(EDIT: Thanks for the comments; see my new post for part 2 of this scam saga. 2ND EDIT: My new post was removed by the moderators because follow-ups must “stay in the same thread”. I didn’t save a copy and don’t feel like typing it again. Sorry to those left wondering what happened next.) This morning my wife got a phone call (on our land-line, which almost never gets a call.). The caller claimed to be with Customs and said there was an international shipment that listed this as the contact number. He asked"who an I speaking to?" and she gave her name. He then asked if she was expecting a shipment, and she said no. She inquired what kind of package, but instead of answering he asked "how old are you?" She told him, and he said "I'll put you on hold while I check the records". Then a few seconds later, the call disconnected.
The caller didn't probe for any other information. So, what kind of scam/phishing expedition might it have been? Someone trying to match a name with the phone number? (He didn't ask her how to write it, and her name uses an uncommon kanji, so he's almost certain to write it down wrong.) A scam for which she was outside the target age range so he just aborted it? Someone recording her voice for some nefarious purpose? Or (unlikely) actual Customs but the label had the wrong number?
Has anyone else had an experience like that? What perplexes me is that the caller didn't try to get any info other than name and age, so I can't fathom the intent.
by blueduck50