Timbo Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I received a text yesterday which had me slightly worried. It read "Absolute shot in the dark but I wondered if you were on your boat at the moment." Now I checked with some boaty folks to see if they had contacted me or had a new phone as I didn't recognise the number, but no they hadn't been in contact. The number, +447xxxxxxxxx seemed odd to me. So I contacted our forum friendly local bastion of the law WildFuzz who made a useful suggestion or two and sure enough the number pops up on a website dedicated to publishing telephone numbers used in scams. What concerned me is the connection between my phone number and my boat. Fortunately I did not reply to the text and rang it from the landline to hear the message 'we have been unable to connect this call'. I'm now scrubbing my phone and computers with antivirus software. If you get a similar message please do not reply to the text as this can often activate malware etc. Thanks to Stuart for his timely and excellent advice! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildfuzz Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Your very welcome, there are numerous "scams" out there with all the modern technology we use and register on. There are also many useful ways to check on number and callers, it is amazing just how much information can be gleaned from the WWW. with a few simple clicks, an interesting exercise is to Google yourself it is amazing sometimes especially if you have ever been in the paper or news. Big Brother IS Watching Us All. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Also might be a way of finding out if your house is empty whilst your boat is not, worrying stuff. On another forum, no, not that one, we had a rather annoying individual who seemed intent on creating trouble. One of the mods, navy trained, there's a clue, did some delving because the style of prose can be a pretty certain fingerprint, even for folk who use various forum names and different devices . It was who we thought it was but the mod concerned went further, much further by identifying the address, and even the room, picture from Google, from where the signal came from. The evidence went no further than to those of us involved with the forum management but it did shake the troll, as it was intended to. On an angling forum I was tracked by an individual, who even published a Google Earth location of my house, in an effort to find out where I go pike fishing, I did ask the police to have words and that, thankfully, was the end of it. Not a safe world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnb Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Competition: Scam or No Scam? "Hi contacting you from the Broads Authority, just checking to make sure we are providing you with a stress free holiday period. We are going to keep the tolls simple by just increasing them by the annual inflation rate, we will be providing more free 24 hour moorings throughout the system, and will implement an urgent programme of dredging where it is needed (as decided by independent surveys. We will work alongside all interested parties with spirit of understanding and co-operation. We will not just ask questions and answer them with our own pre-determined replies, and we will discuss and arrive at mutually benefiting results. No committee will be weighted with single issue members." Yea House Nigeria 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnb Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I was going to finish the above with: "We remain sirs, your obedient servants" but I thought it may make it too obvious! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baitrunner Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Tombo, it's more likely someone who knows you has been hit by malware. They get a snippet and as Stuart points out Mr google helps with the rest. I have 2 friends who often insist I have been hacked. When I check it is they who have been done and not me. Just because my name is correct the giveaway is the domain they use. Not everyone notices. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanessan Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Crumbs, if you google that number and look at the website and mobile numbers involved, there are THOUSANDS of them! It seems these days we cannot do anything without the fear of being scammed, it is worrying and not surprising that so many folk are caught out. It surely can be no coincidence that the scam text involved a pastime of Timbo's, could mean yet another list of addresses, mobile nos etc has been sold on or stolen. Thanks to Timbo for giving us the warning. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 A little story... Driving up to the broads last Friday my car started to make some terrible noises sort of grinding gnashing and expensive nasty sounds. So I left my vehicle in the capable hands of a friend of mine. That left me on my boat with no car. The water was rather high so going under Potter was a non starter. No computer on board so generally out of touch then suddenly I had a thought. Although there's almost no signal at Hickling. but Texts do get through. "So!" I thought to myself. "I know what, I'll text me old mucker Timbo! Just a long shot I know, but he might be on board!" I got my car back late yesterday, and got home today. And then found this thread. It never crossed my mind that my text looked like a scam. (nor did it cross my mind that Timbo didn't have my name stored on his phone,else I'd have identified myself. WHOOPS!!! Anyway Tim, It was me, and just to confirm that I'm not pulling your leg the text came from 07885 5*8*5* Astrisks for security but enough to confirm Sorry to cause bovver.... Oh, and, Were you aboard? Double whoops, Just re-read your post and you have the number correctly, so the website you used aint too hot!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulo Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 You're trouble personified, MM! Not home-made diesel causing the demise of your trusty vehicle, I hope? Possibly the transesterification not working. Buy some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 No Ray it seems my car needs to go on a diet. Somewhere underneath it had a doughnut only the car has eaten it!!! New doughnut bought and fitted. car now purring along like a cat. My mighty bio is not responsible for this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 It was a doughnut on the end of the propshaft... I didn't even know my car had a propeller ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetAnne Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 It's normally the nut that holds the steering wheel you have to keep an eye on! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baitrunner Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 there is another genuinely be scam doing the rounds - not caused by the naughty MM!!! you get a call claiming they are from BT and need you to log onto your router. Problem is my wife works for BT (ok maybe I shouldn't admit that) and after a few questions she mentions this. They Hang up!! im sure no one in here would be fooled but wanted to share. And it won't be MM!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Posted October 29, 2016 Author Share Posted October 29, 2016 So when did you move to Nigeria MM? All's well that ends well...and yes I'm down on the boat... well more under it and in it than on it.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Only ever went to Nigeria once, just to visit a cousin of mine. He's a prince you know, though for all that he does have this rather strange problem regarding his fortune and the Nigerian government. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulo Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Yes, I know MM. While you were there I got an email from you saying you'd lost your passport and all your luggage, so could I wire you £1000 to get you home. When are you going to re-imburse me? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Cheque's in the post even as we speak Ray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Don't you find they complain MM when you fold them up to fit in the envelope? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Yeah, they're poles apart from their mates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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