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[Doctor Gollum]

My phone gives an alert for most spoof texts and the occasional number as well. Many of the numbers are clearly either non UK or from obscure places that have no business ringing. Easily blocked as a consequence

Both types are every 2-3 months rather than 2-3 times a day before I changed my number. Which is nice, even though it was a complete ball ache to do

[Lizzie Zoom]

Laughed, and put the phone down each time and blocked the numbers concerned.

Be aware, the numbers are spoofed, so blocking them is a pointless exercise.

Some are now clever enough to use the actual numbers that belong to the company they are trying to spoof, though usually there is a telltale (like its for the wrong country for your region, or (if your phone is clever enough (most aren't)) its prefixed with INTERNATIONAL followed by a UK number).

The key is to keep off "sucker lists", and also not give your number to any company unless absolutely necessary. Oh, and keep far away from Telephone Prefernce Service.

All of the calls received were prefixed accordingly with "INTERNATIONAL".   

You are also right TB about a UK number showing.  I had yet another "from Amazon" this morning (I am obviously being targeted!) on a known scam number with an Area Code for Tyneside!!  The automated voice was no Geordie though, which was the real shame as I love that accent!!

PS the number that apparently rang me for all your info was this morning (and all have been different) was the known scam one of 01914214639

Beware!

[redelitev6]

Laughed, and put the phone down each time and blocked the numbers concerned.

Be aware, the numbers are spoofed, so blocking them is a pointless exercise.

Some are now clever enough to use the actual numbers that belong to the company they are trying to spoof, though usually there is a telltale (like its for the wrong country for your region, or (if your phone is clever enough (most aren't)) its prefixed with INTERNATIONAL followed by a UK number).

The key is to keep off "sucker lists", and also not give your number to any company unless absolutely necessary. Oh, and keep far away from Telephone Prefernce Service.

All of the calls received were prefixed accordingly with "INTERNATIONAL".   

You are also right TB about a UK number showing.  I had yet another "from Amazon" this morning (I am obviously being targeted!) on a known scam number with an Area Code for Tyneside!!  The automated voice was no Geordie though, which was the real shame as I love that accent!!

PS the number that apparently rang me for all your info was this morning (and all have been different) was the known scam one of 01914214639

Beware!

Damn , that's my Number , rumbled so soon 

[ronnyd]

I've been having calls for months, purportedly from Amazon. Sometimes 2/3 times a day. You're not being targeted Lizzie, you're just on a list, same as me.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I've been having calls for months, purportedly from Amazon. Sometimes 2/3 times a day. You're not being targeted Lizzie, you're just on a list, same as me.

It would seem so ronnyd!

[johnnydog]

We went through a phase of scam phone calls about 3 months ago. The first one I unsuspectingly answered as it was a UK area code (01???) and the automated message was about a problem with our internet. I hung up, but we then got about 10 further calls,  over 3 days or so, starting with both UK dialling codes and International, which ignored if I didn't recognise the code. Presumably as the calls weren't being answered, they stopped after around 3 days.... my neighbour got exactly the same call over the same period, and having answered one, but then became switched on to them, ignored the calls and they stopped after a few days.
One benefit of having caller display I suppose, which most phone providers include at no extra cost in their bundles.
Unfortunately, people must fall for it, otherwise they wouldn't continue calling to try and scam people... 

[Lizzie Zoom]

We went through a phase of scam phone calls about 3 months ago. The first one I unsuspectingly answered as it was a UK area code (01???) and the automated message was about a problem with our internet. I hung up, but we then got about 10 further calls,  over 3 days or so, starting with both UK dialling codes and International, which ignored if I didn't recognise the code. Presumably as the calls weren't being answered, they stopped after around 3 days.... my neighbour got exactly the same call over the same period, and having answered one, but then became switched on to them, ignored the calls and they stopped after a few days.
One benefit of having caller display I suppose, which most phone providers include at no extra cost in their bundles.
Unfortunately, people must fall for it, otherwise they wouldn't continue calling to try and scam people... 

Yes, indeed usually the old, vulnerable or gullible.

These calls, I understand, are just made by a computer running through lists of numbers, or by purely targeting those already on 'sucker lists' who are known on the black web for responding well to cold calls or / and have peronal details being bought and sold by these bastards.

I certainly have never fallen for these phone calls (although it could happen in a moment of weakness) and just note as many details as possible for blocking or passing on to Action Fraud - who actually I have no faith in, but I still go through the motions in hope!

Sometimes I deliberately get to speak to a scammer and waste their time, have fun, whilst getting as many facts as possible, then let them know I work alongside Kent Police and what they are doing is totally illegal and immoral.  That either gets a wonderful reaction or the line goes dead!!   Once I had one of them ring me back and try and convince me he was not a scammer, then when I repeated what I had said before he just went into a foul language rage - which made me chuckle when I passed on his details to the authorities.

In my opinion more could be done by the authorities, and communication companies, to stop the scammers, but I somehow believe that is some way off although some are caught and prosecuted, with other hiding in their countries of origin!

[TheBoy]

I had yet another "from Amazon" this morning (I am obviously being targeted!)

You're on a suckers list, thats all.  Thats a list of people deemed gullible.


The reason most of these are prefixed with INTERNATIONAL is that to spoof a landline number easily, you need ISDN.  Play silly beggers in the UK, your expensive ISDN will get shut down by your telco quickly.  But not all countries are regulated as heavily.

Mobiles are slightly easier to spoof for calls, but still easily shutdown by UK telcos.

SMS messages, however, are ultra trivial to spoof.  A 5 year old could do it.  Hence, *ANY* SMS, even from your bank's real number, should be treated with extreme caution.


Whilst on the subject of suckers lists and scams, a quick remember if you are cold called, before you ring the company converned to check, call a friend/family in between, to ensure the scammers haven't clamped the line.  Listening for a dial tone (on a landline) is no longer enough.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I had yet another "from Amazon" this morning (I am obviously being targeted!)

You're on a suckers list, thats all.  Thats a list of people deemed gullible.


The reason most of these are prefixed with INTERNATIONAL is that to spoof a landline number easily, you need ISDN.  Play silly beggers in the UK, your expensive ISDN will get shut down by your telco quickly.  But not all countries are regulated as heavily.

Mobiles are slightly easier to spoof for calls, but still easily shutdown by UK telcos.

SMS messages, however, are ultra trivial to spoof.  A 5 year old could do it.  Hence, *ANY* SMS, even from your bank's real number, should be treated with extreme caution.


Whilst on the subject of suckers lists and scams, a quick remember if you are cold called, before you ring the company converned to check, call a friend/family in between, to ensure the scammers haven't clamped the line.  Listening for a dial tone (on a landline) is no longer enough.

Thanks for that info and advice TB.

I have NEVER been fooled by any of these scams as I have been trained throughout my professional life to ABC - Accept nothing; Believe no one; Challenge everything, with an added good dose of continuing skepticism.  I start from the premise that any one, even family and friends, cannot be trusted when it comes to business and money.  I have caught too many 'at it' in the past for that!

No, I rather suspect I have been noted for giving scams grief on the phone and been placed on a "Bastard, so aim to upset" list by the scammers!

I also NEVER ring these numbers back as they can be premium lines, or as you say TB, the scammers are still on the line.

Please place these what's it's on your cull list TB, even if it means going to Africa to hunt them down as our police do when they can

[Doctor Gollum]

That's why you're on their list. You answer the phone to them

[Lizzie Zoom]

That's why you're on their list. You answer the phone to them

Yep, as I have nothing better to do at the time, I want to know what the scam is and have a bit of fun doing it wasting their time.

[TheBoy]

No, I rather suspect I have been noted for giving scams grief on the phone and been placed on a "Bastard, so aim to upset" list by the scammers!

Nope, they dont work like that. Its lost money and potentially a lost number they can spoof. So no point trying, and wasting technical and human monkey resources.

Its a suckers list


And BTW, if you'd seen a social hacker work, you would know that individuals who think they are immune are some of the easiest targets.

I've been privileged to see a brilliant (ethical) social hacker decide on a mark, and intended to get in their (secure, business) building, and get their logon details, and then get a cuppa off them.  Because I knew what he was doing to them when he spearfished them, it seemed obvious to me, but he assures me he was using mind control techniques - light hypnotism if you like - to persuade them on the phone the call was genuine. And when he turned up at the building with a very good ID card (from photos lifted off social media) on top of the prep call, the mark handed their laptop over, along with logon details, and went off to bring him a cuppa.


So don't ever think you are immune. The world has changed, and its generally why the over 40s are simple targets.

Obviously spearphishing is expensive, so only worthwhile on high value targets, and few of us will ever be targetted .  Ironically, I (well, my account) was at around the same time, but at the actual point of intrusion, I noticed.  But that was more due to a deep understanding of the interrelationships of the systems to spot the end game target and thwart it, dosed with a sprinkling of luck that they attempted it when I was lonline.  Any single thing noticed would probably not rang too many serious alarm bells, but the chain of events over a 10 minute period got my attention very quickly/ Luckily.  My boss did remark I was probably the worse target, but in reality he is wrong, I am probably a great target because I reckon I'm pretty good at this...    ...and I'm over 40.

[Rangie]

Must have been a complete idiot that's all I can say about that tale..😁😁😁

[Andy B]

...
 then let them know I work alongside Kent Police and what they are doing is totally illegal and immoral.   ....

that'll get them quaking in their boots ...... 

[Lizzie Zoom]

No, I rather suspect I have been noted for giving scams grief on the phone and been placed on a "Bastard, so aim to upset" list by the scammers!

Nope, they dont work like that. Its lost money and potentially a lost number they can spoof. So no point trying, and wasting technical and human monkey resources.

Its a suckers list


And BTW, if you'd seen a social hacker work, you would know that individuals who think they are immune are some of the easiest targets.

I've been privileged to see a brilliant (ethical) social hacker decide on a mark, and intended to get in their (secure, business) building, and get their logon details, and then get a cuppa off them.  Because I knew what he was doing to them when he spearfished them, it seemed obvious to me, but he assures me he was using mind control techniques - light hypnotism if you like - to persuade them on the phone the call was genuine. And when he turned up at the building with a very good ID card (from photos lifted off social media) on top of the prep call, the mark handed their laptop over, along with logon details, and went off to bring him a cuppa.


So don't ever think you are immune. The world has changed, and its generally why the over 40s are simple targets.

Obviously spearphishing is expensive, so only worthwhile on high value targets, and few of us will ever be targetted .  Ironically, I (well, my account) was at around the same time, but at the actual point of intrusion, I noticed.  But that was more due to a deep understanding of the interrelationships of the systems to spot the end game target and thwart it, dosed with a sprinkling of luck that they attempted it when I was lonline.  Any single thing noticed would probably not rang too many serious alarm bells, but the chain of events over a 10 minute period got my attention very quickly/ Luckily.  My boss did remark I was probably the worse target, but in reality he is wrong, I am probably a great target because I reckon I'm pretty good at this...    ...and I'm over 40.

So why do they waste their time and resource on phoning me when I have never given these bastards anything?

But, I will repeat, I have never fallen for one of these calls and most are terminated by me before any info, personal details or transaction are given. I have never made any kind of transaction and I have, when I am in the mood, taken down their details to pass on to the authorities.  I have never even given my name.

You can say what you like TB to support your argument, but these calls are usually random computer generated ones that are phishing for personal info,but in my case they have never got them. I certainly believe that so much of everyone’s details are online, certainly on the dark web, and all these calls may be made knowing some, or even all of them, but their aim is to financially scam individuals by obtaining bank details that should be harder to obtain for even the most professional scammer.  That is why their main target is to fool the vulnerable into thinking they are their bank, or at least a genuine supplier (like Amazon), to phish for that info to proceed with the fraud.

Only once have I had my email address compromised by a flaw in ebays security systems, but that company immediately acted to inform me of what had happened only two hours before and immediately refunded all charges as they knew I had nothing to do with it, and then me changing universally my email address. Apart from that, which was never down to anything I had done, I have never had any trouble with my bank accounts or charges to my suppliers accounts.

No, I am confident with what I know about these scammers their is no reason for them to target me   
as I am no sucker and have never given them any financial or other gain.