7
A caller who already knows a little about you
Knowing your name proves nothing at all.
A convincing prize call opens with your name, your town, maybe your age bracket or the fact that you have entered promotions before. It feels like proof of a real relationship.
It is not. Marketing data is bought and sold at industrial scale, breached databases circulate for years, and “people who enter sweepstakes” is an audience segment you can simply buy. Knowing your details is evidence that somebody bought a list, and nothing more.
The direction of proof runs the other way. You verify them: hang up and contact the promotion through a number or address you found yourself, not one they gave you.