Scam phone calls.........

[Robotstar5]

I had a call from BT wanting to increase my BT sport package (which I didn't know I'd got) so ended up with me cancelling the package so that didn't go well for his sales figures

 

[cumbriasteve]

Years ago when I was laid up for a few months recovering from an injury I joined a group whose intentions were to retaliate against the serious scammers, not just waste their time but to actually expose them and cost them money.

To me it was time filling fun with a satisfying feeling of turning the tables, some other members were into it big time and had several long term bite backs running, even to the extent of having the scammers send money or travel long distances.

I doubt it had any noticeable impact against the world of scammers, the floodgates of scam emails were open before the existence of the group and still are, phone calls now becoming the norm over emails.

If you are ever bored and fancy a laugh have a browse of the site.

http://www.419eater.com/

 

[mpats]

I've just had a call from "Microsoft" because hackers are accessing my computer. I was most worried, as you can imagine.
I have an old dell laptop that I tend to use when confronted with these situations, where I play computer illiterate, I also turn off the WiFi switch on the side so I can get them to talk me through making the internet work.
I won't bore you with all the details but I had an enjoyable 12 minutes wasting there time before the "senior" technician became really quite rude. He called both my parentage and sexual orientation into question. He had got me to turn the router off and on again, and re-start the computer before he decided I was wasting his time. To be fair, I expected a bit more troubleshooting from a "certified Microsoft technician"!
An Indian friend of mine told me recently that it can be quite offensive to suggest that they don't speak very English very well, so I just settled on that, corrected his grammar and suggested maybe he used any money he made from scamming for some lessons, he really didn't like it!

 

[cumbriasteve]

Had an interesting call yesterday on the wifes mobile, she listened to my advice and does not answer any number not recognised.

So they phoned and instead of the usual two rings and then cuts off tempting most people to call back they actually left a voicemail and this is it....

You ignored my call, you must phone me back right away, if you don't phone back right now it will given to the attorney and this means big trouble for you, this is your last chance or you will suffer and be very bad for you, phone now!

This was spoken by someone who could speak English but to a standard that was not professional and perhaps as their second language.

I wonder how many not so aware people actually get scared into replying.

 

[mrsbruce]

We keep getting calls from a crowd who keep trying to sell us double glazing. They don’t tell you this though, they start by citing the Scottish government grants to upgrade your insulation, etc.

Now, we have every insulation known to man, external cladding, loft, windows, efficient heating. So they got told no. Then they got told’go away’, that became upgraded to ‘frig off’.

For a while, they were phoning twice a day, every day, but we’ve had peace for a week now.

ARP whistle ready for when they start up again.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

We keep getting calls from a crowd who keep trying to sell us double glazing. They don’t tell you this though, they start by citing the Scottish government grants to upgrade your insulation, etc.

Now, we have every insulation known to man, external cladding, loft, windows, efficient heating. So they got told no. Then they got told’go away’, that became upgraded to ‘frig off’.

For a while, they were phoning twice a day, every day, but we’ve had peace for a week now.

ARP whistle ready for when they start up again.

If I can be bothered, e.g. it's raining & baltic outside, I sometimes string them along and let them go through all their spiel about how good my life's going to be with their new doors, windows, insulation, boiler etc then right at the end I deliver the killer blow...."Excellent!! I'm sure the Council will be delighted you're going to improve their property"....click.....

 

[reb78]

I've pulled the house line out now (only have a line in for broadband) and registered my mobile with the TPS. Its almost removed the nuisance calls completely.

 

[winchman]

Had an interesting call yesterday on the wifes mobile, she listened to my advice and does not answer any number not recognised.

So they phoned and instead of the usual two rings and then cuts off tempting most people to call back they actually left a voicemail and this is it....

You ignored my call, you must phone me back right away, if you don't phone back right now it will given to the attorney and this means big trouble for you, this is your last chance or you will suffer and be very bad for you, phone now!

This was spoken by someone who could speak English but to a standard that was not professional and perhaps as their second language.

I wonder how many not so aware people actually get scared into replying.

Whilst we have a good laugh about it its the old, infirm, feeble minded etc we have to protect from these idiots

 

[cumbriasteve]

Whilst we have a good laugh about it its the old, infirm, feeble minded etc we have to protect from these idiots

No doubt about it, it was the sort of message that would have concerned a lot of people.

Probably some scam that makes out they are in a lot of trouble for some parking/speeding fine they did not know about and the baliffs are about to descend, if they pay the original fine of £xxx they will halt the court action that would end up costing them a scary amount.

Probably from abroad and routed through an app that shows a UK number.

 

[voipio]

Interestingly, Ofcom has today published an update to their guidance to help phone companies comply with new ‘calling line identification’ requirements, in advance of them taking effect from 1 October 2018.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/guidelines-for-cli-facilities

To be effective, this will require Ofcom to have teeth.

 

[Robotstar5]

We keep getting calls from a crowd who keep trying to sell us double glazing. They don’t tell you this though, they start by citing the Scottish government grants to upgrade your insulation, etc.

Now, we have every insulation known to man, external cladding, loft, windows, efficient heating. So they got told no. Then they got told’go away’, that became upgraded to ‘frig off’.

For a while, they were phoning twice a day, every day, but we’ve had peace for a week now.

ARP whistle ready for when they start up again.

Might be worth considering a BT call blocker even if you don't use the full call screening options you can still block a number the first time they call. We've had one a couple of years and now get very few spam/scam calls

 

[slimjim]

I got a call this morning, Microsoft apparently, they soon hung off when I replied”no your not, you’re scammers” click burrrr

 

[gaz1]

its about time ofcom did something to stop this it has no teeth and it should shut the corresponding place down

as it goes for companys they should have enough protection on there system so they cant be ported from outside of uk

i dont like spam calls as much as i dont like being a commodity for these companys by using our data to call us

its about time they was held accountable

 

[slim_boy_fat]

its the old, infirm, feeble minded etc

I'm sure I fit into at least one of those categories somewhere.

 

[gaz1]

I'm sure I fit into at least one of those categories somewhere. old, feeble minded

im stating this one

 

[slimjim]

I got a call this morning, Microsoft apparently, they soon hung off when I replied”no your not, you’re scammers” click burrrr

They called again this after noon, I said they are scammers and why don’t they get a real job, the guy said he would block my computer, I said crack on, because I don’t own a computer, he hung up after that.

 

[Welderpaul]

Scammy spammy business phone calls that go something like this:

Good morning can I speak to Mr WP?
Hello, speaking
How are you today, what a great day, are you looking forward to the weekend?
Can I help?
I'm ringing regarding your N Power account..we can offer a great discount blah blah
Er, are you actually from N Power?
We work in conjunction with N Power and lots of other energy suppliers
Are you actually from N Power?
No
Bye

Get loads of them ringing, all with 0161 numbers (Yes I know they are not the real numbers they are ringing from), if you are not alert to them you could well think it was your actual energy supplier calling and get led into something. I was quite rude to the last one - it feels good!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

and it should shut the corresponding place down

Bit tricky if they're really based in the sub-continent and pretending to phone from a non-existent UK number.

 

[gaz1]

Bit tricky if they're really based in the sub-continent and pretending to phone from a non-existent UK number.

they cant tell me they cant stop it the tech is already there

they can catch downloaders and uploaders, can shut websites down or block websites

most of the trouble is down to data been supplied to other partys or been hacked or at worst been downloaded and sent to an unknown source

electric/gas companys all have your data for the property
its the same with telephone companys they do have your data you can tell by the amount of junk you get through your door

 

[gaz1]

as a reminder these are still flying around

32 scammer computers ruined