I have been receiving a couple of calls from companies lately informing me of prizes I have won.
The first was a few days ago, from some makeover studio. Did not catch the name as the girl who called was barely even squeaking louder than a mouse.
Girl: Hi Mr (my name), this is Yadda Yadda calling from Yadda Yadda makeover studio. You have just won the second prize in a lucky draw and we are offering you a FREE makeover session with us.
Me: Sorry Minnie, can you repeat again?
Girl: (repeats)
Me: How did you get my number?
Girl: It is in a lucky draw coupon, Sir.
Me: I never enter any lucky draw this entire year.
Girl: Maybe your wife entered for you.
Me: I am not married. I am so ugly I need two layers of plaster on my face before anyone dares to spare me a glimpse. So how do you get my number again?
Girl: Erm... erm... maybe it is our marketing department.
Me: And how did they get my number?
Girl: Arrghhh... let me off, let me off! I swear I am innocent, I swear I do not know anything! I swear I made a wrong call! (Hanged up)
All right, so I did not get sarcastic nor did she went hysterical, but she did hang up in the end. Yeah, I can be quite anal sometimes. The second call from some guy calling from True Yoga.
Guy: Good evening, this is XX calling from True Yoga. I would like to congratulate you on winning a free trial with us.
Me: How did you get my number?
Guy: From our marketing department.
Me: And how did they get it?
Guy: Maybe you friend who came for the trial left it Sir.
Me: Kill that friend for me will you. Thank you. (hanged up)
Now, in both cases it scares me how they got my number and they even got my name correct. Which means this is not a random dial-a-number kind of thing. And as I mentioned, I had not filled up any survey forms or lucky draws of sorts in the past one year. So where the heck they got my data from? Some old surveys I had filled up eons ago?
I very much doubt what the guy said about a friend leaving my contact behind. First off, as a friend I do not unnecessarily divulge contact information of other without asking for permission. Hence, I do not think any of my friends will do it as well. Secondly, if a friend wants to introduce a place or product to me, he/she could have told me so directly. Thirdly, makeover and yoga? Do anybody think I actually needs that!?
Much as I doubt, I have to admit there are all sorts of people in this world. So if I do find out any of my friends are actually revealing my contact information indiscriminately, I swear I am going to flush him/her down the toilet.