Scammers just stepped up a gear

[RonA]

Hi All,
received an genuine looking email yesterday telling me my TV needed relicensing on 16th July.
Knew this to be a scam as my TV doesn't need relicensing till later in the year & part of the the blurb was in French (Que!!).
Not unusual in its self get loads of such garbage.
However, what was unusual was the senders address. Hovering over the address on a PC or pressing the address in IOS usually reveals the real sender.
This Email was different, hovering over the senderrs address TVlicensing would not reveal the sender.
Then tried to forward the Email to the new government anti phishing (GCHQ backed) service but the Email would not send because the senders Email was masked. A new ploy?
RonA

 

[Cobbler]

We get those regularly, know it’s a scam as it’s set up direct debit. I would think they catch quite a few!

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I guess the scammers have been hit hardest...it's not like they can apply for furlough payments!

Actually it wouldn't surprise me to see them try...hasn't stopped the cash in hand brigade from trying....

 

[atomant48]

They’re clever. I had one a year or 2 back that when you hovered over the email it WAS the correct address. And they had somehow blocked my replies to the (builder) who’s email it actually was. It was part of an invoice scam, which i am sad to say, worked - albeit I managed to get all the money back a few hours later. Very very fortunate.

 

[Brad93]

Just had a phone call from some Indians who reckon they were calling from EDF renewals. I said I’m not with EDF, yes sir yes you are.

calling me from a mobile number for starters.

so I said can you tell me the address of the property you supposedly are supplying electricity to?

The woman said let me put my supervisor on. I couldn’t be bothered to wait so hung up.

30 seconds later they phone again.
Guy this time. “Why did you hang up the call sir, we are EDF Energy”
I said,m I didn’t believe him, give me the address of the property and the account number, I will call EDF back.

So he starts giving me the address, our registered office address, which is our accountants.

So I said, no, that’s not the right address you’ve got that off the internet haven’t you.

They hung up.

 

[Fraserb]

Just had a phone call from some Indians who reckon they were calling from EDF renewals. I said I’m not with EDF, yes sir yes you are.

calling me from a mobile number for starters.

so I said can you tell me the address of the property you supposedly are supplying electricity to?

The woman said let me put my supervisor on. I couldn’t be bothered to wait so hung up.

30 seconds later they phone again.
Guy this time. “Why did you hang up the call sir, we are EDF Energy”
I said,m I didn’t believe him, give me the address of the property and the account number, I will call EDF back.

So he starts giving me the address, our registered office address, which is our accountants.

So I said, no, that’s not the right address you’ve got that off the internet haven’t you.

They hung up.

I had someone claiming to be from bt on the phone, they claimed my computer was sending out viruses and they needed access to fix it, our broadband hadn't been working for weeks so I let rip at him about it, I almost felt sorry for him by time I'd finished.

Another time one of them phones the wife, as the conversation went on he ended up calling her old and fat, she wasnt in the best of moods before he phoned and that really set her off, actually did feel sorry for that one by time she had finished.

 

[ronan]

Got a years free Amazon Prime with the phone company. A few weeks later got a phone call from someone with a foreign accent supposidly from amazon. "Can you please check your amazon account, go to your computer and tell us your amazon details etc". I nearly fell for it, told them where to go and luckily they stopped ringing.

 

[TechnicAl]

Had one the other day...I told him he was a dirty effing scammer.....he was hurt, kept denying it....and then hung up.........even scammers have feelings

Did anyone else see where the USA had arrested some Nigerians in Dubai.....there were photos of them sat on the bonnet of two new RRs in fancy suits....making stupid comments on some social media page...One had scammed (or tried to)£124 million from an English Football team.....they now face 20 years in Jail

 

[slim_boy_fat]

There appears to be no end to their ingenuity, if they'd apply their technical nouse to an honest endeavour, they'd be wealthy folk.

Inevitably, folk must be falling for their scams of they'd not continue. I also doubt the worth of reporting them, what can the Authorities in this country [apart from info sharing] do against operators in the sub continent or elsewhere?

I suppose the details some disclose are more valuable to the low-lifes than the actual funds they get.

 

[RonA]

I had someone claiming to be from bt on the phone, they claimed my computer was sending out viruses and they needed access to fix it, our broadband hadn't been working for weeks so I let rip at him about it, I almost felt sorry for him by time I'd finished.

Another time one of them phones the wife, as the conversation went on he ended up calling her old and fat, she wasnt in the best of moods before he phoned and that really set her off, actually did feel sorry for that one by time she had finished.

Used to get the BT & microsoft brigade phoning trying to scam me regularly. I always let them go through their spiel & once finished I ask them if they have children, which they usually say yes. I then ask when your children ask what you do at work, do you tell them you're a criminal. Silence usually follows.
RonA

 

[TechnicAl]

I had a call, from a withheld number. He said he was a Doctor...I said "yes of course you are".... I thought this is new, wonder how this will go.....then he asked to speak to the wife.....i asked him why and he explained.....turns out it WAS a DOCTOR from the hospital...the wife had a phone appointment but she gave them my number

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Used to get the BT & microsoft brigade phoning trying to scam me regularly.

Ahhh yes my windows guy...I sort of miss his calls. He used to call at least a couple of times a month....same scam about windows. We'd talk for a good half an hour....then I'd go thro my usual routine of pretending to open and close all the windows in my house until he hung up..

"no no sir...your microsoft windows"...."but my windows are everest"

Great fun....except the time he convinced the missus that it was important....and I was right under the car wire wheeling the underseal.....I was very angry that day.

My home policy...give me your company name and number and I will call you back....no ifs no buts....once I've validated your number!

 

[ronan]

There appears to be no end to their ingenuity, if they'd apply their technical nouse to an honest endeavour, they'd be wealthy folk.

Inevitably, folk must be falling for their scams of they'd not continue. I also doubt the worth of reporting them, what can the Authorities in this country [apart from info sharing] do against operators in the sub continent or elsewhere?

I suppose the details some disclose are more valuable to the low-lifes than the actual funds they get.

Sadly its the elderly that seem to swallow it.

 

[rtcosic]

I had a call, from a withheld number. He said he was a Doctor...I said "yes of course you are".... I thought this is new, wonder how this will go.....then he asked to speak to the wife.....i asked him why and he explained.....turns out it WAS a DOCTOR from the hospital...the wife had a phone appointment but she gave them my number

I had this problem with frequent legitimate calls from a Public Sector body. They have a blanket policy of withholding numbers. I explained that I never answer withheld numbers and she should check with the ICT department to find out the code to enter before dialling which allowed the number to be displayed. No-one in her entire department had been told this function existed and the ICT department tried to deny its existence. To her everlasting credit she escalated this as far as needed to be given the code. Which the entire department now use frequently!

 

[rtcosic]

The email ones are worrying. I do all the usual checks and haven't been caught yet but....

The telephone ones these days are just comical. I recently discovered the joys of Bluetooth on my mobile telephone, BBC Sounds, Spotify and free audiobook downloads from my local library. I can now usually be found in the Garage, Garden or Shed with ear defenders with a plugged in widget listening to one or another of them. A telephone call automatically interrupts and can be answered with a light touch on the widget. As a consequence, I have been known to engage in an extended conversation with the caller whilst getting on with mundane tasks that require little to no attention. Lawn mowing, car washing and waxing, sweeping and tidying, fence painting, window cleaning and the like.

The longest I managed before terminal boredom set in was with a UK based operation trying to sell me a pre-paid Funeral Plan. That lastest about 20 minutes through to the second level of 'escalation' before I decided to concentrate on something and ended the call. That was 20 minutes less available to them to pursue the vulnerable. Just doing my bit for society.

 

[Fraserb]

The email ones are worrying. I do all the usual checks and haven't been caught yet but....

The telephone ones these days are just comical. I recently discovered the joys of Bluetooth on my mobile telephone, BBC Sounds, Spotify and free audiobook downloads from my local library. I can now usually be found in the Garage, Garden or Shed with ear defenders with a plugged in widget listening to one or another of them. A telephone call automatically interrupts and can be answered with a light touch on the widget. As a consequence, I have been known to engage in an extended conversation with the caller whilst getting on with mundane tasks that require little to no attention. Lawn mowing, car washing and waxing, sweeping and tidying, fence painting, window cleaning and the like.

The longest I managed before terminal boredom set in was with a UK based operation trying to sell me a pre-paid Funeral Plan. That lastest about 20 minutes through to the second level of 'escalation' before I decided to concentrate on something and ended the call. That was 20 minutes less available to them to pursue the vulnerable. Just doing my bit for society.

We have Bluetooth in the tractors, if I'm on a simple hob when they phone I keep them going for as long as possible.

 

[Joe 90]

I had a relative thought he'd sort out these calls and when they asked for him he told them your wasting your time cos that mans dead.
He ended up with bank accounts getting shut down and more trouble. Maybe it was a legit call and he didn't know.

 

[Migmac]

God, I’m glad I’ve got one of those call blocker phones. Nobody you don’t want gets through, it’s brilliant

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Sadly its the elderly that seem to swallow it.

Them, and the greedy

 

[TechnicAl]

Them, and the greedy

Thats me done then
Old and Greedy