[Misc] Beware of telephone scam - 'BT Openreach'

[Weststander]

To all,

I just received a call from BT Openreach, informing me that my broadband had problems making it slow, then the caller asked me to carry out some initial tests.

Instead I took his number of 00 44 1793 596931.

Immediately the 00 44 flagged up a scam, but googling them, they do have a legit .co.uk website: http://btcustomerservicesnumber.co.uk/ .

The bottom line is that it's a scam. I checked with the real BT, who told me that don't normally call out of the blue at all.

Beware!

 

[beorhthelm]

giving out a number is bit of a step up in their game, usually has them hanging up.

general scam tip - dont give anyone calling you any information. get the general number and call them. I'll allow post code to confirm i am me (because its public record) but any other questions is suspect.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Openreach will NEVER ring an end customer out of the blue - they will always go through the reseller. Reminds me when a scammer rang me saying he worked for Microsoft - he hung up very quickly when I said I also worked for Microsoft and asked which part he worked in so I could look him up on the internal directory

 

[DavidRyder]

We had them a couple of months back - knew it was a scam straight away as they don't provide our broadband.

Another scam to look out for is if a company phones up for business, and they say 'Can you hear me ok?', to which you're meant to say 'Yes'. Apparently, they are recording, and splice in the 'Yes' to a verbal contract for their goods. It's a big scam in the US, coming to the UK so they reckon.

So if anyone ever asks that question, put the phone down, say 'No' or 'Bugger awf, pikey scumbag'.

 

[happypig]

btcustomerservicesnumber.co.uk
registrant : andy jones

It's definitely not a BT site.

 

[Baldseagull]

We had them a couple of months back - knew it was a scam straight away as they don't provide our broadband.

Another scam to look out for is if a company phones up for business, and they say 'Can you hear me ok?', to which you're meant to say 'Yes'. Apparently, they are recording, and splice in the 'Yes' to a verbal contract for their goods. It's a big scam in the US, coming to the UK so they reckon.

So if anyone ever asks that question, put the phone down, say 'No' or 'Bugger awf, pikey scumbag'.

Distance selling law in EU gives you 14 days to return the goods or cancel an order, would not work here, you cant just send stuff and expect it to get paid, even if the "customer" called you and asked you to send it.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

giving out a number is bit of a step up in their game, usually has them hanging up.

general scam tip - dont give anyone calling you any information. get the general number and call them. I'll allow post code to confirm i am me (because its public record) but any other questions is suspect.

And get the general number from an independent source such as Google - not from the caller.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

btcustomerservicesnumber.co.uk
registrant : andy jones

It's definitely not a BT site.

Jamie ...... only joking!

 

[B52]

To all,

I just received a call from BT Openreach, informing me that my broadband had problems making it slow, then the caller asked me to carry out some initial tests.

Instead I took his number of 00 44 1793 596931.

Immediately the 00 44 flagged up a scam, but googling them, they do have a legit .co.uk website: http://btcustomerservicesnumber.co.uk/ .

The bottom line is that it's a scam. I checked with the real BT, who told me that don't normally call out of the blue at all.

Beware!

Thanks for the info. Have had the microsoft scam caller a couple of times, but not from 'BT' you just can't be too careful!

 

[Wardy's twin]

Distance selling law in EU gives you 14 days to return the goods or cancel an order, would not work here, you cant just send stuff and expect it to get paid, even if the "customer" called you and asked you to send it.

well be better be prepared for a rush of calls once we leave .

 

[Wardy's twin]

To all,

I just received a call from BT Openreach, informing me that my broadband had problems making it slow, then the caller asked me to carry out some initial tests.

Instead I took his number of 00 44 1793 596931.

Immediately the 00 44 flagged up a scam, but googling them, they do have a legit .co.uk website: http://btcustomerservicesnumber.co.uk/ .



Beware!

There is also a BT one and they actually give a BT number based in the Central London HQ building. There are no call centres running from that building....

 

[Triggaaar]

Another scam to look out for is if a company phones up for business, and they say 'Can you hear me ok?', to which you're meant to say 'Yes'. Apparently, they are recording, and splice in the 'Yes' to a verbal contract for their goods. It's a big scam in the US, coming to the UK so they reckon.

Seriously? They can have a recording with me apparently saying yes to something, but to get any money out of me they'd need to take me to court. Can you imagine them taking thousands of people to court, all of whom they claim said 'yes'. I can't see them having much joy with that.

 

[aberllefenni]

I always play dumb when I get any of these "out of the blue" calls. When they ask me to use the mouse, I tell them I don't have any pets. They usually hang up after this.

 

[emphyrian]

I have had this for the last three days. longest I have kept them waiting is around 18 mins. I pretend to play along but just continue with what I'm doing (usually playing ARK on the xbox)

 

[Audax]

Handy site for checking these random callers: https://who-called.co.uk/

The number from the OP comes up as a definite scammer.

 

[Weststander]

I always play dumb when I get any of these "out of the blue" calls. When they ask me to use the mouse, I tell them I don't have any pets. They usually hang up after this.

Until circa 20 years ago, a caller couldn't terminate a phone call, they had to wait for the recipient to. So my Dad used to rest the receiver on a table for a couple of hours, to screw things for the scammer or cold caller. It really did work, until BT changed the protocol.

 

[happypig]

Until circa 20 years ago, a caller couldn't terminate a phone call, they had to wait for the recipient to. So my Dad used to rest the receiver on a table for a couple of hours, to screw things for the scammer or cold caller. It really did work, until BT changed the protocol.

Errr...
It's always been the case that the calling party can terminate the call, with the exception of calls to operator services (including 999) where the operator has to clear it.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

btcustomerservicesnumber.co.uk
registrant : andy jones

It's definitely not a BT site.

Registered to a house in Runcorn, possibly not the sharpest tool in the box this scammer.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Registered to a house in Runcorn, possibly not the sharpest tool in the box this scammer.

More likely a fake address to be honest.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Another scam to look out for is if a company phones up for business, and they say 'Can you hear me ok?', to which you're meant to say 'Yes'. Apparently, they are recording, and splice in the 'Yes' to a verbal contract for their goods. It's a big scam in the US, coming to the UK so they reckon.

I'm not buying this scam at all, even if they have someone saying Yes, how do they get any payment details?

https://www.snopes.com/can-you-hear-me-scam/

Snopes raise the same question and also dig deeper.

All the news reports only have interviews with people who claim they've received the phone call, none who've actually fallen foul of any scam.