A New Type of Phone Scam?

[Lucan]

I have had an automated phone call twice in two days. A slow robotic voice said that it is forwarding a call from British Telecom, and that my phone and internet connection will cease today. It then instructed me to press 2 to speak to their tech department to resolve the matter. (I can't remember if there were other options.) I waited to maximise their call cost, and also to see if anyone spoke to play them along, but it hung up after about 10 seconds.

I am not even with BT, but nice try. In any case you would need the IQ of a sponge not to see this was a scam.

But how would this work? Am I correct in thinking that if you accept the invitation to press a number, then without warning it could reverse the charges onto a premium rate while they kept you on the line as long as possible?

 

[Harpers Tate]

I don't believe there is any means by which an incoming call can be made to cost you anything - other than if you are duped by whoever is on the other end to part with payment details etc.

 

[Bertie the bus]

It’s possible you fell for the scam. They compile and sell sucker lists of people who fall for the scams and by pressing 2 it could indicate you believed the call was genuine. You might be getting a large number of unwanted calls in the future.

 

[Lucan]

I didn't press 2.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Oh, right. I'm unsure how you expected to stretch out the call then. In that case it was probably just a standard scam. Press 2 and it transfers you to a person who either tries to get you to install something on your computer or requests bank and personal information.

 

[GusB]

My dad has been getting a few of these calls, although they were claiming to be calling from TalkTalk (which was his provider at the time). When the call comes through, it looks like it's coming from a UK number, but it's not a genuine number. As in the OP's case, pressing 2 transfers to an "operator" who advises that there's a been a security breach and that the internet connection will be cut off. What set alarm bells ringing right away was that there was no attempt to do any DPA checks. They then proceeded to ask how many lights were flashing on the router and what colour were they, and how many devices were connected. It was when they insisted that I go to a Windows computer to "help them resolve it" that my suspicions were confirmed.

I had a bit of time to play along, and had my Mac with me, so I sat down and listened to the guy on the other end of the line get increasingly frustrated when he was trying to explain what the Windows/Start menu looked like. It was when he asked what logo I could see and I replied that "it looks like an Apple" that the line went dead!

While I had fun winding the guy up, I can understand how people could fall for this. My dad was in the early stages of recovery from a stroke at the time and was still finding the world a bit confusing. I shudder to think what sort of a mess I'd be dealing with if it was my mum who had that sort of call.

 

[PeterC]

I remember that my late mother was convinced that all scam calls must be locals who had looked up her name and address in the printed phone book. Despite being told otherwise she had an unshakable belief that it wasn't safe to be rude as they knew where she lived and were only a few miles away at most.

Her usual response was to tell them that they needed to speak to me and to call back when I was "home from work", which never happened as I only visited at weekends.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Personally, I hang up on any automated call, with the exception of a brief listen to see if it's my bank's fraud department (in which case, to be sure, I'll call them back on the number on my card). If an organisation doesn't have the decency to have an actual person ring me, they don't deserve my attention. If they are going to use the disruptive method of communication that is the telephone, they can at least have that decency.

 

[Lucan]

Press 2 and it transfers you to a person who either tries to get you to install something on your computer or requests bank and personal information.

I see. The pressing 2 separates the people who just put the phone down (only wasting a "robot's" time) from the people who have some chance of falling for a scam. The human operators can then concentrate on the latter - those who actually press 2. Makes sense.

 

[krus_aragon]

We've had a smattering of these calls over the past year, perhaps once a month (but not from BT). Either of the flavour of "your internet will be disconnected today", or "we've detected unusual traffic from your computers". The first call we had (one of the former) was coincidentally not long after a stranger changing phone companies accidentally mis-typed / mis-quoted our telephone number when transferring his service to another provider. (That took ages to sort out, as neither we nor our ISP knew who was making the repeated requests, and we did get cut off when we went on holiday and didn't respond to the latest transfer letter in time.) My wife took the call, explained the bill payer (me) wasn't at home, and could she have a number to call back, please. Only afterward did she realise it was a scam.

My dad has been getting a few of these calls, although they were claiming to be calling from TalkTalk (which was his provider at the time). When the call comes through, it looks like it's coming from a UK number, but it's not a genuine number. As in the OP's case, pressing 2 transfers to an "operator" who advises that there's a been a security breach and that the internet connection will be cut off. What set alarm bells ringing right away was that there was no attempt to do any DPA checks. They then proceeded to ask how many lights were flashing on the router and what colour were they, and how many devices were connected. It was when they insisted that I go to a Windows computer to "help them resolve it" that my suspicions were confirmed.

I had a bit of time to play along, and had my Mac with me, so I sat down and listened to the guy on the other end of the line get increasingly frustrated when he was trying to explain what the Windows/Start menu looked like. It was when he asked what logo I could see and I replied that "it looks like an Apple" that the line went dead!

While I had fun winding the guy up, I can understand how people could fall for this. My dad was in the early stages of recovery from a stroke at the time and was still finding the world a bit confusing. I shudder to think what sort of a mess I'd be dealing with if it was my mum who had that sort of call.

I played that game once, when I was at home and had the free time to spend playing about. I was sat in front of a Linux machine, making for even more of a mis-match, but I fetched my wife's laptop to remind myself what menus were where under Windows so I could keep spinning out their yarn a bit. I was tickled by the way they talked me through running a 'cryptic' command to open Windows' built-in Event Viewer, and persuade me that all the normal log messages there were in fact serious faults that needed sorting out immediately(!) I kept them going until they gave me a web address to download the remote-desktop-control software they wanted me to install (so they could do whatever mischief they wanted), and then feigned confusion when the Windows executable wouldn't run on my Linux laptop. I then forwarded their phone number, the URL, etc, to my ISP, to keep their anti-fraud department busy.

On more recent phonecalls, I haven't had the time/inclination to be so accommodating to them, and tend to play awkward or contrary with them until they get fed up and hang up on me.

 

[rg177]

I remember an old Windows scam one. Call went something like this.

'Our systems detect you have a virus on your Windows 8 computer'

'Don't have that mate'

'Sorry, your Windows 10 computer.'

'Keep trying.'

'Windows XP computer'

'Might you just be a scammer on the other end of the line mate?'

He wasn't best pleased.

 

[pdeaves]

Do you have young(ish) children? Have you got a scammer on the line? Give the phone to your child and say Batman [1] wants to talk to them! Confusion reigns all round...

[1] or anyone else that will excite said little person.

 

[dgl]

Even better if they called me, my router has 1 light and one light only on it (it is bi colour though) as the modem is in the plug. So I could say it only has one light lit up and see how that confuses them.

Look up jim browning on YouTube, let's just say he more than gets the better of scammers and has managed to stop people being scammed.

 

[etr221]

I remember an old Windows scam one. Call went something like this.

'Our systems detect you have a virus on your Windows 8 computer'

'Don't have that mate'

'Sorry, your Windows 10 computer.'

'Keep trying.'

'Windows XP computer'

'Might you just be a scammer on the other end of the line mate?'

He wasn't best pleased.

My response was on being called about the 'problem on your Windows Computer' was to ask which one - and when they couldn't even give me a hint 'the Windows 95 one or the Windows 98 one?'

 

[big all]

phone rings from an unknown number
i say "who is this"
if the answer isnt doctor hospital ect
i just say "please remove me from your data base thank you"
and the calls will dry up for several months on end

 

[Howardh]

phone rings from an unknown number
i say "who is this"
if the answer isnt doctor hospital ect
i just say "please remove me from your data base thank you"
and the calls will dry up for several months on end

I just have an answerphone, if the call's wanted when they start to leave a message I'll pick it up. All the scams disappear after they hear "In order to filter unwanted marketing calls, please leave a message with a number and I will return your call later or pick the phone up".

 

[John Webb]

Almost a year ago I bought a new set of handsets which have 'Call Guardian' installed. This requires people whose numbers are not programmed into your 'phone book' to announce who they are before they are put through to you. This eliminates all the robot callers and virtually all the rest as well. Once you decide a number is false it can be permanently blocked by pressing two buttons.
During January I was receiving on average 1 fake call a day - not one of them disturbed me at all!

A useful source of information is https://who-called.co.uk/ where you can see if anyone else has had a call from the same number; you can also report numbers used by scammers who did get through to you.

 

[dgl]

Almost a year ago I bought a new set of handsets which have 'Call Guardian' installed. This requires people whose numbers are not programmed into your 'phone book' to announce who they are before they are put through to you. This eliminates all the robot callers and virtually all the rest as well. Once you decide a number is false it can be permanently blocked by pressing two buttons.
During January I was receiving on average 1 fake call a day - not one of them disturbed me at all!

A useful source of information is https://who-called.co.uk/ where you can see if anyone else has had a call from the same number; you can also report numbers used by scammers who did get through to you.

Couldn't agree more, we have the BT8500 and it's been great, no nuisance calls at all.

 

[snail]

I like the accident scam calls.
Them "I'm calling about your recent accident"
Me "Oh, which one? I thought it was sorted out, you rang me last month. Can you remind me?"
Them ---hang up---

 

[trainmania100]

When ever I get a call, I ignore it, then Google the number to see if it's worth ringing back

 

[Lucan]

When ever I get a call, I ignore it, then Google the number to see if it's worth ringing back

And if everyone did that? It would look like a Two Ronnies sketch.

 

[big all]

I like the accident scam calls.
Them "I'm calling about your recent accident"
Me "Oh, which one? I thought it was sorted out, you rang me last month. Can you remind me?"
Them ---hang up---

yes i had a bad accident would you like me to send my evidence to you ??
"YES please send "
do you want just the underpants or the trousers as well ???

 

[Howardh]

I'm getting a bit fed up of ignoring stuff I should be taking notice of - first was my bank ringing me to alert me to possible fraud on my account (there was, but I ignored the calls and only found out checking my statement - only small amounts and refunded) and second, just this week, I received an e-mail from an unknown source without a name which asked me to open a document and sign. Pah....you ain't getting me that way
It, er, was very important and related to mum's NHS care funding (but looked nothing like). Happily I was alerted by phone "have you read and signed...?" so embarrassingly had to have another sent.

 

[Doomotron]

I'm not being racist, but I once hung up on a hospital receptionist because of her accent. After she called me back I felt the most guilty I ever had been.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

On automated message scam calls received, I just ignore both options of (1) BT Customer and (2) any other telecommunications company until they hang up and then I use the BT 1572 system to ensure any other calls from that number are added to "my black list" and any future calls go directly to the junk call system.

In past times, when actually there was a human scammer speaking, I let them read from their script then replied that I was the security officer on the reception area of the business centre and asked which company they wished to be transferred to, when they always hung up.

 

[Typhoon]

In past times, when actually there was a human scammer speaking, I let them read from their script then replied that I was the security officer on the reception area of the business centre and asked which company they wished to be transferred to, when they always hung up.

It was so much more fun when it was a human scammer. The longer I wasted their time, the less time they had to bother the vulnerable.

 

[GusB]

It was so much more fun when it was a human scammer. The longer I wasted their time, the less time they had to bother the vulnerable.

Slightly off-topic, but this reminds me of a story told by a couple of school friends. They were sons of the Free Church minister in the neighbouring village, and whenever the Jehovah's Witnesses showed up at the Manse they'd find themselves invited in, offered refreshments and would end up spending so much time engaging in theological debate that they had much less time to visit any other houses.

 

[Cowley]

Slightly off-topic, but this reminds me of a story told by a couple of school friends. They were sons of the Free Church minister in the neighbouring village, and whenever the Jehovah's Witnesses showed up at the Manse they'd find themselves invited in, offered refreshments and would end up spending so much time engaging in theological debate that they had much less time to visit any other houses.

Yep.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

I got one the other day with a robo voice informing me a lawsuit was going to be taken out on me. If you call the number it's someone claiming to be from the Australian Taxation Office and you funnily enough have to pay money to make the made up lawsuit go away.

 

[Lucan]

when actually there was a human scammer speaking, I let them read from their script then replied that I was the security officer

I let them read their script and then say I am hard of hearing and would they repeat it loud and slow. If I've got better things to do I then put the handset down on the table and leave it squawking to itself, and I return later to hang up. Or I might I listen through it again and then tell them they need to speak to someone who I will fetch, and put the handset down on the table ditto.