A scam phone calls and emails discussion.

[ChrisC]

I get occasional calls informing me that there has been a suspicious transaction from my bank account in a foreign country. Strange that the amount is always £600.

 

[Romsey]

I had that as well. They said my washing machine was now 10 years old (it's older than that!), but when I asked what model it was, they ignored the question and went back to their script.

My answer to the washing machine insurance is that by not paying the insurance we can afford a new washing machine every 6 or 7 years. That's not on the script card and causes a degree of confusion.

 

[DerekC]

I have had a new one a week or so ago and again yesterday. Posh British male voice (recorded) tells me that HMRC has opened a tax fraud investigation on me and that it's about to go to court. If I want to stop it, press 1. I was tempted, to find out what happens next, but thought better of it!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My answer to the washing machine insurance is that by not paying the insurance we can afford a new washing machine every 6 or 7 years. That's not on the script card and causes a degree of confusion.

Some years ago, I too was approached on the very same matter and I asked the caller to speak to their manager, as (according to me) I had just purchased a new model of that product range and had already set up the cover on the new machine, which obviously obviated the old machine they were referring to and which was now taken away to the specialist disposal centre.

 

[Westcountryman]

I have had a new one a week or so ago and again yesterday. Posh British male voice (recorded) tells me that HMRC has opened a tax fraud investigation on me and that it's about to go to court. If I want to stop it, press 1. I was tempted, to find out what happens next, but thought better of it!

Don't do it. If you do you will be connected to some kind of premium phone line and charged a fortune.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Don't think I received many if any unsolicited calls during the first lockdown so that should mean none from now until early-December.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Don't do it. If you do you will be connected to some kind of premium phone line and charged a fortune.

Very good advice to follow for all age groups.

 

[swt_passenger]

My answer to the washing machine insurance is that by not paying the insurance we can afford a new washing machine every 6 or 7 years. That's not on the script card and causes a degree of confusion.

I’m looking forward to that discussion at the shop next time I buy a new machine, I’m at 19 years with the present one, might treat myself to a new one next year just in case...

 

[87 027]

Very good advice to follow for all age groups.

Agreed. There are articles and recordings on the internet showing what happens, if you are curious. In the bogus tax investigation one I’ve seen, the recipient of the call was transferred to an Indian call centre and invited to hand over a load of personal information as well as credit card details to make a payment to “settle the matter”, with the threat that if they didn’t do so, the supposed warrant for their arrest would be executed immediately and the police would arrive shortly

 

[Trackman]

Don't do it. If you do you will be connected to some kind of premium phone line and charged a fortune.

I don’t know if this an urban myth or anything, but there was a scam years ago - someone a bought a premium line phone number and would knock on peoples doors asking if they could use their phone because their car had broken down, then they would ring the premium line number.

 

[malc-c]

These days, unless the phone comes up with a family member as they are logged in the address book I let it ring and go to answerphone / voicemail. I then google the number to see how many other people have had the same, and 9/10 times the number is listed on several of the "who called me" sites. Not that it does much good as they will use a different number the next day, but all identified numbers are then blocked. If I get a call that may seem legit, I look up the main contact number from existing correspondence and call them to see what may be the issue.

Someone mentioned about clicking links in e-mails which then confirms to the scammers that the email is genuine and live. Same thing happens when you click on the message to enable images in an email.

 

[Westcountryman]

Agreed. There are articles and recordings on the internet showing what happens, if you are curious. In the bogus tax investigation one I’ve seen, the recipient of the call was transferred to an Indian call centre and invited to hand over a load of personal information as well as credit card details to make a payment to “settle the matter”, with the threat that if they didn’t do so, the supposed warrant for their arrest would be executed immediately and the police would arrive shortly

The issue here is that if you press 1, the phone may dial a premium line. The call can cost you hundreds of pounds for just pressing the button. Some may direct you to a call centre where they try to scam you, but with the premium line scam, as soon as you have pressed the button you are charged via your phone bill.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Just had one. Automated voice sounding like a 1980's London Underground "Mind the Gap" PA announcement.

Caller's number, no doubt spoofed, was supposedly 03963 xxxxxx.

My internet connection about to be disconnected. Oh dear!

 

[Vespa]

Nigerian Prince is a common one, so old that it got cobwebs.

Interestingly I recently started getting Spanish language PayPal and bank account deactivation warning emails, which I completely ignore and delete, I have a friend in Spain we communicate through Facebook in English and Spanish, I wonder if it's connected.

 

[Westcountryman]

Just had a new one. I got a call from a local number. Computerised female voice said something along the lines of 'This is the Visa/Mastercard department of your bank (unspecified). There has been a suspicious foreign withdrawal of £600 from your account. To stop this and subsequent transactions please press 1' Not a chance in hell of me doing that. I will, however, have a quick look at my online accounts to confirm this as a scam.

 

[eastwestdivide]

The issue here is that if you press 1, the phone may dial a premium line. The call can cost you hundreds of pounds for just pressing the button. Some may direct you to a call centre where they try to scam you, but with the premium line scam, as soon as you have pressed the button you are charged via your phone bill.

This was debunked as an urban myth years ago.
See this BBC story from 2003:

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Working Lunch | Costly phone scam 'a myth'

...
Icstis, which monitors the premium rate sector, says this is impossible.
...
And it points out that the whole "scam" is nothing more than an urban myth.
It says if you're receiving a call, it can't be transferred to a premium rate line....

or this from the IT site The Register, also from 2003:

‘Dial 9’ scam snares Wilts Police

It's a hoax

www.theregister.com

A spokesman for BT, told The Register: "The technology doesn't exist on a BT line to make a reverse charge call by pressing a single button."

Also, I've often pressed whatever number on the keypad to get through and wind up the scammers/waste their time, and I've never been charged any premium rate calls, even when the penny finally drops and the scammers start swearing at me.

 

[DerekC]

Just had a new one. I got a call from a local number. Computerised female voice said something along the lines of 'This is the Visa/Mastercard department of your bank (unspecified). There has been a suspicious foreign withdrawal of £600 from your account. To stop this and subsequent transactions please press 1' Not a chance in hell of me doing that. I will, however, have a quick look at my online accounts to confirm this as a scam.

Yes - I have had that one several times. The fake "Amazon" seems to have given up at present and been replaced by calls from "your internet service provider" threatening to cut me off if I don't press 1 and talk to them. I apply the "just hang up" rule now, irrespective of whether it's a computer or a call centre.

 

[Westcountryman]

This was debunked as an urban myth years ago.

Thanks for that. I wasn't aware that it had been debunked. But I'm still not going to press any buttons!

 

[eastwestdivide]

Thanks for that. I wasn't aware that it had been debunked. But I'm still not going to press any buttons!

Yes, only worth pressing for entertainment value if you're bored or sufficiently annoyed to want revenge!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Beneficial have called again (only know because I rang it back with 141 at the front to withhold my number) so block 01414565097.

 

[Westcountryman]

Beneficial have called again (only know because I rang it back with 141 at the front to withhold my number) so block 01414565097.

Who are Benificial?

 

[MotCO]

I keep getting emails from 'Norton' saying that my antivirus software is expiring and I haven't renewed. All the emails come from different email accounts so I can't block them, and they are all weird email accounts. Surprisingly, my McAfee antispam software is not simply junking it - maybe because the email accounts are all different.

I've now set up a block on Outlook for any emails with Norton in the title, so hopefully this should sort it.

 

[Gloster]

So when Norton do send you a reminder, it won’t get through. So your software will expire and the viruses will...Hmm, this needs thinking about.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Who are Benificial?

Apparently a survey thingy according to Google searches.
The sort who shouldn't have been ringing you pre GDPR and definitely not in times of GDPR.
Trouble is they ring on all sorts of numbers so no site such as Tellows can keep up!

 

[MotCO]

So when Norton do send you a reminder, it won’t get through. So your software will expire and the viruses will...Hmm, this needs thinking about.

I don't use Norton - in my post I mentioned I use McAfee.

 

[Gloster]

I don't use Norton - in my post I mentioned I use McAfee.

Sorry, my lack of technical knowledge meant that I overlooked that point.

 

[MotCO]

Sorry, my lack of technical knowledge meant that I overlooked that point.

No problem

 

[najaB]

The sort who shouldn't have been ringing you pre GDPR and definitely not in times of GDPR.

GDPR doesn't prevent survey companies from calling.

 

[Typhoon]

GDPR doesn't prevent survey companies from calling.

I understood that saying that a call was to carry out a survey was the way many dubious sales companies got round GDPR. In fact there are websites that help you ensure that your 'survey' is GDPR compliant.

 

[Westcountryman]

I've just had something odd happen. Not a phone call but a text message.

I have been collaborating with my daughters to buy Christmas presents for my wife. My younger daughter ordered them and I needed to transfer some money via online banking to reimburse her. As I hadn't done this before I had to set up a new payee. The money transfer was fine.

However, after she had sent me confirmation of the transaction, I received a text from my bank, telling me that there was a new payee set up from an unrecognised device and to contact them if it wasn't me that had initiated it. It did have the name of the payee and it was correct. But then rather oddly, I received an almost identical text from HSBC (with whom I have no accounts) telling me that a new payee request had been created from an unrecognised device and to authorise or cancel by clicking on a link. As I have no contact whatsoever with HSBC, they cannot transfer money out of a non-existent account. So what's going on? I'm just going to ignore it.