A few months ago, I got a phone call, to my regular phone, around 9 am (2 hours before I get up normally).

Kalle. “Hello?”
Obviously recorded voice. “Hi! How’s it going? [silence] Oh, can’t complain. Hey… I just wanted to tell you that I wanna have sex with you.”
Kalle. “Eeeeeh….?”
Other end hangs up.

This was a prank call, definitely. But I couldn’t help shake off the feeling that it was more than just a prank call. Today (in fact, about an hour ago), I got another phone call. Same time. Around 9 am.

Kalle. “Hello?”
Other end (in Norwegian). “Good day. I am calling from the IRS [equiv] in Oslo, in regards to your 3 month stay in Oslo. During this 3 month stay you were employed in Oslo, but did not pay taxes. I have reports here that you are due to pay the IRS [equiv] approximately fifty one thousand [some odd number] crowns [approx $6000US].” Voice continues to speak.
Kalle “What the hell are you talking about?”
Voice continues to speak.
Kalle. “Hey, hello? That’s bullshit. I’ve never been there for 3 months.”

Eventually, the voice stops. It hasn’t given me an address or anything for which to pay the sum requested. And it begins again. From the start. Now, the first recording was flawed, obviously. I could hear noise in the background and the voice sounded recorded. This one didn’t. Had I been to Oslo and worked extra (which, I might add, I bet a lot of Swedes do), I have no doubts I would have bought it. The voice did not mention any dates, which means it could be a month ago or 20 years ago. The only thing that it did fall on was the fact the voice looped.

Why would they do that? Well, here’s my theory.

1. The first phone call was a simple test. They made a low quality recording and didn’t rig a lot, and called a select number of people from the phone book and recorded their responses.

2. The second call was a more advanced test — but still a test. They made a high level, believable recording without making any preparations for actually collecting. I don’t doubt they will make further “inquiries” into this tax issue in the future, with bank account numbers and everything set up for a cozy delivery. The second test definitely succeeded on my sake, and I wish in hindsight I’d have laughed and told them what a bunch of losers they are for even trying.

One question is, though, why me twice? It would’ve been far more efficient to call different people during the second test, to get a bigger variety of responses. Though of course the first and second tests are incomparable, and the responses in one don’t really mean a lot. (And I goofed off during the first, thinking it was a buddy playing a joke on me — until the phone clicked in my ear.) Unless there are two separate organisations doing this? They’re obviously going for a mass call-out where, they hope, thousands of Swedes pour their savings out into nothingness in order to save their faces. Or save themselves time behind bars. Tax crimes are crimes too.

But my main question is, how widespread is this kind of stuff elsewhere? Recorded voices aimed at imitating human beings so they can do mass-callouts. Has anyone else been exposed to this kind of stuff? How common is it in other countries?

I’m definitely curious about it. It’s not been a common thing here and I wonder if the online phishing “industry” has inspired another kind of phishing — or perhaps its success, for I have no doubt there are plenty of dumbfucks in our world who will buy it, inspired the industry itself to move on and expand.

Update Tue 16th: Got another phone call. Think it was the #2nd recording again but I was too tired and hung up before giving it too much thought. Damn, I have a new alarm clock.