Yesterday, my spouse got this spam/vishing voicemail. I find it really fascinating, as it rapidly escalates and switches gears through a number of tropes to try to get the recipient to call back. Let’s pick it apart to see what they’re doing to create a sense of urgency here.

“Hiya good afternoon I’m calling with a very important message message, ahh…, regarding a delivery for [name redacted]. Please give us a call back, our toll-free number will provide details and help you to reschedule. We do have some concerns on the address on file on [address redacted]”

A delivery! Everyone loves getting deliveries. They could probably have just left it at this and got folks to call back with just thing. But instead, they keep going.

“and we are trying to avoid sending these out to your place of employment.”

Wait, what?! My place of employment? You’re going to call my boss?!

“It is urgent for you to contact our issuing office As soon as possible, otherwise they will move forward with this pending matter.”

Pending matter?! Yikes, this sounds like legal business!

“Toll-free number is [redacted] and delivery reference number [redacted] Thank you.”

For grins, I called them back and gave them fake data. They identified as Western Asset Group. From what I can find on them, at best, they’ve bought some very old debt that was written off decades ago and are trying to collect on it. Grifters gotta grift.