The World Endurance Scam Call Championship (WESCC) has announced that the 48 Hours of Phone Scam Calls will take place from December 10-11. The longest endurance scam call event will include all the biggest names in the sport, congregating in an undisclosed convention center with all the tech needed to keep scammers busy for hours.
The rules are simple; keep the scammers on the line for as long as possible. Competitors have full lists of scam numbers they can call. When a phone call ends, another one may begin. Those on the phone the longest in the 48 hours are the winners.
WESCC’s list of competitors has never been more talented. Earlier in the season, three-time World Champion Portia Langley used a combination of charm and sass to keep a tech support scammer on a call for nearly nine hours, obtaining a new world record. Meanwhile, rookie Gwen Stebbins made an impressive run with a seven-hour series of calls, four of which where she kept a scam call center 'closer' chasing their tail on some gift card payouts. Another favorite in the mix is Jack Brown, an earlier record holder. Brown, an IRS scam expert, pulls the schemer down rabbit holes, and relies on multiple transfers to get his long calls.
“The competition is all set; 40 professional scam baiters will have an intense two days,” states event organizer and WESCC chairman Ramon Mendoza. “We’ve had to be careful with the information getting out to not tip off the call centers. All the calls will be recorded, with the camera crews stopping by to record the intense ones.”
“The security is just one piece,” explains Event Security Advisor Sheila Lehmann. “We also have to consistently emphasize to the public that it is never a good idea to attempt to bait scammers. The measures we put in place to protect our competitors is not something that regular consumers will likely implement. And our competitors are all trained professionals.”
An event like the 48 Hours of Phone Scam Calls is expected to be highly disruptive to the scam call centers around the world. In past events in which the call centers have been tipped off about the competition, a lot have shut their doors for the two days. Those who have maintained the centers have reported a large dip in effective scams, with many of the scammers becoming frustrated at the lack of success and drawn-out conversations. Some have gone so far as to quit.
Endurance Scam Calls have gained in popularity over the past few years with the rise of more call centers popping up to defraud unsuspecting victims. In addition to the hilarity and educational value of such calls, it keeps the criminals busy with talking to someone they will never receive a payout from. The highly anticipated 48 Hours of Phone Scam Calls is expected to draw a large online gathering. Apart from going live, views are expected to exceed 1 million in the initial week.
The popularity of the sport is expected to rise further, with many former scam victims being drawn to the content to learn about it. As for the scammers, while there is currently no short supply, the longevity of Endurance Scam Calls may be jeopardized by attrition related to public awareness and scam ineffectiveness. However, in general, this would be a positive development.
Tune in for your favorite scam baiters on December 10th and 11th. Coverage begins at 8:00PM on December 9th. The top ten qualifiers, their top scam call times, and their scam baiting specialties/tactics can be seen below:
Portia Langley (8:57:12) – tech support scam, personality alteration
Jack Brown (8:09:17) – IRS scams, impromptu storytelling, call transfers
Paulo Jimenez (7:49:42) – call multi-tasking, gift card goofs & wacky wire instructions
Darren Rogers (7:30:49) – grandparent scams, call escalation
Gwen Stebbins (7:01:01) – call slow cooking
Laura Victoria Mercer (5:55:35) – law enforcement scams, endless tangents
Itsuki Yamauchi (5:51:21) – multi-voice over capabilities
Avery O’Connell (5:44:08) – sobbing, feigned confusion
Willis Reaves (5:40:37) – fraud friending, high dollar scenarios
Lynn Vespers (4:59:44) – conversation anticipation; deception & manipulation