually a real French word?
    • MrBabyManSTFU, on 09/18/2008, -1/+15My guess is that someone is still getting that call. It's possible 3 things are happening:

      1) The secretary is there, answers the phone *screeeccchhhh*
      2) The secretary isn't there, the phone rolls to voicemail. Upon her return she logs in to listen *screeeeccchhh*
      3) The secretary isn't there, the phone is forwarded to another person responsible for taking calls in her absence *screeeeccchhh*

      In any of these cases it's wasting the time of someone @ the company which in my opinion is perfectly justifiable.
  • MistyEstelle, on 09/18/2008, -1/+4Argh I hate those fax spammer calls! I get them all the time. This guy is my hero XD

    (I would do the same, but I have a basic basic phone line with no extra abilities, not even caller ID)
  • Valisk61, on 09/18/2008, -1/+20Try doing a similar thing with your junk snailmail.

    Save the prepaid envelopes and send junkmail to other junkmail spammers.
    • removesstains, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4My wife does this all the time.
    • kalos, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3I do this a lot also. I can't tell you how many credit card companies have gotten fliers for each other or the legalese paperwork back. Stuff the envelope as full as possible with anything that doesn't have your name or any other identifying information and send it back.

      After getting spammed by a magazine I no longer wished to receive, I went to the local store and got the blow-in cards from every issue for a period of about 3 months (it was a weekly) and mailed those back as well. It probably didn't cost them much but it was extremely satisfying.
      • nbrntrt, on 09/18/2008, -4/+3Why stop at some letters? Try mailing bricks :)

        http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/
      • metalgodz, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3@nbrntrt

        Buried because not only is it inaccurate, but it's been PROVEN inaccurate, contains links in their forum to the USPS procedure stating that it's inaccurate, and because it's ridiculous that people still post this crap up given how long it's been proven incorrect for.

        Although, while we're on the subject of old hoaxes, I have a recently deceased relative in Nigeria who left me a large sum of cash that I need a foreigner to move for me...Willing to help? :D
  • silentcelle, on 09/18/2008, -2/+0ultimate pro-ness. LOL.
  • nowhereelse, on 09/18/2008, -1/+0This guy deserves every medal going.
  • jephoria, on 09/18/2008, -4/+15You can also tape the prepaid envelope to a brick. Then they get to pay extra postage.
    • N00F, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4Seriously, does this work?
    • sanosuke001, on 09/18/2008, -0/+7No, the Post Office is allowed to throw away those types of items
      • pintomp3, on 09/18/2008, -0/+2why would they? if they deliver it they get to charge them.
      • captmorgan555, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3I think they recently passed some law against this. I'm recalling something on digg last year... can't find it though.
  • skztr, on 09/18/2008, -24/+1So he's annoyed by getting Faxes at 6AM, so he forwards the faxes back to a receptionist's desk.. at 6AM.

    Congratulations, you've just sent a fax to an automated message that says "I'm sorry, our office hours are..."
    and no one will ever know what you did.

    Oh wait, you posted it to the whole world so they can know how you waste time and don't think of the details? Okay then, good for you.
    • jonshipman, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4Odds are if the faxes are coming from there at 6 am, then they are in another tz where works starts at 6 am.
    • Cannon49, on 09/18/2008, -0/+9If you've read the article you'd realize he said the faxes STARTED at 6am and continued throughout the day.

      skztr = fail
  • ubuntu710, on 09/18/2008, -0/+2that just made my day full of awesomeness
  • rameznabel, on 09/18/2008, -7/+1also i liked the title "Go ***** themselves"
    • Scrappy1850, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3reading isn't for everybody, but it does help you get ahead in life.
      • rameznabel, on 09/18/2008, -3/+1why ??
      • rameznabel, on 09/18/2008, -3/+1why ?? in my culture (if you see my profile) playing with words is a way of joking and sense of hummer , and this is actually what i thought the first time i read the title of this post ,if this not fitting the sense of hummer in US , sorry guys digg is GLOBAL web site
      • NecroDigg, on 09/19/2008, -1/+2Ramez, you have to realize that most diggers are retarded, and will not get the joke unless you spell it out for them.
  • vilago, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4you are a pioneer my friend. a trendsetter. now figure out a way to screw over the telemarketers and you will be my new god.
  • mbstuart, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3How would you counter a spam faxer calling your cell (short of changing number)?
    My mom is having that problem...
    • pintomp3, on 09/18/2008, -0/+8not sure, what's her number?
    • Quaterni0n, on 09/18/2008, -0/+2Call blocking.
      I used to get these automated message calls on my cell a couple of times a month until I blocked their number. They spoofed caller ID, but the list of incoming calls on my bill had their true number.
    • captmorgan555, on 09/18/2008, -0/+1I'm sure her provider can do something about it. Like block the number... unless they use a lot of different numbers.
  • DeFex, on 09/18/2008, -0/+23If they have an actual fax machine and spam you you can make a loop of black paper (or use a computer and "faxmodem" or faxing service) and fax them about 1000 pages, their fax machine burns out from printing so many solid black for pages on end.
  • david76, on 09/18/2008, -0/+21I did something similar when a company *cough* Time Warner Cable *cough* was unresponsive to my e-mails. Since they had an auto-responder to customer service requests, I setup a complimentary auto-responder on my end creating a latent, but nevertheless, infinite loop.

    They addressed my problem within 24 hours.
    • yaddayaddayoda, on 09/18/2008, -0/+7LOL. Do tell... how many times did the auto-responders go back and forth??? 8-)
    • hitokiri808, on 09/19/2008, -0/+1Brilliant! I must remember this for future use. I hate those auto bot response emails.
  • chaosevil, on 09/18/2008, -0/+17Use to get fax spammed. Faxed porn to the offending number and it all stopped.
    • haremchief, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4If there's a next time you should use screenshots of 2g1c.
    • leerayIG88, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4what did you send? Goatse? Tubgirl? lemonteaparty?
  • diggydougie, on 09/18/2008, -2/+4Trouble is their system probably filters fax calls so the receptionist never hears any, and won't ever even know that you were trying to ***** her.
    • N00F, on 09/18/2008, -0/+12Thank you Captain Bring-Down
      • diggydougie, on 09/18/2008, -0/+2Yeah, I've noticed that about myself. I'm just a natural cynic. I still care though.
  • dslartoo, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4That is the most awesome thing I have seen all week. This guy wins the internets for today.
  • zantos420, on 09/18/2008, -5/+23for those of you who get spam mail with a prepaid postage return, you can wrap a brick in paper and slap the prepaid postage return on the top and mail it to them. Since they pay per ounce, and a brick weighs just under 6 lbs (about 2.7 Kilograms) apiece, for them to pay for you mailing a brick to them they pay a little under $25 for that brick.
    here is an article to help disrupt their flow: http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/
    • Hubris, on 09/18/2008, -1/+15Not true....almost all post offices have agreements for bulk mailing that the envelope can only be used as an envelope - not as a label wrapped around something.

      Your brick will be thrown in the garbage and cost nobody anything. Just send the envelopes back empty or with the promo material.
      • lisaawesome, on 09/18/2008, -0/+5Yeah when I do this I stuff the envelopes with other junk mail. I like to use the never ending army recruiting spam.
      • stoanhart, on 09/19/2008, -1/+3Stick some flour in there - white powder in the mail is due for a comeback!
      • jtbell04, on 09/19/2008, -0/+1Fill an envelope with sand/lead shot.
  • DestroyFascism, on 09/18/2008, -0/+3Send them a bill for staff labor, fax resources and toner..

    @5000%
  • StuffOfInterest, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4Oh how I wish I could do that to the Scientologists that call me at 11 PM at night. Maybe I could forward them to the L. Ron Hubbard psycic hot line!
    • skatoolaki, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4What did you do to be so lucky as to send up on a Scientology call list? You have my sympathy; that must completely suck.
      • StuffOfInterest, on 09/19/2008, -0/+1Same name as someone who they once "helped". Now they are calling everyone in the country with that name trying to find their pidgeon again.
  • MrFurious2k, on 09/18/2008, -0/+7I want a follow up on this. How well did it work? I mean, the idea has all kinds of awesome written all over it, but I still want to know what the end result was. :)
  • FieldAnonymouse, on 09/18/2008, -1/+2Normally I'd just point out that unsolicited faxes are flat out illegal, but ***** that. This is much better, and straight to the point. The only thing is that I do feel slightly sorry for the receptionist, but she kind of brought it upon herself by not being helpful so I don't feel totally sorry for her.
  • 007joe, on 09/18/2008, -0/+33I had this happen to me once (1:00am)
    I called the number on the letter head and asked to be removed from their call list, they apologized and agreed
    the next morning 1:00am i got another one
    i called during business hours and told them what happen
    they told me i was not on their list any more
    the next morning 1:00am i got another one
    i wrote a computer program to fax their number with an all black fax and a message asking for my number to be removed in small while font
    i then set the program to loop endlessly for 2 hours
    they called me and asked me to never do that again
    they lost a lot of business that night and most of their ink and paper
    i told them they know how to make it stop

    i never got a fax again
  • PhillyMJS, on 09/18/2008, -0/+39If he tracked down the company that owns the fax machine, he should get a fax machine, let some faxes build up, and sue them. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, he can get $500 per unsolicited fax. If they blew him off when he asked them to stop, that's willful junk faxing, which means triple damages, or $1500 per fax.

    A few years back I used the TCPA to go after a company that kept sending me unsolicited faxes, and I got $12,000 out of them.
  • skatoolaki, on 09/18/2008, -0/+2Love it - and the company (and receptionist) absolutely deserved it.
  • Fratz, on 09/18/2008, -10/+5I solve this problem by living in the 21st century and not owning something as archaic as a fax machine.
    • cthulhukb, on 09/18/2008, -2/+8Maybe you should actually read the article.
      • john570, on 09/18/2008, -3/+5Maybe you should get into the 21st Century. I agree with Fratz. Fax machines are archaic. Why does anyone use the damn things anymore?
      • snotrokit, on 09/18/2008, -1/+3you need to go RTFA as well.
  • chamberlanderic, on 09/18/2008, -0/+16MY story:

    I took a fax phone number years ago when I was working from home. Every night while sleeping the line was ringing Because of those Spammers. I finally got the number of the fax that was sending me these annoying publicity ( after like the guy in the article calling them and asking them to stop) and decide to fax them back, so with my computer and a Fax software I made a page in Word that said: STOP FAXING ME. followed by about 64 black pages ( i just copy paste till my finger hurts). THEN with the fax software I send that fax 50 times to those idiots. The software make sure the pages are sent by redialing if not all the pages have been received. I click the send button and left for a week of vacation. when i got back my computer was confirming me that all the black pages had been send. Never received a fax from those guys ever again.
    • ronaldinho, on 09/19/2008, -0/+2I like how you actually went on a week of vacation, so they actually get to suffer and lose business for the entire week. The more of these stories I read, the happier I am when I go to sleep!
  • method55, on 09/18/2008, -0/+1This is an excellent idea! I get about 2-3 spam faxes a month. While this is no where near what this person was receiving it is still quite annoying!
  • moheybee, on 09/18/2008, -2/+1Actually that's a future member of ADVRider.com. The double middle finger is the ADVRider salute.

    FYYFF!
  • frankb00th, on 09/18/2008, -0/+1Aaahhh this is so many kinds of delicious.
  • andyd273, on 09/18/2008, -0/+21I just want to point out one of the blog comments:

    "esd2020 at 04:18 PM on 09/17/08
    Since you already tracked them down, and since it seems they're in the US... wouldn't it be more fun to sue them for statutory damages of $500 *per junk fax*?"

    In other words, if you call a company and ask them to stop faxing you, and they do not stop, you can report them and get compensated $500-$1500 EACH TIME they fax you after that.
    The law: http://www.junkfaxes.org/TCPA/pl102243.htm
    How to find an attorneys: http://www.junkfax.org/fax/basic_info/attorneys.ht ...
    Another website with good information: http://www.tcpalaw.com/

    Pulling pranks to annoy them back is cool. Forcing them to pay you money for annoying you is better.
  • Singerspell, on 09/18/2008, -0/+1I love it!
  • removesstains, on 09/18/2008, -0/+2I would like to give my Boss's number to that company.
  • TommyTheKid, on 09/18/2008, -1/+0@moheybee I was thinking the same thing
  • papastout, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4This comment thread is chock FULL of great ideas = just got fav'd
  • castletech, on 09/18/2008, -0/+4I agree, great article even better thread. Reminds me of how a spammers home address got out and he started receiving hundreds of pounds of junk mail a day.
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 55 of 55 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.