Yet another scam

[Eric CoxParticipant @ericcox50497]

I received a text message yesterday telling me that I had a failed parcel delivery as no one was in but if I followed the link I could arrange another delivery if I paid £1 20.

I was in and wasn't expecting a parcel also schedule was spelt incorectly

Quick search on google confirmed it was a scam.

[Eric CoxParticipant @ericcox50497]

[Swarf MakerParticipant @swarfmaker85383]

Getting these text messages is a regular occurrence and is most definitely a scam. I often get one of these the day following a legitimate delivery by Evri, Jodel or DPD. It would seem that the customer telephone contact number is most likely 'leaked', perhaps during the final stage delivery where it would be easy for numbers to be forwarded from the delivery drivers mobile phone.

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

Eric says: I was in and wasn't expecting a parcel also schedule was spelt incorectly

You need to be careful – we might start to think your message was itself suspect … !

cheers, Tim (nit-picking runs in the family)

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I’ve just received one of those ‘Visa Fraud’ scam calls

… unusually, this one appeared to come from a U.K.number : 01590672709

Although I would like to think that The King’s Head is innocent.

**LINK** https://kingsheadlymington.com

MichaelG.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

You can't trust the email address or the phone number. Can be some wally in India or Nigeria calling, texting or emailing and "spoofing" a local number or address. They have it all worked out.

They must send them out to millions of numbers or addresses every day and rely on the percentage who are expecting a parcel that day and the even smaller percentage who fall for it. But they must catch enough to make the venture worthwhile or they would not keep doing it.

It has gotten to be such a big business they are now holding buidings full of trafficked people prisoner while they work off their "debt" by dialling dialling dialling all day long, according to Amnesty International etc. Sad.

[Chuck TaperParticipant @chucktaper]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 09/03/2023 11:30:22:

Although I would like to think that The King’s Head is innocent.

**LINK** https://kingsheadlymington.com

MichaelG.

I did a bit of a double take there – thought it was a more familiar (to me) King's Head!

… but then there are probably lots of them (pubs that is not heads)

Frank C.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I’m not starting a new thread, because there are several already …

Had a call today from 01133506079 … purporting to be Microsoft

I wasn’t in the mood for playing, so I simply responded: No you’re not, you lying ****h, now just ***s off !

A few moments later she called back, saying: How dare you speak to me like that, you bloody old man ?

To which I simply replied: I’ve got your number and I know where to report it.

Now the interesting point to this is that she identified me as being OLD … which suggests that these might be targeted calls, rather than them just working through a list of names and numbers.

MichaelG.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Michael ,I’m glad it’s not just me who thinks that but if they are that clever why do they ring an apple equipped house?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by bernard towers on 10/04/2023 17:11:35:

Michael ,I’m glad it’s not just me who thinks that but if they are that clever why do they ring an apple equipped house?

.

Presumably because that detail is not included in whatever list they are using.

The OLD categorisation could easily come from the Electoral Register.

MichaelG.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 10/04/2023 17:22:57:

Posted by bernard towers on 10/04/2023 17:11:35:

…

.

Presumably because that detail is not included in whatever list they are using.

The OLD categorisation could easily come from the Electoral Register.

MichaelG.

Or did you call Mistress Microsoft a "lying wench"? It's a little old-fashioned!

Dave

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 10/04/2023 18:59:30:

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 10/04/2023 17:22:57:

Posted by bernard towers on 10/04/2023 17:11:35:

…

.

Presumably because that detail is not included in whatever list they are using.

The OLD categorisation could easily come from the Electoral Register.

MichaelG.

Or did you call Mistress Microsoft a "lying wench"? It's a little old-fashioned!

Dave

.

No, Dave … something a little appropriate to her dogged determination

… but that’s a very nice try

MichaelG.

[lfoggyParticipant @lfoggy]

There are some enterprising 'scam baiters' who connect scam callers to AI powered chatbots, and upload the resulting conversations to YouTube. The chatbot is a little incoherent which the scammer interprets as a vulnerable person, encouraging them to persevere with the call. The ensuing conversations can be hilarious. Some calls go on for hours as well….

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Continuing the theme of a possible connection with the Electoral Register …

I received a scam Television Licensing eMail this morning: The interesting aspect of which was that the subject line included my old House Number

For what it’s worth … the sender was shown as

tv-lic-dfgjreg@johnmacbean.plus.com

… although I suspect that his address has been spoofed

Ref. __ https://jamesdickscotland.tripod.com/pafc19/contact.htm

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/04/2023 14:25:41

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Michael Gillig

… purportinan on 10/04/2023 17:04:41:

I’m not starting a new thread, because there are several already …

Had a call today from 01133506079

g to be Microsoft

I wasn’t in the mood for playing, so I simply responded: No you’re not, you lying ****h, now just ***s off !

A few moments later she called back, saying: How dare you speak to me like that, you bloody old man ?

To which I simply replied: I’ve got your number and I know where to report it.

Now the interesting point to this is that she identified me as being OLD … which suggests that these might be targeted calls, rather than them just working through a list of names and numbers.

MichaelG.

It's the Dithers The Gardener voice that does it.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Sorry, Dave … that comment is completely lost on me

… it’s about as comprehensible as your editing of my original text.

Please feel free to explain.

MichaelG.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Yes – they are still at it..

This morning I had a recorded telephone message about some spending or a bill or something on my Amazon account I don't have. Easy to spot as a recording because the female caller did not react when I started insulting "her".

Then yet another e-post pretending to be from the Bank of Santander, with whom I have no dealings. Reported that to "phishing@ " BT, my own bank and Santander; then blocked the sender.

Oddly the title of these is just a single full-stop – ' . ' . I don't know why. The sender was some made-up name but via a genuine service, talktalk this time.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi MichaelG, the idea that undesirable parties can view one's name and address on the open electoral register, is the reason I opted out of being put on it, I've opted out for many years now, and will continue to do so.

Regards Nick.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

I do not put a telephone number on any order, if mandatory, then any 11 digits satisfies the vendor's computer, if they ask for a mobile its a mobile starting number + ooooooo.

Have not lost a parcel yet.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

101 myLicensing Portal Service Interruption.Notification IDAEF98E <tvlicensesofyehgfds@poorhazzard.plus.com>

I wonder if the scum responsible for this bogus request to pay my TV Licence do catch anyone despite that so-blatantly bogus and bizarre title, sending name and address?

Report and block both name and domain….

(For the record, I have no TV, but obviously the thieves don't know that.)

[Rod RenshawParticipant @rodrenshaw28584]

I read a suggestion recently that some of these scam messages have deliberately poor spelling and grammar so that educated people will recognise the messages as scams and not respond. Those who are not so educated may respond and, being less alert, may get sucked into the scam. It is, so the thinking goes, a way of getting the people who are contacted to self-select so that only those who might not be so aware of the dangers will respond.

Rod

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Yes, I read that too.

The TV Licence attempt did not seem of ropey English but the source was a dead give-away. If not expecting a message I always look at the name and domain.

Also, BT Internet has a "View Source" tool that goes into much greater detail, although it also shows many such attacks are evidently designed to appear "clean" to the security software.

However, those caught by not spotting spelling errors or bad grammar might be unlikely to spot dubious addresses either. The messages are designed to draw your eye away from such details.

I have no experience of "smart"-'phones for Internet use, but would such a 'phone be too small to show the source clearly? (I view everything on a 19" screen, not one smaller than a post-card.)

[VicParticipant @vic]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 14/04/2023 11:40:36:

I view everything on a 19" screen, not one smaller than a post-card.)

Wow, you must have a really big phone!

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Posted by Rod Renshaw on 14/04/2023 10:37:53:

I read a suggestion recently that some of these scam messages have deliberately poor spelling and grammar so that educated people will recognise the messages as scams and not respond. Those who are not so educated may respond and, being less alert, may get sucked into the scam. It is, so the thinking goes, a way of getting the people who are contacted to self-select so that only those who might not be so aware of the dangers will respond.

Rod

Maybe you were thinking of this thread I started?
https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=186184
Spam emails

[Rod RenshawParticipant @rodrenshaw28584]

Yes, it could have been so. I thought I had read it in the newspaper.

I remembered the content but not where I had read it.

Rod

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