Tim Dowling, a columnist, experienced an unusual phone scam call when he answered an unknown number expecting an interview request. Instead, a male voice asked urgent questions about his account but then broke into laughter, unable to continue the script. Dowling hung up, bewildered by the lack of professionalism.
Reflecting on the incident, Dowling noted the increasing difficulty in distinguishing fraud from genuine incompetence. He recalled a previous confusion involving a delivery text that included a photo of a stranger named Dave holding his parcel, which arrived later anyway.
Years ago, Dowling invented a fictional assistant named Ron, known for his monosyllabic and unhelpful responses to cold callers. After the scam call, Dowling adopted Ron's manner for a subsequent unknown call, only to realise it was the interview subject he had contacted. He quickly switched to a polite tone.
