Yet another scam

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Posted by DMB on 15/06/2021 09:20:12:

Easy 2 dodge, just answer the callers that u recognise;relatives,friends,club members and ignore the rest

John

Not practical if you are locked into the 'new' NHS system, I get loads of calls from unknown numbers.

Tony

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

I regularly get calls from a number starting 0843, the last part of the number is always different every time it calls. It rings for about 3 rings then disconnects, this has been going on for about 18 months, first few times I answered but the call was disconnected, now I ignore any calls that start with 0843, the annoying part is because the number changes every time it calls it is not possible to block it, only calls on my mobile. I now ignore any calls on my landline and only use my mobile, deafness means I can’t hear on the landline only on my mobile, all those who need to know don’t use my landline only the mobile. Dave W

[Anonymous]

Posted by DMB on 15/06/2021 09:20:12:

Easy 2 dodge, just answer the callers that u recognise;relatives,friends,club members and ignore the rest

In my experience, those would all leave messages anyway. Still don't get it …

[Stuart Munro 1Participant @stuartmunro1]

Got a phone call from my medical insurance company the other day. He just wanted to ask a couple of questions and would I confirm some personal details so that he could confirm it was me.

Yeah, like I'd fall for that one. So he persisted and suggested that I call him back on the number he would give to me.

Yeah, I was born yesterday after all.

But I did call them, using the number in my files and behold; it was genuine. They wanted to know if I had any pending needs built up during lockdown, if not they would reduce my premiums. I didn't and they did!

Guess I've got so used to scams I see them every where – but surely an honest caller should not be asking me personal questions – that's for when I call them.

Stuart

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

Just got a scam email purporting to be from BT of failure to take payment. Know it is a scam because it went to an email account not registered with MyBT. Usual click the link to update payment details. Beware.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

One persistant gang sends e-posts headed "Costumer Services" [sic] , or (I think from the same scum) headed with a genuine supermarket name such as Morrisons. They seem pretending to be offering some sort of bonus or something.

However the liars leave an obvious clue as well as the preposterous claim – a bizarre sender's address, and the 'View Source' tool it reveals any reply is "bounced" through another strange, temporary address.

Having tagged several of these by name and domain they now fall into the Spam trap, so I can delete them at leisure..

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by HOWARDT on 30/07/2021 21:12:36:

Just got a scam email purporting to be from BT of failure to take payment. Know it is a scam because it went to an email account not registered with MyBT. Usual click the link to update payment details. Beware.

.

It’s [hopefully] worth forwarding these to phishing@bt.com

… At least they have the decency to acknowledge receipt.

MichaelG.

[RobinParticipant @robin]

Royal Mail logo and ZIP file link at the top they want me to click

Hi Customer,

Your parcel from Online Seller – is over due to be delivered:

Monday 26rd July 2021*

Between

07:54am and -1:54pm*

Note:THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT TO YOU AT THE REQUEST TO NOTIFY YOU THAT THE SHIPPING ADDRESS PROVIDED AT OUR FACILITY IS NOT CORRECT AND THE PHYSICAL PACKAGE MAY NOT BE DELIVERED UNTIL THE ACTUAL SHIPPING ADDRESS IS VERIFIED. SEE ATTACHMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION TO BE VERIFIED WITHIN 48HRS.

We won't need a signature.

*Please be aware this is not a guarantee.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Today's scam is a beauty. From zimmerb6453@gmail.com it starts "Dear respected user…." purporting to be from VirginMedia about ending your email account. Except they have sent it to all VirginMedia employee corporate email accounts. Pity the IT department who who will get 2000 phishing reports on Monday morning when the staff log in.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If you have bought anything, perhaps a 3D printer from Havanny.com 4c Ruskin Rd, London and not received the goods be aware it has just been revealed on the G13D forum as a scam to harvest credit card details. Took £3k off someone but he had smelled a rat and already alerted the credit card company several weeks earlier who had refused to take any action. More fool them as they had to refund the loss.

[Nathan SharpeParticipant @nathansharpe19746]

New one for me today. The phone rings and I pick it up to hear a recorded message purporting to be from Visa debit/credit security team. Then it asks you to press 1 to cancel payment. End the call and dial 1471 to find a number but get the same recorded message again. They are waiting to see who call and then take over the call. Beware! Nathan.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Not all these are false Nathan. Got one from one of these and checked on t'internet which said spoof number. Checked with my bank (Genuine) via phone call and was given spoof number to call so it was cosher, BUT always check with bank before using.

Regards Ian.

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

I usually answer unsolicited calls with "Sharpness Light House, Chief light house keeper speaking, who is calling" this usually ends with the Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr of a phone hung up. If they persist I say "Hang on I have got to go and change the lamp", then go back some time later to replace the handset.

Sharpness for those who do not know is a Canal outside Gloucester.

Regards

Gray,

[Nathan SharpeParticipant @nathansharpe19746]

Ian, I agree not all are dodgy numbers. I would not expect to get the same message when dialling 1471 and the call is picked up on second ring. I also doubt the bank would hold the connection once I've ended the call. Pretty obvious scan to me. Nathan.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

The international telephone networks have a quirk by which one party ending the call does not terminate the connection immediately, and the scammers used this for their false instruction to ring a certain number while they stay on the line. They've also been known to use recorded dialling-tones to make you think the line is clear.

I believe BT and other companies have now managed to cut the delay from a couple of minutes to seconds.

[Anonymous]

My login to my Rogers (large telecommunication/media company in Canada) account consists of the common username and password. They also have my email address.

Now they are requesting** that I change my username to my email address "to enhance my account security".

I can't, for the life of me, see how that would enhance security – rather the opposite I should think.

**(Knowing Rogers the "request" is more likely a demand).

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Yes, and I'm the Shah of Persia…

… but notice what it does not ask for:

"

PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE (PCHlotto-2021 Gift)

we are happy to inform you of the result of the just concluded annual final draws held on the 12th September 2021 by Publishers Clearing House Promotion program powered and sponsored by the EU and UN to fight this Pandemic Covid-19 your email was among the 10 Lucky winners who won $650,000.00 USD each on THE PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE PROMOTION.

You are advice to complete the form and send it immediately to our Promotion manager through email.

1, Full Name: ………………………….
2, Country of Residence: ……………..
3, Nationality: …………………………….
4, Residential Address: ………………..
5, Date Of Birth/Age: ……………………
6, Marital Status/Sex: …………………..
7, Telephone /Fax No: ……………………
8, Mobile No: ……………………………….
9, Occupation: ……………………………..
10, Winning Email Address………………

Send your details Via this email: Publishers_ClearingHouse@workmail.com

WISHING YOU A HAPPY DAY !!!
(CONTACT PROMOTION MANAGER)

Mr. David Smith

Online Award Director.
Publisher's Clearing House."

The message's domain ended ".br". I don't know where that is but I bet Mr. David Smith is not his real name!

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

The fact that they say 650 million should tell you to pull up the shutters quickly, nobody is going to give away more than what the company is worth!

[Bryan Cedar 1Participant @bryancedar1]

Thousand not millions. Not worth answering for such a puny amount!

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

I have just had a call from Virgin Media (allegedly) informing me that my router had a serious problem, a very pleasant Indian fellow told me – they had detected the problem in my connection speed. He said he was a technician that needed to check my router software as there was a definite problem with it. I played him along (I have Sky Internet!)

First thing I said was "send me a new router then, if there is a problem with it". "Oh, but I need to check the software on it first" he said. "But you told me you have checked it already – just send me a new router, you have the address" "No, I need to check it remotely, please switch on your device and go to the following address".

Now this is where they take control of your PC and search for all your bank details and data. I carried on playing him along by pretending to switch on and doing as he said. I told him the address he had given me was blocked as being an insecure and dangerous site. "What fire wall do you have?" he asked. I told him "Double Ace" – this threw him as he had never heard of it (neither have I – I made it up on the spur of the moment). I then said if you are a technician you should have heard of it – it is to stop scammers and fraudulent people. He then asked if I had a internet speed reader programme – I said yes – he asked me to run it and tell him the upload and download speeds, I made him wait while I pretended to load the programme. The told him the speeds were 350 Mbs download and 415 Mbs upload – he said "there is the proof that there is a problem!" – I told him that the reason is down to internet bandwidth usage within my area and background programmes running on my PC. I again told him to send me a new router if there was a problem and if there is an issue with the software you can re-programme it from his end, no need for me to intervene.

After keeping him on line for the best part of 30 minutes he eventually hung up on me! It's a great game to play on these bar stewards!

Martin

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

30mins is a good run, I start out to string them along as much as possible but then get bored and lose interest. There are some smart guys on YouTube who turn the tables on them and take control of their machines.

Mike

[Anonymous]

In my view, major telephone companies are as guilty as the scammers in some of this and should be dealt with under criminal law.

For example, a typical scam (around here at least – Ontario) involves persuading the innocent (often elderly and/or mentally deficient) to push a button. At that point a charge is made to their account.

The fact that the telephone company knows that its lines are being used for criminal activity and takes no steps to stop it makes them complicit in my view. The best way would be to eliminate charge-back lines altogether – they may have had their uses once. I'm not sure whether they are much used these days (except by scammers).

Failing that, they should give subscribers the ability to opt-out of these lines.

[charadamParticipant @charadam]

I usually ask them to input their 4-digit PIN number on their keypad so as to confirm their identity.

Usually does the trick.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

I used to ask for their name and employee reference number to carry out a security check but got bored with that. Now I just tell them I need to fire up the PC and put the phone down and let them hang…

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

Here's a strange one from my inbox today:

Dear null,

Great news! We’ve automatically upgraded your 50 GB iCloud storage plan to iCloud+ at no additional charge, and you can now share your subscription with your family.

Maybe it's genuine – I have an iPhone and Apple abstracts 79p from my bank account every month, which I think has something to do with iCloud. But the salutation is strange, and doesn't give me a warm 'I'm part of the global Apple family' feeling. Or even a tepid 'I'm a human being' feeling.

I don't think I'll click on the 'find out more' link though.

char *Robin;  /*(aka null)*/

/* I'd like to know how this happened – any computer language buffs out there? */

Edited By Robin Graham on 21/09/2021 23:16:52

Edited By Robin Graham on 21/09/2021 23:23:27

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