People that don't exist

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:18 pm

My boss answered a few forms with the name Edward Finklestein just for a laugh and as a sort of consumer testing, he must get 8-10 things through the post every week to Mr Finklestein, this person probably has a life and even has spending habits....for a person who doesn't exist it is pretty impressive

So are there any people you know of that don't exist? (i do appreciate the contradictory nature of this question

)

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:26 pm

This isn't really an imaginary person, but when I fill out stuff over the internet or on survey forms where I know they'll be calling or sending me stuff later to try and sell me something, I'll use a fake prefix like Doctor, Commander or Brigadier-General. Then when they call and ask to speak to General Dave (29 years old and already one-star!), I tell them that no one by that name lives here.

We also had a student at my high school named "Ben Dover". When I was there, "Ben" had been a student on the 8 year plan and his yearbook picture changed drastically from year to year (one year he was a hispanic kid with facial hair, the next he was a black guy with a shaved head, and my senior year he was a white guy with dreadocks). I graduated in 1991 and as late as 1995, he was still in the yearbook (he may still be a "student"; I just haven't checked).

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:32 pm

Originally posted by HighLordDave
This isn't really an imaginary person, but when I fill out stuff over the internet or on survey forms where I know they'll be calling or sending me stuff later to try and sell me something, I'll use a fake prefix like Doctor, Commander or Brigadier-General. Then when they call and ask to speak to General Dave (29 years old and already one-star!), I tell them that no one by that name lives here.

Brigadier General Dave, that is brilliant

We also had a student at my high school named "Ben Dover". When I was there, "Ben" had been a student on the 8 year plan and his yearbook picture changed drastically from year to year (one year he was a hispanic kid with facial hair, the next he was a black guy with a shaved head, and my senior year he was a white guy with dreadocks). I graduated in 1991 and as late as 1995, he was still in the yearbook (he may still be a "student"; I just haven't checked).

LMAO

That is classic

My hotmail address is mrsleep@hotmail so for some reason all the spam is geared towards a home owner or finance (as well as the obvious porn

) i swear they must think i have family commitments or something

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:37 pm

My wife and I went to an Office Depot to take advantage of a great sale on blank CD-R's a few months ago. They were out, but offered to take our name and address to let us know when the CDs were back in stock. I had already discussed with my wife that I figured this was a scam. She considered me cynical, so I wrote down a elited version of our combined last names.

Lo and behold, within one month we were receiving plenty of junkmail to that combined last name.

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:48 pm

These are great ideas! I had never thought of using made-up names to track junk mail! I'm gonna do it!

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:50 pm

Well, I'm pretty sure Jean Chretian is a figment of our imagination (Canadian Prime Minister), though I can't prove it... Yet...

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:59 pm

i find using real names and adresses, so that your mates get unwanted junk mail is quite fun if you're bored

one person i know is still recieving hernia treatment advertising on a weekly basis

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 4:13 pm

Originally posted by Gwalchmai
These are great ideas! I had never thought of using made-up names to track junk mail! I'm gonna do it!

I've also started giving out our fax number as our phone number when making purchases on the web. I don't know why people would need our number when they have our real address and email address (except, of course, they want to use it and sell it for commercial purposes). Sure enough, we get a lot of fax calls these days from people who hang up.

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 4:19 pm

Another good idea! I don't have a fax number, but my office does! This way, I won't even have to hear it ring!

We had a fake student in our High School as well. I can't remember his name....

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 4:33 pm

One god method to avoid junkmail is to give the address (and I've fooled many people with this) "You.should@know.it" It's amazing how gullible some people are.

Minerva · Post by **Minerva** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 4:47 pm

Originally posted by Robnark
i find using real names and adresses, so that your mates get unwanted junk mail is quite fun if you're bored

one person i know is still recieving hernia treatment advertising on a weekly basis

I once heard someone (an actor) sent "Free information/sample request" cards (free post ones found in magazines) with school teachers he and his mates hated. Imagine the teachers' looks, when he/she received "Advice on premature hair loss", or sample of "natural viagra"...

Attention: Do not try it. If you do, take responsibility for the consequence by yourself. I and GameBanshee have nothing to do with it. UNDERSTAND?

VoodooDali · Post by **VoodooDali** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 7:03 pm

Originally posted by Mr Sleep

LMAO That is classic

My hotmail address is mrsleep@hotmail so for some reason all the spam is geared towards a home owner or finance (as well as the obvious porn ) i swear they must think i have family commitments or something

Thanks for giving out your email Sleep! Another place to spam...

Baldursgate Fan · Post by **Baldursgate Fan** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 9:55 pm

Originally posted by VoodooDali

Thanks for giving out your email Sleep! Another place to spam...

Oh boy!

frogus · Post by **frogus** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 10:20 am

my Australian uncle has at various times of his life been Tom Champagne, Frank Katz, and Paulo Romancio. Perhaps I ought to put him in the 'Relatives can be So Wierd' thread...

Vicsun · Post by **Vicsun** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 2:19 am

My alter-ego is a classical one:
John Smith

Rob-hin · Post by **Rob-hin** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 4:00 am

Jan Jansen is a good example. Or Pietje Puk.
These are typicaly Dutch names.

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 4:49 am

Originally posted by fable
I've also started giving out our fax number as our phone number when making purchases on the web. I don't know why people would need our number when they have our real address and email address (except, of course, they want to use it and sell it for commercial purposes). Sure enough, we get a lot of fax calls these days from people who hang up.

There is a company in the UK that (for a moderate fee) will make it a finable offence to fax, telesale or email you any Junk Mail...this company takes all of these people to court.... i could give you specifics or find their website if anyone is interested

@Vdali, well you could have just looked in my profile

I see you haven't probed that area yet

Obsidian · Post by **Obsidian** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 9:26 am

So are there any people you know of that don't exist?

Buck Satan

Ode to a Grasshopper · Sat Apr 27, 2002 4:32 am

This thread brings to mind a friend of mine from when I was at high school saying "Guys, someone's signed me up to another porn site." My friend and I laughed so hard we immediately got blamed for it.

I think my favourite one was when my year 11 Politics teacher got signed up to the Democratic Socialist Party under the name Jimbo "Horse P***s" Greaves. One day in class he casually asked if anyone had signed up to recieve a package, and mentioned that it had arrived. Then, after about five minutes of dead silence (with my friends and I almost dead from holding in the laughter) the entire class burst out laughing after he told us the name it had arrived for.

VoodooDali · Post by **VoodooDali** » Sat Apr 27, 2002 8:06 am

Originally posted by Mr Sleep

There is a company in the UK that (for a moderate fee) will make it a finable offence to fax, telesale or email you any Junk Mail...this company takes all of these people to court.... i could give you specifics or find their website if anyone is interested

@Vdali, well you could have just looked in my profile I see you haven't probed that area yet

It's illegal to send fax spams in the USA, too. If you want to make some easy cash (but this is time consuming), save all your faxed spams. Take the companies who sent them to small claims court. I forget what the rate is, but the companies will be fined quite a lot, and you will get some or all of the money--I think it's around $1500.

@Sleep. I was afraid to probe your personal areas!