Probably the same as I received. I hung up within the first half-dozen words.

I also received an e-post fraud attempt, from a strange address that 'View Source' revealed hid another one, based on trying to sell me something called "Lenor 'Scent Enhancer' " or similar. It showed three coloured bottles bearing that phrase under the ripped-off Proctor and Gamble 'Lenor' brand-name and squirly heart trade mark; and accompanying text in rather ropey second-language English.

Forwarded it to the BT and gov-dot phishing investigators.

.

I think I had another fraud 'phone call yesterday. It was too early in the morning to be likely from a genuine caller, the call terminated before I could reach the 'phone, no message left, and 1471 revealed a number starting " 02866… ".

The "Bank Security" call is pretty obviously a recording; but I've used various responses to live callers, including occasionally calling them "liars and criminals " outright.

And the call may or may not have originated in China. They have all the lurks worked out to cover their tracks and appear to be from where they are not. Could even be someone in Nigeria using a Chinese-telco-based calling card sold in Africa. I used to get scam calls that say they are from a local area code but the voice on the other end most certainly was not. They have some method of ghosting that kind of thing.

Now I don't answer calls that show up as being from an unknown number not in my phone's contact list. If it is someone genuine they will leave a message and I will call them back. The scammers just hang up.

For email, I use Gmail and have never once had a scam email slip through their excellent filtering into my inbox.

Hard to believe people still fall for all this stuff, but apparently it is literally a billion-Pound-a-year "business" in the UK and even half a billion dollars annually in Australia. It must be true that one is born every minute.

Sadly the victims are often among the most vulnerable in the community, elderly people not up to speed on technology, those in the earlier stages of Alzheimers and other dementias but still living at home, and lonely people who fall for "romance" scams — including a large number of women who lose their life savings of hundreds of thousands of pounds/dollars to fraudulent digital lotharios.

Edited By Hopper on 12/07/2022 09:40:12

Edited By Hopper on 12/07/2022 09:43:51

Removed

Edited By duncan webster on 12/07/2022 14:03:56

They are engaged in a criminal enterprise and they know it. Try to keep them on for as long as possible before telling them what you think of them. At least then you are limiting the time they have to con the more gullible.

In my world, being a boil on the backside of humanity is not the same as Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread.

I would guess that well over 50% of the people that are called give them long-winded and/or vitriolic responses and I'm sure they must be inured to it. So it just wastes the recipients time more than anything.

Better to do as Hopper says and let everything go to answer-phone … that is if your other half isn't one of those people that cannot not-answer a ringing telephone. Mine is .

So I generally answer, say nothing, leave the phone off-hook (delightful expression) for a bit – particularly with recorded messages: may as well tie up their equipment for the max possible time – and get on with whatever I was doing.

Since no one enlightened me, should I assume that, although the "button-press" phone scam is regularly mentioned in these discussions, no one actually knows how it works?

Hmm … still don't really see how that benefits the calling party (scammer).

On this side of the pond – and presumably in Europe too – some 30 or so years ago they brought in a service that allowed you to buy and pay for goods/services by phone by pushing the appropriate buttons during a call. The charge was collected by your phone company and passed along to the other party (presumably after the telco took a collection fee).

All very legitimate and useful to a few in its day but not heavily used even then and certainly not needed now. It was my assumption that the scammers were using this "service" to collect. In which case it would be simple for the telcos to stop it.

They are criminals trying to steal money, get real!

Tony

Oh………….

And I thought they were after my Smarties.

JA

I guess all calls made are monitored by a manager. Most times I have managed to move the conversation away from the scam the line is cut in less than half a minute.

Moving the conversation away from the scam can be very easy suggesting that the caller has little interest or remuneration.

JA