Conference 7.286::digital

    I have recieved 2 calls from this guy. 
    
    Brian LeBlanc
    SHR

Last week I recieved my second call from the guys as well.

Kevin Milano
MR01

Someone from Hiibard Brown called me about 3 weeks ago too.  Don't
remember the guy's name.  Don't know if he called anyone else here
in Cincinnati.

Frank

    To be on the safe side, talk to either Security or Personnel.  Although
    this kind of thing does not happen often, it's not an unusual thing
    either.

    
    He has called me twice in the last 3 weeks. I am located at DDD.
    I thought he might have gotten my name & phone # from my insurance
    agent who I just up-graded my policy with, I completed a investment
    portfolio survey. After receiving my second call, I called my agent
    who assured me that the survey absolutely does not leave Prudential.
    

Check out the INVESTING conference for more info and ways to "get rid"
of people like this.  Apparently there are at least a few companies
that "appear" to have DEC phone books and call DECcies at random
offering their "services".  Insist on asking them who gave them your
name and phone number.  Chances are they will not be able to tell you specifically.

    	I asked him if he could lend me some money because I didn't have
    any. Worked for me!

    I got a call from a stock broker yesterday. I'm from Cincinnati. Your
    right. these guys get around. I didn't catch his name but I expect
    he'll call me back.
    
    Regards
    Al Root
    

    So did anyone sell him a computer?
    
    You guys aint trying hard enough. 8^)

    	What do all of you have in common?  It seems quite a waste of time
    	and toll charges if he is just calling random numbers out of a
    	phone book.  And to top it off, it seems extra stupuid to be using
    	what is supposed to be a company confidential phonebook (exposing
    	himself to whatever penalties that could incur) unless he is
    	targeting specific individuals who match some pre-determined
    	criteria.
    
    	Are you getting the calls at home?  or at work?
    
    	Joe Oppelt

    He called me also at work here in Colorado.Iasked him his name and to
    repeat the name of the firm he represented and he hung up on me.

           He's called me a few times... Yesterday, I requested a
           reference... RELUCTANTLY, he said he could get me a reference
           from someone in Littleton.  
           
           Then I started reading about Hibbard in the INVESTING note...
           looks like a "red flag" to me.  No word yet from him yet, but
           I WILL beware.
           
           Steve

He called me a few times also.  I demanded to know who gave my name to him.
He said someone (my friend) that works at DEC.  I asked the name of the person.
Then he said their are so many of DEC employees and he would remember the name.

After my being negative about his approach a few times, he stopped calling me.

What a waste of time....

re:                      <<< Note 1643.13 by AKOV06::TSONG >>>

This guy must be an ex-headhunter, this is exactly how some work..

"Hi, I friend of yours (I can't really expose the name) gave me your 
name as someone who may be able to help me. Blah, blah, blah..."

- George

    Maybe a waist of time, but this seems like a scam to me... I can Ibid
    most of your reply's.  This happened to me about 9-12 months ago.  I
    think there may be a common thread here.

    I received 3 call from this guy (I don't recall his name now), and two
    other brokers.  The guy that called 3 times always had to move fast (as
    they all did). He wanted me to putout large; quick sums of money.  Now
    I don't know the business, so maybe that the way these guys work.  What
    seem to stop the calls was to ask for their name and number, and
    explain to them that I was busy and would call back.  None, not one of
    the numbers matched up to any firm.  The last guy even hung up when I
    asked for a number.

    
    
      He just called me back.  I told him that "nobody I talked to
    at DEC had  anything good to say about  his company,  and his
    apparant use of an internal phone book didn't speak well about
    his personal ethics either".
    
      It stopped him cold...
    
    
    					-al
    

	> And to top it off, it seems extra stupuid to be using
    	> what is supposed to be a company confidential phonebook (exposing
    	> himself to whatever penalties that could incur) unless he is
    	> targeting specific individuals who match some pre-determined
    	> criteria.
    
    Well, there must be a lot of "stupid" telemarketers out there then!
    In a somewhat related matter, I got cold-called twice by folks using
    the MIT Alumni Directory for leads... both were supposedly reputable
    companies, one was a stockbroker, one was a headhunter.  In both cases,
    mentioning that the Alumni Directory was not to be used for commercial
    purposes suddenly gave them stammering fits and meetings they suddenly
    had to run to 8-).  I followed them up with calls to the MIT Alumni
    Office so they could perform the requisite hand-slapping...
    
    The headhunter was particularly interesting; I dealt with Ms. X from
    that office for a couple of job searches, and was quite pleased with
    her performance and professionalism.  A different person, Mr. Y was
    the one cold-calling me.  After telling him that I detested his fishing
    methods, I told him I would *only* deal with Ms. X from then on!
    
    In any case, if you think that they're using a DEC phonebook to
    generate leads, then it's certainly a matter for Security to be
    concerned with.  I've been cold-called a couple of times at DEC, and I
    always get as much information as possible and forward it to Security.
    The worst they can do is circular-file it...
    
    --jim
    

    
    Next time he calls, tell him:
    
    "Hey, I've got 30 grand and I don't know what to do with it.  Do you 
    have any suggestions .....
    
    
    
    ..... NOT.  (Then laugh like Bart Simpson and hangup).
    
    

I have also received several calls from this guy here in the
Pittsburgh office.

tom

    Has anyone reported this to Security yet!?!  All scams should be
    reported.

Security have problems trying to stop folk parking in disabled parking areas, 
so it's unlikely they will be able to deal with this kind of problem!

I too have had calls like this at home for some reason. I never give my name on 
my home phone so I just reply;

"I'm sorry, Mr Shaw passed away last weekend".

It appears to work. It also works well with life insurance salesman who live 
under the same rock.
Brian.

    Called me too. Gets my secretary to get me out of a meeting, does this
    guy have stones or what?
    
    Him:         Mr. Slieker how are you today?
    
    Me:          Where did you get my number?
    
    Him:         Mr. Slieker how are you today?
    
    Me:          Where did you get my number?
    
    Him:         Mr. Slieker how are you today?
    
    Me:          Where did you get my number?
    
    Him:         Click.....
    
    This guy speaks at 9600 bd too!! Scheesh...

    Why doesn't someone play along with the guy and get the address of
    where he wants the money sent? Yeah, probably a PO Box, but if it's
    a scam the info could be usefull...
    
    Edd

    RE: .20

    Is it a scam?  How do we protect the field with no security (like our
    facility)?  How can they (security) get them, or get them to stop?

    RE: .23

    *Careful!!!!*  These guys know so many loop holes... EX: They could
    send you a UPS, or other carrier's, COD envelope with nothing in it. 
    If you pay it I think you have *no* protection, nor way to get your
    money back.

    ^Mike

re:     <<< Note 1643.20 by HUMANE::PROXY::HOPKINS "Volunteer of the month" >>>

>    Has anyone reported this to Security yet!?!  All scams should be
>    reported.

	I only got one call from this guy.  When I told him I had no money 
to invest, he politely ended the conversation.  What am I supposed to
tell security?  That someone called me?!?!?!  I don't have any evidence
that a scam occurred.  I got a call from a salesman, refused to buy his 
product, conversation ended.  No crime here.

	Until this note was here, it never occurred to me that he might
have gotten my number from the DEC phone book.  My work number is 
available in enough other places.

FF

Ask what their margin rates are.   Tell them you don't have a lot of money
and you want to get the doen payment on a house fast.

    Got a call from someone at that company some months back.
    
    Told him that we were expecting a baby, and so had no money to invest.
    
    He then asked me if I knew anyone who might be in a position to make
    investments!
    
    As it happens, I couldn't think of anyone I disliked that much, so I
    told him that everyone around here was pissed off about getting their
    salary increases deferred... he lost interest quickly after that.
    
    Dick

There's a good chance that this guy bought a mailing list from
one or more trade rags.  Fortunately my handwriting is so bad I doubt anyone 
can read it correctly on any of my applications.

    What's wrong with this Picture?
    
    Perhaps it's just that part of me that gets creative around Halloween -
    but how about turning the tables on this type of activity.
    
    LET'S BE PROACTIVE!!!!!!
    
    If someone would just "post" the individuals name and phone number, we
    could direct a few hundred calls to this persons office.  If everyone left
    a message "got your number from a friend, just wanted to let you know not
    to call me, thanks" and burned up some of his valuable time he may go
    hunting elsewhere.
    
    Just make sure you speak fast, don't give your name or number and hang
    up if he/she asks any questions.
    
    Just a nasty thought.

    
    I too received a call from Hibbard Brown.  This guy left me voice
    mail.  I returned the call and when I realised what it was about I
    got him off the phone quickly and didn't think much of it.
    
    His name was Jerry Taglin (908)-855-7500. 

    
    I also received a call from Hibbard Brown. Dan Pouchet 800-343-2005
    

    or just set up a batch job that wakes up and calls the number every
    1/2 hour...that'll make them too busy to do anything....

    I wrote reply .30 last night at 4:38.  This morning at 10:00 I got
    another voice mail from the same guy. 
    
    Coincidence?

    Re:                      <<< Note 1643.32 by TRLIAN::GORDON >>>
>                     -< real creative...but not legal...? >-
>
>    or just set up a batch job that wakes up and calls the number every
>    1/2 hour...that'll make them too busy to do anything....
    
    Unfortunately, I suspect that this would be frowned upon as an illegal
    act of harassment.  On the other hand, if this person continues to
    harass YOU, then it might be worth pointing out his errant ways to him,
    and maybe TPC (The Phone Company)...?  I suspect that a business that
    works via telephone solicitiation is not only well informed on the
    legal meaning of the word, but quite sensitive about it.  The SEC might
    be interested in talking about this too.
    
    Just a suggestion or two...
    
    tim
    

Got a call last week from Rich Petrone at Hibbard Brown. Stock buying pitch.

"Do you want me to call you with a good stock? Blah, blah, blah."

Thought nothing of it but said yeah sure.

He called me back with a "hot stock' and asked me to buy a 10,000 share block
at $6.00 a share. I said no and he quickly worked down to $1000 worth. I said
no, my wife and I have to agree on any investments we make. So he came back with
asking for her number becauase "she obviously wore the pants and it was a waste
of time to talk to me". He then proceeded to tell me not to waste his (and any
other person that called) time but just refer them directly to my wife. He got
pretty nasty and real chauvinistic about the whole thing.

It irritated me enough to call back on their 800 number and tell one the of V.P.
types that his firm didn't make any points with me.

Sounds like a boiler-room type of operation.... 

        Hibbard Brown & Company, Inc.
        900 Route 9, Suite 210
        Woodbridge, NJ  07095
        
        (908) 855-7500
        Out of State: (800) 553-7670
        
        Kurt D. Folcher
        Registered Representative
        
        Investment Bankers
        Registered Broker Dealer
        Member of the Boston Stock Exchange
        Member of Philadelphia Stock Exchange
        
        Executive Offices:
        
        50 Broadway, 14th Floor
        New York, NY  10004
        (212) 806-0110
        
        Branch Offices:
        
        Palm Beach Gardens, FL             (407) 775-0900
        Kansas City, KS (Shawnee Mission)  (913) 722-6600
        Boston, MA (Wakefield)             (617) 246-7770
        St. Loius, MO (Chesterfield)       (314) 576-7700
        Cherry Hill, NJ                    (609) 751-9500
        Saddle River, NJ                   (201) 942-2700
        Red Bank, NJ                       (908) 842-8800
        Woodbridge, NJ                     (908) 855-7500
        Nanuet, NY                         (914) 735-7900
        New York City, NY                  (212) 208-7400
        Cincinnati, OH                     (513) 984-2500
        Lancaster, PA                      (717) 299-6455
        Pittsburgh, PA                     (412) 963-6877
        Wayne, PA                          (215) 687-9025
        
        ---
        all typos are mine.
        
        _M

About 10 this AM got called by (?)Dan Bukaddy (his spelling not mine) 
of Hibbard.

Once I stated that my investments were conservative and in mutual funds, 
he politely terminated the conversation.

When asked who referred me, he gave the name Kevin Horgan.....  

    FYI: ELF shows:
    
Common Name:  KEVIN HORGAN Search Surname:  HORGAN  Search Given Name:  KEVIN
DTN: 237-2349  291-8008  Intrnl Mail Addr:  SHR1-3/R20  Location:  SHR
Node: BEATBX  Username:  HORGAN  Org Unit:  CONTROLLER
    
    Of course, the caller may have simply grabbed the name off his list.
    
    -- Russ

    One of these goofs called me last week.  I just put the phone down on 
    the desk and kept working (he had to have heard the key-klicks).  When
    I couldn't hear him yelling, "Hello" any more, I put the phone back 
    on its cradle.
    
    He didn't call me again!
    
    Tom
    

    I just got the same call from Dan Bukegi (sp?) of Hebbert Brown (sp?)
    
    ...said he got my name from the alumni book. (Nice try, I don't have
    a degree...)
    
    Said office was at 512 Edgewater Drive, Wakefield. 1-800-343-2005
    
    Edd

    I just got one, too.  The guy actually hung on for about five minutes
    while I left the phone on my desk, but hung up PDQ when I got back on
    the line and identified myself as "Digital Security".

The suggestion to flood them with calls is tempting, but could get
Digital a lawsuit. Someone who has received a call, please get Security
involved (if they're not yet).

    I work in TAY also and this Kurt guy left voicemail for me while I was
    at a week of training. I had no idea what Hibbard Brown was and when I
    called back I got someone else on the phone who said ol' Kurt was busy.
    I asked what their business was and he said investments and that he'd
    have Kurt call me back. He never did so it would seem he knows we're on
    to him. The number he left on my voicemail is 908-855-7500.
    
    						Thom...

    I've just spoken to Corporate Security Investigations in Maynard and
    forwarded the note in here, containing all the info on Hibbard Brown,
    to them. Take that Kurt!
    						Thom...

There's been lots of references to "voicemail" in this topic, what is it ?

    RE:.45. Think of it as a sophisticated answering machine. I'll send you
    a description in vaxmail rather than take up space here.

    Wonder what the reaction would be if someone were to ask them something
    like "Oh, so you're something like First Jersey Securities?"
    
    Dick

    
    I had a go around with this company last winter. They kept calling me
    all the time at work. Finally, I faxed them hate mail and told them I 
    reported them to Corporate Investigations, which I did. They never
    bothered me again. This guy actually said I owed him $1,000 for stocks
    I supossedly bought. What crust! After I sent them hate mail they sent
    a note saying I really didn't owe them anything.
    
    BD  

    Someone from Hibbard Brown called me less than an hour ago.
    I'm much too polite to hang up on him, but I managed to say "no" enough
    times to get the message across.

received a call (taken by voicemail) to call Chris Cameron of Hibbard Brown
(800)553-7670, on Tuesday. I called back on Wednesday. Converstation went
roughly as follows:

ML - Hi, I'm returning your call.

CC - Thank you. I wonder if you've heard of Hibbard Brown. We're investment 
bankers and...

ML - Oh yes, I certainly have heard about you, but mainly from my company's
electronic bulletin board system.  Can you tell me where you got my name?

CC - From a list. It doesn't give your company. What company are you with?

ML - Oh, there you're making cold calls from a list?

CC - Yes, that's right.

ML - Sorry, but I'm not interested.  [and I hung up the phone]


Actually, I believed him. I suspect it's not the folks doing the calling who
may have gotten our phonebook.

And be assured this isn't the first time [nor the last] this sort of thing
has happened.

	/Marvin

If they are flooding us with calls, it seems completely reasonable to call
them once an hour and tell them that many DEC employees have complained about
being interrupted by personal calls from them at work, and to please cease
and desist.

And tell them that we will keep reminding them to stop until our electronic
bulletin board stops receiving complaints.

It's not harrassment as long as it is in response to continued calls from
them and is commensurate with the frequency of their calls to us and stops
within a reasonable amount of time (a few more calls) from them stopping
the calls to us.

I am typing on the technology which can do this right now; I merely have to
record a polite message and enter the times at which it should call them.

/john

A Shane Murphy from Investment Bankers In VA just called me.  Thats about as
far as he got :-)

gog

    I used to work for an investment firm (about 10 years ago) and they had
    a Digital phone book they used to cold call and mass mail.  I don't
    think they were alone in this practice.   Some  places have more of
    a predator attitude than others, same goes for the people they
    employ.   One may be a genuinely honest person, while the other'd rather 
    annoy you all to h*ll with their fast-speak (making you hate anyone in
    their field of work!).

Through a brief personal involvement, I found out how at least one of these 
operations works. While I think most of the people there were ok, the methods
just never sat comfortably with me. They employed what they called 
heirarchical marketing, differentiating it from pyramid schemes. Basically they
encouraged people to keep coming up with lists of people to call. They wanted
both home and work numbers. The idea was that the more people you could come up
with, the more sales you could generate, given a roughly 5% hit rate (since
most people will not go for it). So it was churn, churn, churn. No guidelines
about where these names should come from. So it was possible that someone could
end up with a lot of work numbers without really knowing where the people
worked. And the second question to always ask someone was "Do you know someone
else I could call?"

These people were a lot nicer than the HB types. They wanted people to be polite
and sincere. But I guess there's always the used-car salesman in the bunch. I'm
afraid the whole concept of telemarketing just annoys me more than anything.
That's why I have an answering machine. But my wife made me change the message
that said "Please leave your name and number and the subject of your call. If 
it's anything I'm interested in, I'll call back."

RE flooding them with calls: if it isn't WATS or local, it's costing DEC. Let
the corpsec guys handle it. They've got the lawyers. Also, believe it or not,
there are marketing associations that make some attempt at self-regulation, and
will remove your name from lists at your request, since an annoyed customer 
ain't a customer. Don't know how to get in touch with them, or if there are 
any for telemarketing, but it's at least worth going through polite means 
before getting nasty. It also provides an audit trail that shows you made 
reasonable attempts to stop the behavior should any legal action be necessary 
(I've been listening to too many Senate hearings...).

I got a call from someone at Hibbert-Brown (or wherever) before this note string
started. Once I could get a word in edgewise, I said I wasn't interested,
but it still took some repetitions to get him to stop. If it happens again, I'll
just put the phone on my desk for a while. Let them run up their phone bill.
(That's what I did to a machine that called last week offering prizes. I didn't
even listen to the spiel.)

As for answering machines; they're great. I haven't gotten a telemarketing call
at home (that I know of) since I started using one. I do get a lot of hang-ups
around dinnertime, but they hang up before the outgoing message finishes.
And my message is just the usual "can't come to the phone now. Please leave
a message..." type. They probably won't even listen to the rest of it once
they realize its a machine.

I get a lot of hangups on the machine too. Problem is, these people will call 
several times a night, for several nights in a row before giving up. Of course,
since they don't leave a message, I am just assuming it's the same ones all the
time, but it seems like a reasonable assumption. So when do we get caller id?
I saw an AT&T box in a store in Texas last year that would record the numbers 
of the last x phone calls you received. I was tempted to get it so I could a 
few of these jokers back and tell 'em to leave me alone, but I didn't want to 
spend a hundred bucks on a feature that might not be accessible.

    
    	About 10 years ago I ghot a call from an investment type.
    
    	He was polite so I met him.  I didn't do any business with him
    because I wasn't investing at that time.  His personality was such
    that I probably would have done business with him.
    
    	While we were talking I asked him how he got my name and work phone
    number.  He told me he followed the Wall Street Journal delivery truck
    around and then copied the names and adresses from the delivered
    papers.  Getting the phone number was easy after that.
    
    								Mel

    I think that the advent of answering machines screening calls may in
    some way account from their switch to calling you at the office. I
    suggest that you all say a polite no, citing the current squeeze at
    Digital. Should you be asked for the name and telephone number of a
    friend I would advise you to be most cooperative and give them the
    number of your local digital security office. Then they can report
    themselves.

    Jamie.

The HB guys also hit Rochester, NY. I got a call that ended when I told him I 
already had investments and wasn't in the market for any more at this time. I 
noticed someone else got a call, too. I then realized it was some sort of 
mass-calling scheme.

Jim

    HB was calling Detroit yesterday.  He asked if I had ever heard of them
    and I said that the rumour was that they were calling everyone in
    Digital.  He closed the call out pretty fast.

    Geez, somebody from Hibbard Brown just called me AGAIN!  I don't hang
    up on such calls, but I'm tempted to.
    
    From the background noise of several other voices, I would say this is
    a boiler room operation, not unlike the rows of volunteers at the
    telethon waiting for your call, except of course that they're doing all
    the dialing.

    Y'know, they don't need a Digital phone book.
    
    Remember we own contiguous blocks of phone numbers.  All of 508-493 is
    Digital, not to mention 603-264, etc.  And we own several thousands'
    groups of 508-486, 508-264, etc.  So they could just dial consecutively
    and get people.
    
    Just in case anybody wondered.

    Re .63

    If they are dialing consecutive numbers they will not know the name of
    the person answering the phone.

    Jamie.

If they answer the phone the way I do, they will.

    
    I have seen messages in engineers que's to call so and so from hb here
    in NJ, so they are getting names from somewhere.

    I got a call last week from HB out of Wakefield.  The guy wanted to
    know how much I had to invest and wanted me to invest in a quick
    money maker.  He cited examples of how his company invests and then
    makes a quick profit.  He would have went on and on until I hung up.
    
    I also gota cold call about 9 months ago from HB when I worked at
    a different facility.
    
    These guys remind me of used-car salesmen!
    
    Chris

        The National Association of Securities Dealers recently started up
        a toll-free phone number to let investors check the disciplinary
        and known legal record of their members (brokers and firms).  I
        called inquiring about Kurt D. Folcher and they had no displinary
        marks on his record.
        
        The number is (800) 289-9999 for those of you that may want to
        check up on HB brokers other than Kurt D. Folcher.
        
        _Mike

	INDIANAPOLIS (UPI) -- A New Jersey stock broker telephoned his way
into trouble with the state of Indiana, trying too hard to persuade a
reluctant customer -- who is also a state securities investigator.
	Broker Stephen West was taped by Robert Lott, whom he telephoned in
October and November, trying to sell Lott several publicly traded
stocks.
	Lott alleged that West, working for Hibbard Brown & Co., made several
misrepresentations, including one that he had 11 years of experience in
the securities industry.
	Miriam Dant, Indiana securities commissioner, said last week as
charges were being prepared that it was a stunning coincidence for a
sales pitch to be made to somebody who polices the securities industry.
	Dant sent a certified letter Monday notifying West he had violated
Indiana securities laws and ordering him to quit the practice. The state
also cited Hibbard Brown for failing to supervise West properly.
	In one of the tapes, West is urging Lott not to consult his wife
before investing, because she probably would say no and ``buy a kitchen
table'' instead.


    

    . . . Time wounds all heals!

>     <<< Note 1643.69 by STAR::PARKE "True Engineers Combat Obfuscation" >>>
>                      -< Hibbard makes the news (USENET) >-
>
>	Lott alleged that West, working for Hibbard Brown & Co., made several
>misrepresentations, including one that he had 11 years of experience in
>the securities industry.
    
    He was probably converting to 'dog years'...seven years for each human
    year....;-)
    
    tim
    

 +---------------------------+ TM      INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
 | d | i | g | i | t | a | l |
 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
 +---------------------------+

                                       DATE:  December 9, 1991
TO:  ALL Employees                     FROM:  Fred Smith  
                                       DEPT:  Security Manager
                                       DTN :  522-3016
                                       LOC/MAIL STOP  CXO1-2/C20
                                       E-NET: COMET::SMITHF

SUBJECT:  Fraudulent Attempt to Gain Phone Books

Last week we had an individual call one of our facilities and 
misrepresent himself as being with a firm that had just audited 
the building and immediately needed a local and corporate phone 
book as a result of his work.  The employee who received the call 
requested the caller's name and company and did not forward the 
materials.  He instead went to his manager who called Security.  
Upon verification, we determined the firm did not exist, and of 
course had never done any work in the building.

Do not release information, especially Digital classified, unless 
you can verify the identity of the caller and the need for the 
material.

Regards,

Fred

OK, I just got *another* call from these Hibbard Brown folks.

I called back on the Wakefield 800 number and asked to speak to the
office manager.  I asked him how we could get him to stop calling
Digital employees at work.

He claimed they weren't doing this, so I gave him Dan Bukegi's name.
He confirmed that Dan works for him, and said he would tell him to
stop calling us.

I then pointed out that this seemed to be a nationwide effort on the
part of Hibbard Brown, because we have reports from all over the
country of their calls.  I asked him to refer the matter to his
corporate organization and to please stop wasting my time and the
time of my coworkers by no longer calling anyone who isn't already
a client.

We'll see what happens.

Next time someone gets a call from Hibbard Brown, I think we do go
into once-an-hour cease-and-desist call mode.  The recorded message
will tell them that our recorded calls will stop two days after we
stop receiving notification via our electronic conferencing system
that their calls have stopped.  The message will also state that the
recorded call is not an official call from the company, merely a call
from concerned employees tired of being called at work.

/john

  For a while there, I felt neglected that I too wasn't on the receiving end of
a chat with the doinks from Hibbard Brown. Until, that is, last night at 8:30,
at home.

  I shoulda asked him how he got a hold of me (I own no credit cards, subscribe
to no magazines, am not in the telephone book, and don't call 1-900 numbers),
but I told him to take a suck pill and hung up.

  Patrick

   I received a call from them a few weeks ago. I was just talking to one of
my co-workers who had a messages from them on voice mail. The person calling
was the same in both cases. The name is something like Jerry Coflin(sp?).

    I got voice mail here in Atlanta this morning from this Jerry Coflin,
    or may Cogburn person. The number was 800-553-7670. I haven't returned
    the call yet.  I'll try a composite of all the best responses so far!
    
    mark

I just called 800 553-7670 and told them that a number of Digital Equipment
Corporation employees all over the country are complaining about the calls
from Hibbard Brown and would like them to stop calling us at work.  I mentioned
Jerry's name and told them we were using a worldwide electronic communications
system to track their calls and to please stop.

/john

	And how did they respond to your call?

			Alfred

"We'll pass on the message."

I really am going to start hourly automated calls if this doesn't stop!

I assume you'll have the courtesy to let Corp Security know that you've
taken on this responsibility.

Since I won't claim to be representing the company, I see no need to.

"This is an automated call from John Covert.  I and many of my fellow
workers at Digital Equipment Corporation would like you to please stop
calling us at work with cold sales calls.  This recorded reminder will
stop two days after I hear no further reports of calls that disturb
us at work.  Thank you."

Based on the number of calls from them to us, this cannot be considered
harassment if it is done once an hour (to each of their offices) from 9AM
to 4PM.

/john

    The only way you are going to get them to stop is to make the cost of
    calling us too high. I suggest that we run a competition to see who can
    keep one of their salesmen tied up for the longest period. This would
    make them lose money on every call to a digital employee.

    Extra prizes could be awarded for ingenuity in getting their hopes up
    of a possible sale and making them lose their temper when they find out
    that you never intended to buy anything.

    Should we begin to tire of this game then one of us lets slip that
    there is a competition, tells the salesman what the current record
    is and requests the salesman's assistance in setting a new record.

    If they realise that any time they call a DEC employee at work they are
    going to get strung along for ages with no possibility of a sale at the
    end they may become discouraged.

    Jamie.

re .82

	I did that. I strung the guy along for 2 weekes before he finally 
figured out what I was doing. He got really pissed. That was when I explained
to him that I wasn't to pleased about being bothered at work myself.

	Unfortunatly that doesn't get the calls to stop, as I have since been
called by two other brokers from different offices of the company.

Brian LeBlanc

    Re .83

    Good, currently you are winning this competition. 

    Any other entries?

    Jamie.

    
    re: .84   <<< Any other entries? >>>
    
    yeah, here's a new one.  Peter mumble-mumble from J.W. Gant Co. in
    NYC has called me here at LKG a couple of times last week.  Asked if I
    wante to invest $30-40K in a "hot" marketing research company stock.  
    Yeah, sure, I have $40K to give to some guy who calls out of the blue.
    Not!
    
    Marc

    Working in Contoocook, NH, I somehow didn't expect to be getting any 
    cold calls from stockbrokers here at work, but today I received a 
    call from a gentleman at Shearson-Lehman (sp?), telling me about 
    some hot new deals they're working on and wanting to know if he could
    send me a business card.  
    
    He took me by surprise, and I didn't think to get his name.  However, 
    when I told him that my husband is unemployed and that my main goal 
    is just to keep paying the bills, he politely terminated the call.  
    
    I did report this call to site security.  
    
    Has anyone else heard from this company?
    
    

    American Express owns Shearson-Lehman.  Neither American Express nor
    Shearson-Lehman is sleazy or fly-by-night.
    
    Receiving "cold calls" like this, either at home or at work, is a way
    of life.  A citizen recently lost a court case in an attempt to prevent
    Merrill Lynch from calling him.  I really don't know what if anything
    Security can do about it.
    
    John

    Got a call like this at home the other night. Person had a "great
    investment opportunity" for me in something mumble similar to CD's.
    
    Told her that i didn't have a CD player, I only had cassettes. Silence.
    Then an explanation that it wasn't music and I must have misunderstood.
    That it was an investment program. Playing stupid, I again repeated
    that I didn't have a CD player. CD's were to expensive. I like
    cassettes. Got hung up on. Bet she doesn't call back and if this
    happens enough, it may even spread around that there's some idiot who
    thinks CD investment means music. I'd like to be an urban legend. :-)
    
    Phil

    re: -.1
    
    Good one!  An aside, about 6:30 PM a week or so ago while eating dinner, 
    of course, I got a "cold call" from someone trying to sell me something.  
    I indicated that I wasn't interested.  The salesman pressed me to give him 
    a reason why not.  "Because I'm eating dinner."  It worked.
    
    Steve

    There's always the old standby "insanity" comeback, that I'd read
    in another conference (or was it this one?...):
    
    Wait patiently while the huckster exhales his pitch, and then when
    the inevitable question comes, reply "Did you eat all the mayonnaise?
    Someone ate the mayonnaise!  WHO ate my MAYONNAISE??!"
    
    Chris

    "Hello, Mr. Moeller ?  This is ________ _________ of _________.  How
    are you ?" 
    
    "VERY BUSY !"
    
    "Uh.." <click>

"Hello, Mr. Withers, I'm xxxx of yyyy.  How are you today?"

"Please understand that this is nothing personal, xxxx, but I don't accept
unsolicited calls without charging for my time.  The charge is $100.00 per five
minute period.  You and your company may avoid the charge by, 1, removing my
name from your lists, and, 2, ending this call.  Since I have your name and the
name of the firm you represent, could you please tell me your billing address
or end this call?"

"Mr. Withers, thank you and goodbye..." <click>

    Chris Donnelly from Hibbard-Brown. Unfortunately, I was about four
    windows deep and only gave him the shortest expletive I could think of
    instead of something more creative. I'll have to try that 800 number
    later on and the Security route, I just wanted to mention that they're
    still out there.

    
    	Yesterday at 2:23 I got a call from Barry Lipsheds(sp?) from
    	Hibbard-Brown.  "Please retrun my call at 1-800-***-****."
    
    		I'll give him a call~

>Note 1643.77        COVERT::COVERT "John R. Covert"    
>
>I just called 800 553-7670 and told them that a number of Digital Equipment
>Corporation employees all over the country are complaining about the calls
>from Hibbard Brown and would like them to stop calling us at work.  I mentioned
    
    
>Note 1643.79       COVERT::COVERT "John R. Covert"     
>
>I really am going to start hourly automated calls if this doesn't stop!

    
Wouldn't work.  Apparently their phones aren't answered at night.
So much for my fun.
    
    11:30 PST
                   

this is a test

    
>   	Yesterday at 2:23 I got a call from Barry Lipsheds(sp?) from
>   	Hibbard-Brown.  "Please retrun my call at 1-800-***-****."

           When he was buggin' me late last year, his name was Jeff.
           Has he changed his first name?
           
           Steve

    I expect that all names of all people doing phone solicitations are
    fabricated.

    L.

I haven't had any experience with telephone broakerage, but a lot of people
in the executive search business operate under assumed names.  Why?  They're 
out of work and :
	1.	Don't want it generally known
	2.	Want to have the option of presenting themselves as candidates
		if a juicy opportunity turns up.

There's a very good probability that one or more of the brokerage types 
dcisussed here are former Digits woking from their old office phone
directory.

-dave

    Well, I've finally joined the Hibbard-Brown club!  The name given was
    Glen Stafford.  Don't remember where he said he was calling from. 
    Asked me if I was interested in investing.  I laughed and said "no"
    since I didn't have any money.  Then, he asked if I had any references
    that might be interested.  "No" because I don't give out the names of
    references to people I don't know.  Thank you and good-bye.  He was
    very friendly.  But, I wanted folks to know that HB is at it again ...
    
    Steve

People in my office have started getting calls from a person called 
Paul Davis, from IDS/American Express.

I work in St. Louis.

I hate this stuff.

JPB

    I'd like to give another opinion about IDS.  I'm referring here to IDS
    Financial Services, which does financial planning for individuals and
    businesses.
    
    I had a personal financial plan done by IDS several years ago and I
    have to say that I'm EXTREMELY satisfied, both with the plan and with
    the continuing follow up.  My financial planner spent hours with me
    discussing my personal needs.  After gathering all the information he
    could, he produced a comprehensive financial plan that addressed ALL
    areas of my financial life: current employment, retirement, disability,
    insurance needs, health care, housing and transportation needs, wills,
    etc.
    
    Since that time, he has called me once a quarter to chat, and to see if
    any significant financial event is occurring.  I'm also free to call
    him whenever I want for financial advice.  I do so frequently.
    
    I would recommend IDS Financial Services highly.  (Other than being a
    customer, I have no affiliation with IDS at all.)
                                                                     

    re: .104
    
    Thanks for the recommendation. I just had a preliminary meeting
    with an IDS rep the other day. I've been checking IDS with the BBB,
    SEC, etc. and have found no problems with this company. I hope I
    am as satisfied with them as you are. I know this is non DEC related
    but seemed relevant to the topic.
    
    Jim C.
    
    

    Re: .104
    
    Another endorsment for IDS Financial. My wife and I have been
    using them for years in Mass and Colorado and we're very pleased.
    
    Marc V.

That's not the point.  IDS may be the best financial planning service
on the face of the Earth.  They may walk on water, financially speaking.

But if I want or need that service, I'll go looking for them.  

I do not want them to call me at home.

I do not want them to call me at work.

I do not want them to call my coworkers during work hours, perhaps from a 
stolen or misplaced Digital telephone directory.  The 5 minute disruption 
(or more) of his phone call, multiplied by every worker in the office, is
an unnecessary distraction, and reduces our collective ability to produce.

Yes, I am blowing this out of proportion.  But I hate telephone solicitation.
While I cannot stop most of it, if there is evidence of improper use of 
internal Digital documents, I want to see it stopped, and pushy, guilty,
or unethical practitioners reprimanded.

>I do not want them to call my coworkers during work hours, perhaps from a 
>stolen or misplaced Digital telephone directory.  The 5 minute disruption 
>(or more) of his phone call, multiplied by every worker in the office, is
>an unnecessary distraction, and reduces our collective ability to produce.

    So, how long does it take you to say "Sorry, I'm not interested."
    and hang up the phone?
    
>Yes, I am blowing this out of proportion.  But I hate telephone solicitation.
    
    So, hang up.
    
    					andrew

    
    
    	Re: 103-106
    
    		about IDS.  Approximately what does it cost to have them
    	do the evaluation?  I would like to look into it but am always
    	leery of what it actually costs versus what they imply it will
    	cost.  Anyone dealt with IDS in the Nashua area?
    
    			Thanks.
    

    For a personal plan (not a business plan) I suspect the cost is around
    $400 now.  (It was $375 when I had mine done about 3 years ago.)  Note
    that I'm on the West Coast.  Your mileage may vary.
    

    p.s to -.1:  Note that this is the ONLY charge I've ever paid with
    them.  I've seen no "hidden" charges at all.
    

    Heard on WBUR (Boston) this morning...the Massachusetts Attorney
    General's office has handed down a "96-page" indictment against Hibbard
    Brown for various securities fraud violations as a result of a
    three-year investigation. HB was described as a "classic, textbook"
    boiler room operation and the reported mentioned HB motivational
    techniques--gee, maybe I shouldn't mention these--such as taking away
    the chairs of agents who weren't agressive enough. HB is reportedly
    also appealing a suspension of its license in Delaware.

    re: .112
    Amzingly, I just got another call from H-B yesterday, on the day
    they were indicted.
    
    I explained to the gentleman that I worked at Digitial, and had
    no extra money to invest.  He quickly thanked me for my time and 
    hung up.   8^)
    
    Rick

    re: taking away their chairs
    
    This is almost funny. No wonder these guys are being indicted,the
    collective intelligence of their management has to be below plant life.
    
    Ken

    
    These people also called me last week.  Even though I blew
    the guy off, I was nice to him.  I figure I might be doing
    cold-call telemarketing myself before too much longer :-)
    
    Glenn

Today's business extra, front page, has a very negative article about HB.

gog

    I got a call this morning from a Russell Kauffman of Hibbard Brown.  I
    asked for his phone number and he asked "why?".  When I told him it was
    so I could call security and give it to them, he hung up.
    

    CAZART! I just got voice mail from Russell Kaufman, he a phone number
    for me to call----1-800-524-0037. I didnt call...
    
    
    Tim
    
    

    Hey, i gotta call from 'Gordon Bell', so the VAXMail said.
    After several callbacks to the 800-#, i found out it was not
    THe Gordon Bell, but an agent at HB...mwr

    
    I just got a call from 'Gordon Bell' from Commonwealth Associates
    here in Northboro.
    
    I asked him how he got my name and he gave me a runaround about
    "all kinds of contacts in Massachusetts".
    
    I told him I worked for DEC so I didn't have any money to invest
    and hung up on him.  :-)
    
    Tom
    

    
    On rereading my reply I better clarify it - I work in Northboro.
    I have no idea where 'Commonwealth Associates' is located
    (and care even less).
    
    Tom
     

    
    
      I hope he calls me again - I can't wait to ask him about
    the status of the indictment by the mass attorney general...  :^)
    
    
    					-al
    

>      I hope he calls me again - I can't wait to ask him about
>    the status of the indictment by the mass attorney general...  :^)

The result probably won't be very dramatic.
One of them called me a few weeks ago, right after the less-than-flattering
account was published in the Boston Globe.

he:   "Hi, Mr. Powers, I'm <mumble> from Hibbard Brown, are you familiar 
       with us?"

me:   "Sure, front page of the Boston Globe business section, day 
       before yesterday."

he:   "Oh, great, glad to hear it..."  and he proceeded into his sales pitch
       without missing a beat.

Some people have no shame.

- tom]

    
    
    Re: .123
    
    > Some people have no shame.
    
    Or he had no clue what it was about and just assumed that it was
    flattering to Hibbard Brown.  Was it?
    
    On this subject the local paper today reported that there's a fellow
    in Chicago who has started a company bent on resisting this
    telemarketing blitz.  Seems that he informs them on the first call
    that he's willing to give them one free pitch and that all other calls
    from the company he will listen to for a $25 per hour fee.  He's taken
    three different telemarketing firms to court and the judge has found in
    his favor each time.  I can't wait for the next call...
    
    Steve
    

    I got a call this afternoon from a Jane Davis of Field Work Boston. She
    said they were doing market research on corporate credit cards. She
    invited me to a meeting next week for which I would receive a $100
    "honorarium" for attending. When I asked her what would take place at
    the meeting she said that they wanted to know how I "liked my corporate
    credit card."

    Then I asked her how she knew if I had a corporate card or not. She
    said she didn't know and was just calling people. That piece of
    information brought our conversation to a rapid conclusion.

    I alerted the corporate credit card police. We'll see what happens.

    re .125
    
    I doubt if this is anything sinister. They have probably been
    contracted by Amex, Diners, or (possibly more likely) M/C or VISA. Both
    Amex and Diners already do corporate cards. I don't think the others
    do, or at least not in the same way, so perhaps they are looking at
    introducing such a scheme.
    
    We (Digital) do the same thing - we contract one of these companies to
    gather a bunch of people together who closely fit a specific set of
    criteria and conduct a focus group (or individual) interview. Often,
    the participants will be on the other side of a one-way mirror from the
    sponsors who will be observing, video-taping and sound recording all
    that transpires. And yes, the usual payment is $100 plus food and
    beverages (including beer & wine).
    
    How'd they get your name ? On the assumption that you have either an
    Amex or Diners corporate card, they were either given your name
    directly by Amex or Diners, or they bought a mailing list from Amex or
    Diners. Simple stuff.
    
    If it turns out to be anything more than this, I'd be surprised.
    
    \jon

    OK, I just got called by "Richard Sage" of Tucker Anthony in Nashua,
    New Hampshire.  When I asked where he got my name he said "Oh, we buy
    lists..."  I told him this list wasn't for sale and hung up.
    

    
    I received a call from a Tim Wells representing Information Weekly and
    seeking my opinion on the 9/27 article about Digital.
    
    Cal

     A brokerage called L.C. Weigart (sp?) seems to be probing CXO right now.
I got called a couple of weeks ago and other members of my group have received 
calls since then. 

     The guy who is making the calls is effusively (almost comically) friendly.

                                       Greg

|     A brokerage called L.C. Weigart (sp?) seems to be probing CXO right now.

I had a voicemail message this AM from Jason Rosemont of L.C. Wiegart.
(800) 922 5010 number, no message. L.C. who?

I called and after several office shuffles, wind up talking to Rosemont.
Sez he's "checking up on all his Digital contacts." Yeah, right.

I'm in Shrewsbury, Mass, BTW.

Anybody got a modem they want to use to call this guy every 15 minutes
with?  (Just kidding. Probably illegal but it would be satisfying...)

Mickey.

I was called by the same person as Mickey. When I asked how he got my
number, he hung up.

Chris

	Well Jason Rosemont of L.C. Wiegart is now calling people in the
	Mill. 

	Somewhere he must have gotten a employee list and is making
	cold calls. 

	In a two minute call he contridicted homself three times
	(ie he's calling from Providence  but later he says he's in NY). 

	His pitch was streight boiler room. If you interupt him in the middle
	of a sentence and asks a question you can tell he has lost his place
	in the script.

	Has anyone called security about this?


	Mark