NOTE: The headline in this post was updated to reflect new information provided by Mike Pilley in his comments below.

While Pilley's original accusation as described below was apparently in error, it's still good practice to thoroughly screen telephone solicitors.

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A Bakersfield computer technician is warning of a telephone scammer using Stockdale High School as bait in the sales pitch. 

Mike Pilley of Bakersfield Computer said he smelled a rat based on stuff he read in a post by marketing guru Seth Godin.  Godin warned that scammers are using trusted local institutions as hooks to lull people into thinking their deals are legit. 

Pilley recalled his experience, including this passage: 

 "The caller, Amanda, claimed that she was working with Stockdale High School in Bakersfield, which is fairly near my home, to produce 600 20×20 posters that would be posted all over the school and in local businesses in Bakersfield, and that she “just wanted a copy of my business card” that would be used on the poster to give exposure to my company.

"What Amanda didn’t realize is that while she was giving her pitch, I did a Google search on the number she was calling from, which I sometimes do when I receive calls from numbers that I’m not familiar with.  Instantly, the search results were providing sites related to telemarketer calls–another bad sign."

Good stuff.

Pilley also has tech-related posts on his site, as well as a fun "open letter" to Fox and Rupert Murdoch regarding a "Fringe" episode that went beyond an hour, which means the DVR switched off before the show ending. D'oh!