Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Before I forget happy birthday to Mrs. Baz and Mrs. GDB.

33 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Something for ChrisF

 

A lovely homage to Flanders & Swann

I'm glad I'm not with BT (but Virgin can be almost as bad).

[chrisf]

Flavio, thank you so much for that!  Who are those magnificent minstrels?  I think I might learn the song and perform it.  Now look what you've done ...

 

Chris

[Danemouth]

As an occasional poster on ERs I thought I would relate the "interesting" time I have had over the past few months.

 

Since 2014 I have had peripheral vision only in one eye - this is connected with the optical nerve and can never be recovered.  Over the past twelve months the vision in my other eye has deteriorated rapidly due to a cataract. Following the death of my optician I saw my new optician at the beginning of July who advised me to stop driving immediately. I needed cataract surgery but the NHS waiting list is approximately 81 weeks so I went private.

 

I had that surgery last week  and so far things have improved greatly. New glasses in 3 - 4 weeks - until then reading involves my Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass.

 

Saturday I started work on Danemouth for the first time in several months giving it a good clean.

So I am back on RMWeb again!

 

Congratulations or commiserations as appropriate to those  whose news I missed and best wishes to you all.

 

Dave 

[Andrew P]

This has just appeared on Facebook, and a mate of mine has had the Call as well.

 

SCAM WARNING.

 

And so it begins!

‘Good morning, I'm calling from the NHS track and trace service.

According to our system, you are likely to have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. This means that you now need to self-isolate for 7 days and take a COVID-19 test.'

'OK. Can you tell me who that person was?'

'I'm not able to tell you that.

That is confidential information.'

'Right. Um... so ....'

'But you do need to be tested within the next 72 hours. So can I just get the best mailing address so that we can send a kit to you?'

'Ok (gives address)'

'Thank you - and I just need to take a payment card so that we can finalize this and send the kit to you.'

'Sorry - a payment card? I thought this was all free?'

'No - I'm afraid not!

There is a one-off fee of £50 for the kit and test results. Could you read off the long card number for me, please, when you're ready.'

'No - that's not right.

This is part of the NHS so there's no charge.'

'I'm afraid there is. Can you give me the card number please - this is very important, and there are penalties for not complying.'

Puts the phone down.

This is how scammers work. And vulnerable people will fall for it.”

Don't fall for it...!

Please COPY and PASTE

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Andrew P

[Andrew P]

3 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Good morning all,

Dull here and it was raining earlier.  It may brighten up later.

Many Happy Returns to Mrs. Baz.   

A not particularly significant birthday* is also being celebrated here by The Boss.   Breakfast, cards and presents have been delivered.  

Domestic cleansing is next on the agenda as Nicki, Gemma and Steve are visiting this evening for dinner.  This afternoon I have been tasked with making 2 variations of my "Sutton" pasties,  four with meat (one to takeaway to Abbie in quarantine) and 2 veggie.

Last night I was in a Zoom meeting with two old schoolfriends.  I learnt that one of my best friends from school (who I've only seen a couple of times since those days)  caught Covid 19 back in March and was very seriously ill.  He was eventually sent home after a long spell in hospital on a ventilator but soon had a relapse and was rushed back in.   Even now, six months on, he is still having serious breathing problems.  

I suppose I better go and find the bleach and start washing down the ablutions,

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

* Although at our age every birthday should be regarded as significant.

Happy Birthday Mrs Bob.

[PeterBB]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Something for ChrisF

 

A lovely homage to Flanders & Swann

Brilliant!

 

[Tony_S]

59 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

This is how scammers work. And vulnerable people will fall for it.”

Don't fall for it...!

Please COPY and PASTE

 

As soon as I see Please COPY and PASTE I ignore the preceding text. I am not paranoid enough to believe that all users of this method of propagating a message are data mining scammers but some are. Clever using a post about a real scam to gather information though. 
Tony

Edited September 29, 2020 by Tony_S

[PhilJ W]

This explanation of why face masks should be worn appeared on Facebook.

[PhilJ W]

I've just noticed something. When I went to make the above post ER's was not showing on the list so I went in via notifications. When I went to make the post my previous post was still there in the reply box although it had been posted, a simple matter of clearing the box. I was wondering if this could be the reason for ER's not being visible on some occasions?

[PhilJ W]

We are probably all aware that the police officer recently murdered while on duty, Sgt. Matt Ratana was a New Zealander where he commenced his police career. This is a tribute from his former New Zealand colleagues.

 

[Andrew P]

53 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

As soon as I see Please COPY and PASTE I ignore the preceding text. I am not paranoid enough to believe that all users of this method of propagating a message are data mining scammers but some are. Clever using a post about a real scam to gather information though. 
Tony

The words Copy and Past bit was added by my friend Tony, as a warning to others.

[polybear]

Bear finally got the storage area next to the conservatory completed, which pretty much put paid to the morning.  But Bear should've (and could've) done more today, but didn't.  Turdycurses.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Andrew P said:

The words Copy and Past bit was added by my friend Tony, as a warning to others.

It is still enough to stop me copy and pasting the message. It just makes things look iffy. 
A link to NHS, Police or even the BBC looks better.

Here is one from back in June when this scam was first mentioned. 
Coronavirus: Scam warning over NHS test and trace https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53113595

 

Tony

Edited September 29, 2020 by Tony_S
Clarified first sentence.

[Ian Abel]

Wishing a Happy Birthday to Mrs Baz and Mrs GDB.

 

Chewsday...

Monday was rather a loss due to me being so tired, seemingly from the flu shot. Worked, but was barely capable <sigh>

Early to bed and a far better feeling this morning.

 

Nothing exciting (or otherwise) planned for today, the latest client report...

<this message interrupted by a RANT worthy phone call>

<RANT>

Seems the latest scam here is to "provide" additional DISCOUNTED insurance for your end-of-life benefits to cover funeral expenses etc., etc. I'm now getting several a day, and was royally pissed with this last chap. Explained to him that I'm NOT - at least to my knowledge - shuffling off this mortal coil any time soon so buqqer off! Time to be EXPLICIT!

<END RANT - normal message resumes>

the latest report issue from the client is a doozie, and fortunately not for ME to solve. Some "creative accounting" leaves two reports with different results. They speced the second report over two years ago and it included some data retrieve from "elsewhere" where the standard financials do NOT use/retrieve that data.

Told them to have fun determining what we do  and let me know when they decide!

 

9 and overcast first thing, 17 later for the high and possible showers during the day.

 

Carry on...

 

 

[Andrew P]

35 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

It is still enough to stop me doing it. It just makes things look iffy. 
A link to NHS, Police or even the BBC looks better.

Here is one from back in June when this scam was first mentioned. 
Coronavirus: Scam warning over NHS test and trace https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53113595

 

Tony

I'm sorry Tony, I'm having a thick day, but stopping you doing what excatly?

It was part of a phone conversation, nothing was done except putting the phone down on the chap at the other end. I only posted as a warning to others that these calls are being made, not to offend or upset anyone in any way, and I'm truly sorry if I've offended you.

[Tony_S]

14 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

Seems the latest scam here is to "provide" additional DISCOUNTED insurance for your end-of-life benefits to cover funeral expenses etc., etc. I'm now getting several a day, and was royally pissed with this last chap. Explained to him that I'm NOT - at least to my knowledge - shuffling off this mortal coil any time soon

Makes one reminiscent for the old “about your motor accident” or “your slow internet” calls. 

[Gwiwer]

3 hours ago, Andrew P said:

‘Good morning, I'm calling from the NHS track and trace service.

If your phone displays the number the call is being made from then the NHS Tracing Mob will be calling only from 

0300 013 5000 or 0300 123 7790

Those numbers are already programmed into my phone and others may wish to do the same.  How you describe them in the "name" fields is, of course, up to you.  

 

There are more scams out there than hot dinners, it seems.  Always someone willing to risk their liberty by taking others to the cleaners in a time of crisis.  I have words stored ready for use which would have me excommunicated from the internet if ever I should encounter one of their kind.  

 

We are still waiting for the result of Former Neighbour (Upstairs)' test taken on Sunday.  It would not affect us directly but as a good friend I am always willing to do what ever it takes by way of support.  

 

In other news the House of Fun was not much fun this morning.  It wasn't cold but was very moist with intercalations of heavier precipitation.  And something went "twang" preventing trains running to Chessington which then required us to advise hopeful customers to use local buses instead.  That doesn't go down well at the best of times.  Mid-virus is not the best of times.  

 

Otherwise we plod along with morale somewhere between tolerable and deep-in-the-mire.  Counting days until we are due to go away to Cornwall and watching statistics which suggest that we might not be able to so so at the last moment.  That, I fear, might be a last straw for SWMBO and would badly affect me too.

 

We need to get out of this place for a while.  

 

 

[Tony_S]

2 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

I'm sorry Tony, I'm having a thick day, but stopping you doing what excatly?

It was part of a phone conversation, nothing was done except putting the phone down on the chap at the other end. I only posted as a warning to others that these calls are being made, not to offend or upset anyone in any way, and I'm truly sorry if I've offended you.

Not offended at all. The “copy and paste don’t share” on Facebook is used by people who want to spread information and especially rumours. By copying and pasting the original poster is obscured. If information in a shared post is incorrect it can be deleted and all the other posts shared will disappear too. Copy and pasted ones don’t. There are people, though not as common as rumoured who will search for phrases in the copy and pasted post to search for the ID of people who seem willing to accept the premise in the post. Allegedly searching for deliberate spelling errors. 
In the case of your post I mentioned that it is interesting that this is a real scam and it has been reported for months and putting the phone down was the right (certainly the polite ) thing to do. 
All I commented on was that “Copy and Paste this”  always makes me suspicious on Facebook. If someone is genuinely concerned share it.

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

Happy birthdays to Mrs Baz and Mrs GDB and great to see that Dave (Danemouth) can now see us almost properly - fortunately he has never failed to warn me of a certain lurking presence at a particular model railway event and I hope he'll be back to full working order for the next one (probably 2022 alas).  By the next time Chrusf and I meet up an exhibition I expect we will both have totally forgotten whose turn it was to buy the first cuppa and who is due to pay for the bacon baps.

 

The surgery was visited this morning and - no doubt because of the slightly almost wet weather - I was allowed to sit inside to await my appointment with Simone.  I'm pleased to say that this week she managed to obtain the necessary for the Good Count with minimal fuss and no subsequent bruising so my 'small scratch' count is (so far) well down on a fortnight ago.  Alas the. number of unmasked social distancers encountered while walking to the surgery could have been counted on the fingers of somebody who'd had both hands amputated, idiocracy definitely here and well.  Subsequently during a brief visit to, and walk back via, the town it was a bit better but mainly only because lots of folk were wearing masks although such a precaution seemed to be way beyond those going to/from their place of edification at the local tech college;  presumably they are practicing for the future in the hope they'll get into uni or maybe they want the tech locked down? 

 

Now quite sunny and Charlie has just had a run in with a fox which seems to be hanging around during the day  although he looks far from well; it might be after little more than square meal?

 

Enjoy the rest of your day and stay safe.

 

[Tony_S]

3 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

If your phone displays the number the call is being made from then the NHS Tracing Mob will be calling only from 

0300 013 5000 or 0300 123 7790

Can scammers spoof 0300 numbers? The people do these scams are preying on  people who are probably vulnerable at the best of times and are probably more so now. I really dislike con merchants. 

[Danemouth]

3 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Can scammers spoof 0300 numbers? The people do these scams are preying on  people who are probably vulnerable at the best of times and are probably more so now. I really dislike con merchants. 

 

Tony, I suspect the spammers can inject any number they like. I understand that to the knowledgeable spoofing Caller Id is a piece of cake.

 

Dave

[BokStein]

Good Evening,

 

4 hours ago, chrisf said:

Flavio, thank you so much for that!  Who are those magnificent minstrels?  I think I might learn the song and perform it.  Now look what you've done ...

 

Chris

 

I suspect you really mean that magnificent minstrel! In true, time honoured fashion, singed in triplicate! (See what I did there?)

 

3 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I've just noticed something. When I went to make the above post ER's was not showing on the list so I went in via notifications. When I went to make the post my previous post was still there in the reply box although it had been posted, a simple matter of clearing the box. I was wondering if this could be the reason for ER's not being visible on some occasions?

 

I've noticed that as well. I always go via View New Content and am often surprised to see some of my regular haunts not listed.  Often, I hit the refresh button (in Firefox, the circular arrow between the forward and home buttons) and the missing thread(s) reappear. My theory is that they are not shown because someone is saving a new post to them.

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

If your phone displays the number the call is being made from then the NHS Tracing Mob will be calling only from 

0300 013 5000 or 0300 123 7790

Those numbers are already programmed into my phone and others may wish to do the same.  How you describe them in the "name" fields is, of course, up to you.  

 

 

 

 

Thanks Rick, brilliant post.

[polybear]

59 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

By the next time Chrusf and I meet up an exhibition I expect we will both have totally forgotten whose turn it was to buy the first cuppa and who is due to pay for the bacon baps.

 

Rule 1:  It's definitely the other guy.....

[laurenceb]

I have had a spam call with a 0300 number (from HMRC)

Birthday greetings to Mrs Baz & Mrs GDB