A scam phone calls and emails discussion.

[Jamesrob637]

I did for the number into google and it didn't come up as a recognised telephone number. I would have hoped that if Amazon were contacting me about fraud, they would use a searchable phone number.

Having done a search on the number, it seems to have come from a computer company called Lenovo.

What number was it out of interest?

 

[Dominash]

I think the percentage of people falling into the traps of fraudsters is relatively high. Often some people give their data to sites without overthinking about it. After my phone was hacked, I changed my number and only used it to call verified numbers. And to go to any site where you have to enter your phone number, I use a fake number.

Maybe I'm overreacting. But I do not want to go through unpleasant moments again because of someone's greed.

 

[najaB]

Often some people give their data to sites without overthinking about it.

That is very true!

Maybe I'm overreacting. But I do not want to go through unpleasant moments again because of someone's greed.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I think the percentage of people falling into the traps of fraudsters is relatively high.

I'm not convinced it is all that a high percentage. What do you think the percentage figure is?

However, spamming is undoubtedly a numbers game. Send out enough spam e-mail messages/texts/phone calls, etc. then even a small percentage "strike rate" can still be potentially lucrative for the scammers.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

After receiving no spam emails for many weeks, this morning there was one in my inbox purporting to be from E-ON about a winter fuel error overcharge on their part and what to click on to be repaid the overcharge. A most obvious spam as I never had any dealings with that company, so it went straight into "the spam box" and both the domain and the sender blocked.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Be useful to forward the e-mail to <[email protected]> copied into <[email protected]>

Been a spate of such e-mails purporting to be from E.On recently, apparently.

 

[Typhoon]

Be useful to forward the e-mail to <[email protected]> copied into <[email protected]>

Been a spate of such e-mails purporting to be from E.On recently, apparently.

There must be a fair chance that quite a few householders who cannot say who their energy supplier is, if it is one of those who went bust. OK they have had a letter but that may have been filed. They may even be transferred to a large supplier (such as E.on) then switched again.

I reckon there must be rich pickings to me made by scammers in the current energy market situation.

 

[ABB125]

Today I've received two of the following texts:

I also had a similar one yesterday.

Has anyone else had a sudden increase in the number of scam texts they're getting?

 

[3rd rail land]

Just got a call from an Indian sounding chap saying that due to Covid-19 I have been selected for 50% off my O2 bill.
I am in fact with O2 but given O2 told me that prices were going up a few days ago I find this very hard to believe.

I thought about playing along with the scam to annoy the guy but then I realised it would be a waste of my time so hung up.

 

[najaB]

Today I've received two of the following texts:
View attachment 111921
I also had a similar one yesterday.

Has anyone else had a sudden increase in the number of scam texts they're getting?

Haven't noticed an increase but forward the text to 7726 to help the mobile network identify the source.

 

[swt_passenger]

After a few weeks with no scam emails, today sees a new one. “Customer Service” is demanding I update payment details for my non-existent Netflix Account.

 

[jb108822]

I've been having a lot of spam recently purporting to be from senders with the format 'x@y'. It's just so transparently dodgy.

 

[The Ham]

I received the attached text, for some reason I didn't click on the link...

 

[najaB]

I received the attached text, for some reason I didn't click on the link...

Why on earth not? Don't you want to know what's happened (or not) with your package??!

 

[dgl]

My Dad/Step-mum had the Whatsapp scam where they claim to be your son/daughter and you need money straight away for some reason, all that happened was my Dad and Step-Mum going round to his place and asking what the hell he needed money for!

Tip I think with some scammers who are trying to impersonate someone is to ask them something which the person they are impersonating would know but that they will not, and when they get it wrong string them along!

Reminds me of a story of one of those "psychic detectives" whom had a picture shown to them by a reporter of a girl who had supposedly gone missing, only after the "psychic detective" had said her piece (I think she had said/claimed she was dead) was the picture revealed to be that of the reporter as a child!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Today I've received two of the following texts:
View attachment 111921
I also had a similar one yesterday.

Has anyone else had a sudden increase in the number of scam texts they're getting?

Post Office don't ever deliver items, do they?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I had this right amateur attempt sent to me the other day.

Apart from the obviously not genuine wording, the scammers were not very bright; they used my own e-address as the disguise in the "sent from" part...

 

[John Webb]

Sudden spasm of attempted scams in the last few days. First one was on the mobile claiming to be the mobile supplier 'wanting to discuss my package' but saying they were the service provider I gave up some time ago, so they were told where they could go. Several landline calls which didn't get through my 'Call Guardian' system and on checking with the 'Who called me?' website turned out to be scammers as well!

 

[swt_passenger]

Just had a few McAfee scam emails arrive that have got through BT’s filters, and the idiots have used a typical McAfee subscription reminder heading with body text inviting you to read “Martin Lewis’s latest advice”….

 

[High Dyke]

Just had a few McAfee scam emails arrive that have got through BT’s filters, and the idiots have used a typical McAfee subscription reminder heading with body text inviting you to read “Martin Lewis’s latest advice”….

Had a few of them recently. It would be helpful if they managed to get the story right in the first place. Email 1: "Your McAfee subscription is about to expire." Email 2: (the same day) "Your Mc Afee subscription has now expired." etc. I was laughing so much about them I forget to click the renewal link...

Other regular ones recently have been the TV license, or as it put it, "Your TV liceses is expired."

 

[pdeaves]

Had a few of them recently. It would be helpful if they managed to get the story right in the first place. Email 1: "Your McAfee subscription is about to expire." Email 2: (the same day) "Your Mc Afee subscription has now expired." etc. I was laughing so much about them I forget to click the renewal link.

Three of them today alone, plus probably twice as many over the previous week. I'm waiting with bated breath for what will happen next seeing as I declined to open, let alone click on anything in, the email!

 

[steamybrian]

Yesterday, I had a call on my landline from a male with an "Asian" accent from a call centre asking if I receive cold calls and for one payment they could stop them. He stated am I Mr... from ....... I said they have the wrong address, I said I had moved and them promptly gave them a false address (I had previously checked that the address I gave them did not exist). Then it came on to payment and I said I did not have a bank account (whether it is true or not). He said... " Oh.. I cannot help you then and put the phone down".
Result- Scammers not interested if you tell them you do not have a bank account.

 

[Howardh]

I regularly get calls to continue my home service or appliance insurance. I ask when it was signed and who signed it, they almost always reply with my dad's name and signed around 2020.
I reply are you sure he signed it?
"Yes"
Then I get the stoney silence explaining he died in 2018.

 

[swt_passenger]

I regularly get calls to continue my home service or appliance insurance. I ask when it was signed and who signed it, they almost always reply with my dad's name and signed around 2020.
I reply are you sure he signed it?
"Yes"
Then I get the stoney silence explaining he died in 2018.

It gets a bit easier to give them the runaround regarding deceased family members eventually, I now look forward to calls from scammers asking for my late wife, who died in 2000. “I’ll just give her a shout, (wait) I can’t find her I’m sorry, (wait) oh I remember she might have died…”

I had an interesting discussion with a real firm last year though. Not really a scam, but a proper letter arrived correctly addressed to her, and she was being invited to sign up to a craft beer membership scheme, so as I hadn’t much to do I rang their number and asked for the marketing manager, but was put through to the owner who did his own marketing, and asked him where his mailing list was obtained. He was, to be fair, quite embarrassed that he’d paid for what he thought was an accurate mailing list and was actually getting quite a few reports of people who were well beyond buying beer…

 

[Typhoon]

It gets a bit easier to give them the runaround regarding deceased family members eventually, I now look forward to calls from scammers asking for my late wife, who died in 2000. “I’ll just give her a shout, (wait) I can’t find her I’m sorry, (wait) oh I remember she might have died…”

I had an interesting discussion with a real firm last year though. Not really a scam, but a proper letter arrived correctly addressed to her, and she was being invited to sign up to a craft beer membership scheme, so as I hadn’t much to do I rang their number and asked for the marketing manager, but was put through to the owner who did his own marketing, and asked him where his mailing list was obtained. He was, to be fair, quite embarrassed that he’d paid for what he thought was an accurate mailing list and was actually getting quite a few reports of people who were well beyond buying beer…

Your experience doesn't surprise me. If I've got nothing better to do I like to string them along, if they are speaking to me they are not bothering the vulnerable. My mother owned the house I now live in. I used to get calls here about loft insulation, double glazing or similar under some government scheme which either didn't exist, had closed or they weren't approved suppliers. They would start with their script, from time to time I would ask questions, sound enthusiastic, then when they came to the end, they would ask me what I thought, a few sentences later, I would ask why they had phoned me, I thought it was only for home owners (said about 10 minutes ago, they then asked to speak to the homeowner, which was when i told them that she was dead. (We were waiting for probate.) I know they had a job to do - but the government scheme they were quoting did not apply - I had looked it up the first time I received such a call. Others had recorded similar experience, the surveyor would come round quote an extortionate price then quote the discount through the government scheme, which was still a bit steep but sounded much better, then - bad news - customer not eligible for the scheme, but good news, manager will honour discounted rate if sign up now.

Mailing list out of date - they frequently are. An American company required my mother to give an e-mail address, so she gave mine. They have been repeatedly told that she has passed away, I now ask them for the cost of postage to the Elysium Fields, the happy hunting grounds, wherever. I don't get a reply! I could block the e-mails but I want to get it into their thick, stupid heads that writing to the deceased time and time again can be upsetting. I may have to give up. If your mother died in 2000, we've got twenty more years of this!

 

[ChrisC]

I regularly get calls to continue my home service or appliance insurance. I ask when it was signed and who signed it, they almost always reply with my dad's name and signed around 2020.
I reply are you sure he signed it?
"Yes"
Then I get the stoney silence explaining he died in 2018.

I usually find asking them to confirm the brand of the appliance causes them to quickly hang up.
However, a few months ago when I did this, the lady asked me if I would be renewing this insurance if she was to confirm that information. When I said no, she very angrily replied ‘Well, why are you wasting my time’ and hung up. Did I ask her to call me?

I’ve had a number of calls during the last year from people who say they are doing household energy saving surveys. They know my name and my address and then want me to tell them the electrical appliances I have in my house. I immediately hang up as I refuse to give this information to a stranger. Perhaps they are researching properties worth breaking into!

 

[John Webb]

......I’ve had a number of calls during the last year from people who say they are doing household energy saving surveys. They know my name and my address and then want me to tell them the electrical appliances I have in my house. I immediately hang up as I refuse to give this information to a stranger. Perhaps they are researching properties worth breaking into!

Or want it for their scamming pals to ring back later and offer you insurance on them?

 

[ChrisC]

Or want it for their scamming pals to ring back later and offer you insurance on them?

Yes. I hadn’t thought about that.

 

[johntea]

There is an interesting daytime series on BBC1 at the minute at 10am (the joys of working from home sometimes!) about the scams going around at the minute, some ethical hackers have set up shop for the BBC and can 'spy' on the call centre operatives

Has the annoying usual 'COMING UP' and 'HERE IS WHAT YOU SAW 5 MINUTES EARLIER!' daytime show format but if you watch it on iPlayer you can skip bits

Scam Interceptors

Working with ethical hackers, Rav Wilding is hunting down the scammers plaguing our lives.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Typhoon]

There is an interesting daytime series on BBC1 at the minute at 10am (the joys of working from home sometimes!) about the scams going around at the minute, some ethical hackers have set up shop for the BBC and can 'spy' on the call centre operatives

Has the annoying usual 'COMING UP' and 'HERE IS WHAT YOU SAW 5 MINUTES EARLIER!' daytime show format but if you watch it on iPlayer you can skip bits

Scam Interceptors

Working with ethical hackers, Rav Wilding is hunting down the scammers plaguing our lives.

www.bbc.co.uk

I saw a few minutes of it, a bit (over) dramatic at times. Otherwise a bit like Jim Browning on You Tube?