Dodgy or Legit Phone Survey?

YellowHouse on 04/05/2020 - 14:20
Last edited 04/05/2020 - 14:35 by 1 other user

I got a call from a phone survey company yesterday. She was Australian, she said that the government tourism body that used to be a part of another government body (cant remember specifically unfortunately) hired her company to do a 4 minute survey about travel habits.

It can be an annoying job and it was to help out the government (and 4 mins) so I said yes.

Very simple, she asked my postcode, suburb, if I had travelled overseas recently, or more than 40km away overnight.
I said this is a bit weird you’re asking this during a coronovirus lockdown. She said ppl still travel for work.
Number of ppl in house and an estimate of combined income.

But also - which mobile phone carrier am I with and if I use another sim along with my current one?

How does that relate to travel?

I just don’t like being scammed in this way.
It could be nothing. It probably is nothing. But I just don’t like being lied to and manipulated I guess, and you can’t really use the name of a government body to get mobile phone info can you?

What do you think?

The survey company was something like Energise, or Energetic, or Generate, or Synergise, I just can’t remember specifically.

Thanks.

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  spackbace on 04/05/2020 - 14:22

  +2

  I gather you've googled the number that they called from?

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  Hybroid on 04/05/2020 - 14:27

  +3

  Sounds extremely dodgy. Why on earth would you give away information to an unknown unverified party? Come on.

  • 

    YellowHouse on 04/05/2020 - 17:12

    I did not give away anything identifiable, just general. Because I like to help people out of it doesn’t hurt me. I just don’t like being manipulated or lied to.

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  87percent on 04/05/2020 - 14:59

  +1

  how is this a "scam"?

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  Master Bates on 04/05/2020 - 15:05

  +2

  This has come up before, it is legitimate but generally speaking don’t give out your information to strangers.

  • 

    YellowHouse on 04/05/2020 - 17:16

    Thanks. I did not give anything identifiable, just postcode, whether I’ve been on trips. And if you say it’s legitimate, I am glad I did it. I just don’t like phone companies doing grimy things which some kind of do anyway.

  • 

    YellowHouse on 04/05/2020 - 17:59

    Thank you for giving a good answer.

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  ssquid on 04/05/2020 - 15:08

  +2

  Sooo probably completely unrelated… Did you use that phone number to register with the COVIDSafe app?

  • 

    Master Bates on 04/05/2020 - 16:06

    +1

    The agency uses a random number generator.

  • 

    RockyRaccoon on 04/05/2020 - 19:41

    Of course you are asking that because you think they will use it to track you more than they say they will.

    But if that was the case they wouldnt need ty ask all the questions would they

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  miwahni on 04/05/2020 - 22:39

  +1

  Was it from Engin? I had a missed call during the week and when I googled the number I found a lot of people complaining about getting a similar call. Not a scam, just annoying.

  • 

    YellowHouse on 05/05/2020 - 23:25

    Yeah. I think that was it. Engin. I don’t mind doing a survey for them if it’s legit (and 4 mins) but just that sim thing got me, and I though, yeah, phone companies, it wouldn’t surprise me :/

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  HeWhoKnows on 06/05/2020 - 19:41

  If in doubt dont take part in the suvey
  Some surveys are just "marketing" fronts.
  They collect information to qualify likely buyers.
  Unfortunately you never know

  • 

    YellowHouse on 07/05/2020 - 17:36

    Thanks. Yeah - there really is no way of knowing is there if you’d like to help them out, even if they say the government hired their survey company. I just want to know why the government tourism people would like to know which phone carrier I’m with, and whether I use two sims! It just feels like someone wants to know how people are doing whatever they’re doing to get more data.