And another phone scam/nuisnace

[40F]

It can be embarrassing however when your bank does actually phone. Our bank phoned us one Saturday and I was suspicious and refused to give any information. We rang the on the following Tuesday and were told Yes it was us we were catching up.

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, 40F said:

It can be embarrassing however when your bank does actually phone. Our bank phoned us one Saturday and I was suspicious and refused to give any information. We rang the on the following Tuesday and were told Yes it was us we were catching up.

However my bank says it will never phone me for 'security reasons'.

I am told if someone  phones claiming to be the bank it is a scam.

It either posts a message on it's web site with an accompanying e-mail to inform me or sends me a letter.

Edited October 29, 2020 by melmerby

[Reorte]

1 minute ago, melmerby said:

However my bank says it will never phone me for 'security reasons'.

I am told if someone  phones claiming to be the bank it is a scam.

It either posts a message on it's web site with an accompanying e-mail to inform me or sends me a letter.

Same here. If I thought the call was genuine I'd put the phone down and call back.

[JJGraphics]

2 hours ago, Reorte said:

Same here. If I thought the call was genuine I'd put the phone down and call back.

 

Remember to wait at least five minutes before calling your Bank to ensure that the scam call has dropped and check that you can hear a proper dialling tone if you are using a landline. We frequently hear of people being caught out as the scammers keep the line open and wait for you to dial before answering in a different and plausible voice. The telecoms companies are making changes to prevent this happening but it may be a while before it is universally implemented.

 

John

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, JJGraphics said:

 

Remember to wait at least five minutes before calling your Bank to ensure that the scam call has dropped and check that you can hear a proper dialling tone if you are using a landline. We frequently hear of people being caught out as the scammers keep the line open and wait for you to dial before answering in a different and plausible voice. The telecoms companies are making changes to prevent this happening but it may be a while before it is universally implemented.

 

John

Waiting for a dialling tone isn't sufficient - the scammers can duplicate that. Better to call the bank from a mobile,  as that trick doesn't work on them, only on landlines.

[mezzoman253]

The screengrab below may be of help to some. Rob

[Liam]

7 hours ago, 40F said:

It can be embarrassing however when your bank does actually phone. Our bank phoned us one Saturday and I was suspicious and refused to give any information. We rang the on the following Tuesday and were told Yes it was us we were catching up.

That happened with me as well back in the summer. I received a call from a number I didn’t recognise and the lady on the other end claimed to be from my bank. (NB she didn’t say ‘your bank’ - I’m just using ‘my bank’ as a reference). I asked her what the purpose of the call was, but she said that she couldn’t tell me until I had answered the security questions (which I wasn’t prepared to do until I was told what the purpose of the call was). 
 

I was in the car with someone at the time so wouldn’t have been able to discuss it anyway but I was recently contacted legitimately by my bank saying that the call was genuine. But when I received the call I wasn’t taking any chances. 
 

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, mezzoman253 said:

The screengrab below may be of help to some. Rob

One of the problem with blacklisting numbers is that many calls from scammers use spoofed numbers which aren't repeated

A while back I got a load of calls from an unusual number combination which I let go to the answerphone. They rang off as soon as they got an automated voice.

A short while later the phone rings again but from a slightly different number and again and again.........

In all I think I had about six different, but similar numbers, which went to the answerphone before they gave up.

Edited October 29, 2020 by melmerby

[mezzoman253]

Yes that's true, however I'm with EE and didn't know about the 14258 code to block of up to 10 numbers.

 

Whilst this is just a drop in the ocean, anything that can reduce these calls by any amount is welcome.

 

Rob

[Brit70053]

Was brought out of my slumbers at 07:15 this morning by the phone ringing. when I answered I was greeted with "HI, a payment of £399.99 has been made with your Visa Debit Card, to confirm press 1 to talk to Fraud press"  at this point my semi conscious mind clicked into 'Scam Alert' mode and I replaced the receiver.

Seems the low lifes are hoping to catch folk at their most vulnerable and in a state of mind most likely to be susceptible to their despicable behaviour.

I understand my bank would never 'phone me about such a matter anyway, but the timing of the call , apart from being extremely annoying, is obviously calculated to create a panicked mind set more likely to produce a 'result' for the scammers. 

[melmerby]

1 minute ago, Brit70053 said:

Was brought out of my slumbers at 07:15 this morning by the phone ringing. when I answered I was greeted with "HI, a payment of £399.99 has been made with your Visa Debit Card, to confirm press 1 to talk to Fraud press"  at this point my semi conscious mind clicked into 'Scam Alert' mode and I replaced the receiver.

Seems the low lifes are hoping to catch folk at their most vulnerable and in a state of mind most likely to be susceptible to their despicable behaviour.

I understand my bank would never 'phone me about such a matter anyway, but the timing of the call , apart from being extremely annoying, is obviously calculated to create a panicked mind set more likely to produce a 'result' for the scammers. 

Fraud Press?

Daily Wail, Grauniad?

[Bernard Lamb]

On 29/10/2020 at 15:00, melmerby said:

However my bank says it will never phone me for 'security reasons'.

I am told if someone  phones claiming to be the bank it is a scam.

It either posts a message on it's web site with an accompanying e-mail to inform me or sends me a letter.

I have one bank account that I do not use very often. The last transaction was in March when I checked. The other day they rang just to ask how I was doing. I find that very kind of them. Other people do too, so it seems as they now mention in a TV advert that they have called 250k customers simply for a chat. I prefer that attitude to the one that your bank adopts.

 

Bernard  

[APOLLO]

I got a similar amazon call at 07-50 one day last week - and again later in the day. Just put the phone down as the Mrs doesn't like hearing swearing !!!!

 

Something needs to be done by the Telecoms - the situation is  now getting ridiculous. Washing machine insurance, Amazon, Energy surveys (to which I reply send me some - I'm Knackered !!). etc. You have to be careful you don't hang up on an important call though.

 

Brit15

[kevinlms]

On 30/10/2020 at 02:00, melmerby said:

However my bank says it will never phone me for 'security reasons'.

I am told if someone  phones claiming to be the bank it is a scam.

It either posts a message on it's web site with an accompanying e-mail to inform me or sends me a letter.

Not strictly accurate. Banks generally are entitled to call you, if it detects some suspicious activity on your account. It won't be defined as 'security reasons' or include any offer to press any combination of buttons.

Certainly tell them if you have the slightest doubt and ask for a reference number of some sort. Some businesses do have such a scheme, but not all.

Then you can ring your bank on a publicly listed number. NEVER, EVER one that the caller gives you, unless you check that it's authentic. I in fact ask them for the number, but ALWAYS check before dialling it.

[melmerby]

39 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

I have one bank account that I do not use very often. The last transaction was in March when I checked. The other day they rang just to ask how I was doing. I find that very kind of them. Other people do too, so it seems as they now mention in a TV advert that they have called 250k customers simply for a chat. I prefer that attitude to the one that your bank adopts.

 

Bernard  

Strange as the stance taken by my bank is considered the correct one to minimise phone fraud.

 

So your bank calls to "have a chat", they get you in a relaxed mood and slowly weadle out info, without you realising it.

Then bang, they turn out to be fraudsters. No thanks.

Too many people call to "have a chat" but are actually trying to sell something.

[jonny777]

46 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

I got a similar amazon call at 07-50 one day last week - and again later in the day. Just put the phone down as the Mrs doesn't like hearing swearing !!!!

 

Something needs to be done by the Telecoms - the situation is  now getting ridiculous. Washing machine insurance, Amazon, Energy surveys (to which I reply send me some - I'm Knackered !!). etc. You have to be careful you don't hang up on an important call though.

 

Brit15

 

At the risk of being seen as extremely thick, I'm not sure what you mean by hanging up on an important call? 

 

For me, all calls that might be deemed important will come from people I know, and their numbers are programmed into my phones (mobile and landline) so that I know who is ringing before I answer. If I cut them off before speaking and the call was important, they would surely text me to ask what was going on or phone again? 

 

I believe this idea, that we must all regard telephone calls as potentially important until proven otherwise, is the one the scammers are preying on to defraud people. 

[Brit70053]

It must be 'my day'. Had a text to my mobile to say my O2 Bundle has been suspended due to none payment of a bill. Reply to text to get the Bundle resumed.

Tough on them I don't have an O2 Bundle. Message deleted.

[Joseph_Pestell]

2 minutes ago, Brit70053 said:

It must be 'my day'. Had a text to my mobile to say my O2 Bundle has been suspended due to none payment of a bill. Reply to text to get the Bundle resumed.

Tough on them I don't have an O2 Bundle. Message deleted.

From my experience with 02, this is probably not a scam. They have texted the wrong number.

[Brit70053]

Not sure whether that would be the case here Joseph, the text quoted a mobile number (deleted not recorded, I should probably have blocked it first) for reply.

Whatever, I don't have an O2 or anyone else's 'Bundle', so the message was not for me whichever way you look at it.

[jonny777]

I'm on O2 and they are always sending promotional texts. It wouldn't surprise me if this was a bunch of deliberate 'wrong number' messages sent to random mobile phones in the hope the receiver will reply stating they are not with O2. That number can then be added to their database of potential new customers. 

 

Or have I been consumed by cynicism? 

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, jonny777 said:

 

For me, all calls that might be deemed important will come from people I know, and their numbers are programmed into my phones (mobile and landline) so that I know who is ringing before I answer.

 

So only numbers programmed into your phone, can be 'important'? You just never who is ringing from a different or unknown number. Maybe a friend/relative calling from a hospital phone, because their mobile is flat? Many businesses call from generic and blocked numbers, perhaps your doctors surgery.

 

Sure they can always leave a message if genuine. Personally, I answer unknown calls, with my BS detector turned on! Remember if you have an outgoing message, they can gather some info on you from that. More than a simple 'Hello'.

[Reorte]

5 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

So only numbers programmed into your phone, can be 'important'? You just never who is ringing from a different or unknown number. Maybe a friend/relative calling from a hospital phone, because their mobile is flat? Many businesses call from generic and blocked numbers, perhaps your doctors surgery.

 

Sure they can always leave a message if genuine. Personally, I answer unknown calls, with my BS detector turned on! Remember if you have an outgoing message, they can gather some info on you from that. More than a simple 'Hello'.

When it gets to the point of being deluged with dodgy calls I find it easy enough to believe that blocking unknown numbers can be the lesser evil.

[kevinlms]

2 minutes ago, jonny777 said:

I'm on O2 and they are always sending promotional texts. It wouldn't surprise me if this was a bunch of deliberate 'wrong number' messages sent to random mobile phones in the hope the receiver will reply stating they are not with O2. That number can then be added to their database of potential new customers. 

 

Or have I been consumed by cynicism? 

Anyone who constantly contacts me with such rubbish unasked for, immediately goes on to my list of 'I'll NEVER do business with that lot ever'.  That isn't cynical, it's just a stupid way of trying to do business. Just like ads you hate, you might remember their name, but not for good reasons!

 

I had an investment company ring me up every month for about 5 years, even though I told them that I wasn't the least bit interested. Eventually they gave up - or went broke!

[Tony Davis]

My wife nearly got scammed by a deceitful “offer” on Facebook. Would you like a free sample of dishwasher tablets? She said yes and got the response “just enter your email address and mobile number and we can register you to receive the samples and a newsletter”. She did and straight away got a text saying she had signed up to receive two texts a week at £4 each which would be charged to her phone credit unless she texted “Stop” to a certain number. I was concerned that texting to the number might lead to further woe but, after searching on the ‘net and reading the experience of others, we did text and, so far, she has not been charged. Fingers crossed!

[kevinlms]

2 minutes ago, Reorte said:

When it gets to the point of being deluged with dodgy calls I find it easy enough to believe that blocking unknown numbers can be the lesser evil.

In that case, I'd be blocking my mother! She calls me from home, but even though I've saved my number in her phone, with override prefix for sending number, she still dials me manually without the prefix!

The last time I saw her mobile, it had fallen down behind some furniture, completely flat!