Yet Another Scam

[BroadAmbition]

To date I have not been caught once,  There is always a first time though,  Hopefully as previously stated,. if we keep sharing them, then all of us will be up to speed

Girff

[Bluebell]

I have been caught once.

I collected a new laptop from our local computer shop a few years ago. I was told to log into Microsoft to download office, previously it had always been provided on a disc. Googling Microsoft I clicked on the first offering in the list and a message appeared saying something had gone wrong, phone this number and they would help. They wanted to take remote control of the laptop to install office...

then I twigged.

Luckily no harm done, our IT guy changed the router IP and reset the laptop to factory settings.

Lesson learned, check carefully the website you are logging into.

[SteveO]

We had the "your washing machine insurance has expired" scam 9 times this week. All calling from a Rotherham number. They always pronounce my name wrong which gives me the excuse to say that no-one named "oglyboglee" lives at this address. After 6 goes, we blocked the number, for them only to come through on another Rotherham number. In the end, I lost patience and told them to fornicate off. I wouldn't care, but our washing machine is 9 years old, was obtained second hand, has never been insured and is probably worth a lot less than the cost of any insurance policy - legit or not.

[MauriceMynah]

One small comment (that might have already been made)

If you engage in any conversation or take any positive action (like clicking on something or pressing a number on your phone) your number will be recorded and sold on as a "possible target".

This will result in an increase in scam calls, not a reduction.

Swearing at them, attempting to lead them on or just baiting them makes no difference. To them it just indicates that you listened to enough of their call to respond. They will just try to get smarter to get you. and we all know they're a lot smarter than they were when they were trying the "rich Nigerian Prince" routine. 

[grendel]

the big problem is the legitimate companies that still think they can do all their business by email and ask you to click a link to access.....

All the time they are trying to do business this way they are perpetuating the ability of the scammers to scam people by copying their methodology, if no company sent you a link to click, then everyone would know not to click links in emails, I would much rather that if a company wants me to fill in an online questionnaire or something, they sent me instructions to go to their website and follow some instructions to get to the document they want me to complete. for preference they could sent the instructions in the post.

[grendel]

Ah A good one this morning.

an email telling me to perform a virus scan on all of my devices, not using an antivirus already installed on my machine.

it then goes on to recommend BT virus protect, which is a free download, and can be found here - (Link to log in to BT)

it then goes on to say there are other anti virus tools, but they dont endorse them and cannot be responsible for their success.

Failure to log in and follow this process will result in temporary suspension of your service.

signed as ever by Libby Barr managing director of customer care.

 

Its a shame they never learn, Libby Barr left BT and now works for Virgin, and has done for 5 years, any BT email signed off by Libby Barr Will be a scam.

[addicted]

We're getting "silent" calls daily, usually first thing in the morning .I received an email from AVG telling me it needed re-installing, I ignored it, however I had renewed my contract with them a few weeks ago and it turns out it did need re-installing! Whoops! You just don't know what to do these days to stay out of trouble  I contacted AVG and they talked me through it all ( I'm not very good at these things) so at least I knew it was genuine.

 

Carole

[DAVIDH]

The silent calls are usually computer generated for call centre staff to pick up. The call is made ready for the "salesman" to speak. Sometimes, all operators are still on calls, so there is nobody available to pick it up. Shows how much the management trust the staff  to dial the outbound numbers efficiently and timely!

[FairTmiddlin]

Lots of the silent calls are from number farmers.

Soon as you lift the receiver,, the computer logs that it is a live number.

These numbers are then sold to the dreaded Indian call scammers.

No one is needed at the end of the call to answer you. It's just a computer auto dialing numbers, hoping for someone to pick up. With Voip and A Vpn. costs nothing and untraceable.

[SteveO]

6 hours ago, FairTmiddlin said:

Lots of the silent calls are from number farmers.

Soon as you lift the receiver,, the computer logs that it is a live number.

These numbers are then sold to the dreaded Indian call scammers.

No one is needed at the end of the call to answer you. It's just a computer auto dialing numbers, hoping for someone to pick up. With Voip and A Vpn. costs nothing and untraceable.

They don't even need their own computers to do the dialling. It is quite often the case that they hack voip phones within organisations. Aided by the lazy practice of using easy to guess or default account usernames and passwords on the part of the system owners. 

 

[SANTED]

Just had the latest scam Email.Basically it went

 

ROYAL MAIL

Your parcel is on the way. We need another £1.80 to deliver it 

Please select continue

 

Very professionally done, good graphics, no spelling or grammar mistakes They’re getting better

[grendel]

I just had the paypal one- announcing i had just paid someone £128, and if I wanted to cancel it, then i needed to click here to fill the form in.

Yeah sure, especially since all my notifications regarding payments normally come through messenger

[VetChugger]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

I just had the paypal one- announcing i had just paid someone £128, and if I wanted to cancel it, then i needed to click here to fill the form in.

Yeah sure, especially since all my notifications regarding payments normally come through messenger

Snap! I wonder just how many folk have succumbed to Heidi's charms??

[Upcycler]

My latest one which was a few days ago was that when I answered the phone, there was that well know pause before they talked. He had a strong Indian accent, wanted to talk to me about my internet connection and told me that his name was Simon! Really!

I was a bit strong in my reply as I then laughed, told him to F off and then put the phone down. I normally don't answer the phone if I don't recognise the number, but the first 5 digits looked familiar.

[webntweb]

7 hours ago, VetChugger said:

Snap! I wonder just how many folk have succumbed to Heidi's charms??

Yep, got that one this morning.

[Regulo]

12 hours ago, grendel said:

I just had the paypal one- announcing i had just paid someone £128, and if I wanted to cancel it, then i needed to click here to fill the form in.

Yeah sure, especially since all my notifications regarding payments normally come through messenger

You're obviously a cheapskate - mine said I'd paid £149!!!

[addicted]

Tony has just received his credit card statement and found an item for £75.00  on Feb. 6th for which he didn't have a receipt.  It turns out that someone in Bristol has been busily buying Vivien Westwood designer clothes and handbags on their iphone. A call to his credit card company revealed that a further purchase of £150.00 was in the pipeline. Strangely this was all,  as apparently when this occurs they usually keep spending until the card gets refused. Card now cancelled, Tony's heart rate restored to normal and he's come down from off the ceiling.   I'm just so grateful it wasn't my card as he'd have been convinced that I'd done something careless, Whereas he is super vigilant about this type of stuff so it just shows it doesn't matter how careful you are it still happens.

 

 

Carole

[vanessan]

If this was a telephone purchase, the buyer must have had the three security numbers from the back of the card. I do wonder about the security of buying something over the phone where you do readily give those numbers to a human being. I know you also have to provide those numbers if you buy online but somehow I feel that’s safer - I expect I’m wrong and it’s not any safer at all. 
A few years back I gave my card details over the phone for something, it was a card I had never used before and didn’t use again. Shortly after, my cc statement showed the purchase of a computer and sundry accessories. Only one person knew the security number, that person on the other end of the phone. 

[addicted]

I don't think it was a telephone purchase rather it was done on line on an  iphone. We suspect the card was cloned and by a process of elimination  the most likely source a hand held PDQ brought to the table in a restaurant.  I seem to remember when these card machines first came out there was a  high incidence of them being cloned electronically, we've always viewed them with a certain amount of wariness.

 

 

Carole

[LizG]

Our neighbourhood watch sent a batch of emails around this morning relating to Covid 19 scams - yep the tricksters aren't missing a trick.  This was the contents of one of the emails:

We have recently received reports of opportunists taking advantage of the current Coronavirus pandemic, by posting flyers through doors requesting food donations for the YMCA foodbanks, unfortunately it’s sad to report that this is a scam.

The YMCA have not been involved in this initiative.

Be aware that opportunists and criminals can take advantage of the elderly and vulnerable who are self-isolating.

Anyone being offered "kindness" by cold callers by way of running errands, collecting prescriptions and doing shopping should not accept services from strangers who may ask for cash up front, a credit card and its PIN, or gain trust simply to execute a more elaborate scam. e.g. to access savings.

Most people offering to help elderly people in their neighbourhood are genuinely kind, honest and caring.

The elderly self-isolating will be stuck for food, supplies and someone to talk to if they don't have friends, family or a nearby neighbour that they already know.

If everyone makes contact now with their nearest elderly neighbours WHO THEY ALREADY KNOW and gives them their phone number and offer of help for when they need it, it will reduce the chances of them accepting help from a stranger who may turn out to be an opportunist, confidence trickster and thief

Take care

[DaveRolaves]

Just had a E Mail from TV Licensing. It said that they had been unable to collect a monthly direct debit payment

for our TV licence and asked me to set up a new direct debit. The end of the mail mentions that they will have to refer the matter to a debt collection agency if I do not respond. Another scam that we should be aware of.

[grendel]

I get that one a couple of times a month now

[MotorBoater]

I've had the TV License emails (Amongst others) several times.

I have evolved various methods of exposing email and phone scams over the years but there is a major problem in sharing these because to publicise answers is to expose them to workarounds.

I usually ring around friends and family when a new angle appears, but I do feel for other ancient (?) individuals living on their own or with partners who for one reason or another are not aware of these people.

We pay our TV license annually so it's pretty obviously a scam when I get an email about monthly or quarterly payments.

I'm probably not giving too much away when I point out the amounts requested do not match said payment periods as there are other equally obvious errors too.

I always forward such emails on to the companies phishing addresses as requested but of course you are never really sure if it has any effect. TV Licensing and Virgin Media do seem quite hot on this though.

[ChrisB]

On 28/03/2020 at 07:21, DaveRolaves said:

Just had a E Mail from TV Licensing. It said that they had been unable to collect a monthly direct debit payment

for our TV licence and asked me to set up a new direct debit. The end of the mail mentions that they will have to refer the matter to a debt collection agency if I do not respond. Another scam that we should be aware of.

 

On 28/03/2020 at 07:28, grendel said:

I get that one a couple of times a month now

I had it for the first time this morning.

[twowrights]

On 10/03/2020 at 19:26, Upcycler said:

My latest one which was a few days ago was that when I answered the phone, there was that well know pause before they talked. He had a strong Indian accent, wanted to talk to me about my internet connection and told me that his name was Simon! Really!

I was a bit strong in my reply as I then laughed, told him to F off and then put the phone down. I normally don't answer the phone if I don't recognise the number, but the first 5 digits looked familiar.

True story:

A friend of mine gave the same reply a couple of years ago, one day  a couple of weeks later at around 3-am he got a phone call and the voice on the other end said in a laughing tone of voice " haha now you F off!"