South Africa, Aug. 26 -- There is something deeply unsettling about phoning a prospective customer who, according to your marketing systems, has just requested you contact them, only to discover that they have no idea why you called or what you are talking about.

It becomes more unsettling when the product is pet insurance, and the person tells you they do not own a dog or a cat, even though the lead form submitted in their name says they do.

And it becomes something else entirely when you discover that a significant proportion of these leads are generated in the middle of the night, while consumers' Android phones are likely sitting on bedside tables, idle or charging.

That is what we found during a recent Offernet investigation.

It ...