Category: Phone Pranks

Would-Be Pranksters Warned Against April Fool’s Calls
English.Chosun.com, Korea
April 1, 2008

The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management Department on Monday warned pranksters could face a fine of up to W2 million if they make bogus calls on April Fools” Day (US$1=W990). It asked people against such pranks, warning callers can get easily be located with advanced technology. Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment, the number of prank calls on April Fools” Day has dropped from 68 cases in 2002 to 10 in 2007. The department said prank calls cause waste the time and energy of firefighters and rescue workers and delay rescue work for people who really are in danger.

image: Legal Juice

Submitted by Steve Lambert:

Longmont Potion Castle is the pseudonym of a prank caller based out of Texas that puts out some of the most bizarre and hilarious material I’ve ever heard. He uses audio effects that speed up and slow down his voice, disorienting the caller on the other end, sometimes even repeating back what they’ve just said. One of the tricks he uses is calling retail stores asking detailed and mundane questions about a specific item he never actually names and always staying friendly (referring to people as “partner”) and sounding reasonable.

Click here to listen. Track 2 is my favorite.

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Here’s a video of the subjects of his calls as he’s making them.

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Also, speaking of bizarre, hilarious, and prank calls, here’s one from Tim and Eric where they call iPod Tech Support because they’re having problems with microphones:

Continue reading “Steve’s Pick Hit Phone Pranks”

Submitted by Steve Lambert — who’s teaching the Culture Jamming course at Hunter College in New York — from one of his students, Angela Ferraiolo:

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Analyze This: Hoaxer Haunts Earnings Calls
‘Mr. Herrick’ Queries CEOs Using Jargon; The Question Is, Why?
by Betsy McKay
Wall Street Journal
February 16, 2008

Some big companies have had a surprise during their earnings conference calls this quarter — and it has nothing to do with the weak economy.

At least seven times just the past three weeks, a mystery caller has cleverly insinuated himself into the normally well-manicured ritual of the quarterly calls. As top executives of publicly traded companies respond to securities analysts’ questions about their balance sheets, he impersonates a well-known analyst to get called upon. Then, usually declaring himself to be “Joe Herrick of Gutterman Research,” he launches into his own version of analyst-speak.

“Congratulations on the solid numbers — you always seem to come through in challenging times,” he said to Leo Kiely, president and chief executive officer of Molson Coors Brewing Co., on February 12, convincingly parroting the obsequious banter common to the calls. “Can you provide some more color as to what you are doing for your supply chain initiatives to reduce manufacturing costs per hectoliter, as you originally promised $150 million in synergy or savings to decrease working capital?” Continue reading “Hoaxer to Wall Street: Analyze This!”