New Scam

[Tam & Di]

Well, new to me.

 

I've had three mails this morning telling me my Direct Payment for TV Licence fees has been refused by our bank and asking me to update my details.

 

I'm sure no one here is stupid enough, but just in case ...............

 

Tam

[Richard10002]

I first saw the TV License scam a few weeks ago. Also seen a few warnings in social media. Seemed very plausible on the face of it, but something wasn't right, so I ignored it. I think the address it came from was obviously not correct, as well as hovering over the links.

 

I can see how some people would fall for it..... out of millions of emails sent, they only need a few to achieve their goals.

[Athy]

As I pay for my licence by cheque, they won't catch me!

   I have experienced a few of these which, though plausible, I assume are scams. One is an e-mail asking me to update my Barclay's bank account details. Well, I might do, except that my account is with Lloyd's. Then there's the phone call in which a pre-recorded (female, British) voice advises me that my internet connection will be terminated within 24 hours. That's happened three times and as you can see, I still have my internet connection What do these calls hope to achieve?

   The most baffling one is as follows: the telephone rings, I lift the receiver and state my number. There is total silence for 2 or three seconds, then i get the continuous "unobtainable" tone. "Mr. Nobody" calls, i call these. What can be their purpose? I get 2 or 3 a week so they can't just be a mistake on the line.

[sans allumette]

Hi @Tam & Di

 

Thanks for posting. I'm sure a few of the people they write to will fall for their scam and could well suffer the consequences, so it pays to be alert.

 

A website** called "Take 5 - To Stop Fraud" has set up a test to see how good we are at spotting nefarious activities. You can take the test HERE. Enjoy!

 

 

**Website is led by Financial Fraud Action UK (part of UK Finance) and backed by HMG.

[David Schweizer]

 I simply delete any emails which suggest that a bill payment is overdue.  If anyone wants to contact me regarding a problem they have my postal address

[Athy]

5 minutes ago, sans allumette said:

 

 

A website** called "Take 5 - To Stop Fraud" has set up a test to see how good we are at spotting nefarious activities. You can take the test HERE. Enjoy!

 

 

**Website is led by Financial Fraud Action UK (part of UK Finance) and backed by HMG.

Somewhat to my surprise, I got all the test answers right.

Not sure why it's backed by a paint company, though.

[BEngo]

15 minutes ago, Athy said:

 

 

15 minutes ago, Athy said:

 

In the first instance they hope to get you to press 1 or 2 at the end of the message and talk to someone to ' sort things out'.  This will no doubt either involve you paying them mucho money, or handing over details that will cost mucho money very quickly.

 

In the second instance they want to know if there is someone "in"" at that time of day.  They can then sell a package of numbers, including yours, where there is reaspnable expectation of an answer to a cold call at the relevant time.  If you get one of these give it a good long press of a key (thd famous any key will do) as the tone this sends down line will confuse the detector on the other end into thinking this number is not a voice number, so not saleable or worth bothering further.

 

N

[Athy]

13 minutes ago, BEngo said:

 

 

In the second instance they want to know if there is someone "in"" at that time of day.  They can then sell a package of numbers, including yours, where there is reaspnable expectation of an answer to a cold call at the relevant time.  If you get one of these give it a good long press of a key (thd famous any key will do) as the tone this sends down line will confuse the detector on the other end into thinking this number is not a voice number, so not saleable or worth bothering further.

 

 

Thanks. I assume you mean a number key on my telephone?

At one time I got a number of unsolicited sales calls (which, as we are a "PRIVILEGE" number we're not supposed to get) and I kept my old ref's whistle by the telephone, so that a nice shrill blast would discourage them. But I have misplaced it now.

[zenataomm]

37 minutes ago, Athy said:

Somewhat to my surprise, I got all the test answers right.

Not sure why it's backed by a paint company, though.

I followed the link to do the test, and did very well, seems I have to phone a Nigerian Astronaut now to get my prize of five and a half million Lagos Gumbo Beans.

[Señor Chris]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

Not sure why it's backed by a paint company, though.

Probably a scam.

 

[robtheplod]

Don't have a licence so no worries!  

[Nut]

I prefer the scam telephone calls I just ask them if I can take them to a darkened place as I have a oiled gimp mask that we can both enjoy , but funny enough the line goes dead ??? I assume they have experience of one ?

[Chris Williams]

Get a Caller Display, if you don;t recognise the number, don't answer.  If it is genuine they will leave a message.  Once you have answered one of these scam calls, your number will be sold on to others.

I had forgotten about the Nigerian Astronaut - is he still up there?

[nbfiresprite]

2 hours ago, Athy said:

As I pay for my licence by cheque, they won't catch me!

   I have experienced a few of these which, though plausible, I assume are scams. One is an e-mail asking me to update my Barclay's bank account details. Well, I might do, except that my account is with Lloyd's. Then there's the phone call in which a pre-recorded (female, British) voice advises me that my internet connection will be terminated within 24 hours. That's happened three times and as you can see, I still have my internet connection What do these calls hope to achieve?

   The most baffling one is as follows: the telephone rings, I lift the receiver and state my number. There is total silence for 2 or three seconds, then i get the continuous "unobtainable" tone. "Mr. Nobody" calls, i call these. What can be their purpose? I get 2 or 3 a week so they can't just be a mistake on the line.

Random number dialer software, All it means is that when your number was dialed, no scammer was available to handle the call. As for blowing a whistle down the handset it does not work, modern exchanges reduce the volume. When you get a call, wait a few seconds, if it is a scammer they will quickly start with the script, Just say DCI Barnaby, Causton CID and they rarely call back.    

[Tam & Di]

I wondered if the "TV Licence due" ones have any connection with the fact that OAPs will have to pay from now on. Perhaps they hope to catch some less wary souls.

 

Tam

[Chewbacka]

8 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

I wondered if the "TV Licence due" ones have any connection with the fact that OAPs will have to pay from now on. Perhaps they hope to catch some less wary souls.

 

Tam

Probably, I usually get an email or two this time of year asking for my bank details so HMRC can refund my overpayment for the last tax year.  They are usually for about £600 which I suppose the scammers have decided is an amount small enough to be believable and large enough for me to react immediately....

[roland elsdon]

The auto diallers ring several numbers at once. If you pick it up and its silent its probably because they have got through to some poor person.

used to really piss me off at work because it used to call the hospital on call and coordinator phones, just when you were either busy or going to sleep, and for obvious reasons you couldnt turn those phones off. What was worse they then logged an answered phone and called back.

A few times they got through to me with their crap spiel , If they had done what I told them to do I am sure  they would have ended up in some one elses emergency department having the phone removed from an orifice.