[Finance] ******** The Scam Thread *********

[Shropshire Seagull]

With emails that look to come from someone you know.
Look very carefully at the email address - whilst the name may be familiar - the actual email address / mailbox won't be.

Subtle difference between spoofing an email address, not full-on hacking - quite easy to do.

The one wanting Amazon vouchers I played along with a few years back [I love wasting scammers time]
Scammer said they were stuck in a meeting and needed a favour. Wanted vouchers for daughters birthday, would pay me straight back.
Said I'd get the vouchers and pop them round to his house.
No need, they said, just email the voucher codes.
No, I said, I need to pop round anyway, and as you're only 5 mins away, not a problem.

Scammer, probably knew I'd sussed them when I added - plus, I've not shagged your missus for a while ...

 

[Weststander]

On R4 this made me laugh, one of the You & Yours team happened to be targeted by a scammer, the journalist was quick-witted in recording the various phone calls.

The scammer claimed to be "Sam Robinson" from O2. From 06:40 is the funniest bit, if you want to cut through.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001xvgy

 

[Me Atome]

Just had a scam phone call this morning... "Hello Mr Bloggs (ie me) This is DC (didn't get his name) from Hammersmith police. We have a young man in custody who says he's your nephew. His name is xx Bloggs"
"No, sorry, I don't have a nephew with that name."
"Oh, well, he's been arrested and has documents and credit cards which seem to have been cloned with your name and address. Have you lost any cards recently?"
You just know where this is going, don't you? He will be asking me to give him details of my cards so that he can check whether they are the ones which have been cloned. Cheeky sod.
"OK, I will terminate this conversation".
The end.

 

[Arthur]

On R4 this made me laugh, one of the You & Yours team happened to be targeted by a scammer, the journalist was quick-witted in recording the various phone calls.

The scammer claimed to be "Sam Robinson" from O2. From 06:40 is the funniest bit, if you want to cut through.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001xvgy

Thanks for posting. Interesting listen for me as I get calls from someone claiming to be from O2 several times a week all like the ones that journo recorded from Indian call centres. Unlike her calls they don't seem as sophisticated for the simple reason I'm not with O2. My number was originally an O2 number though so I might string them along next time to see what information they do have about my number. Currently I just instantly hang up and block the number for all the good it does as they are just rotating through cloned numbers from here there and everywhere (one I got on Monday was a Coventry number).

 

[Weststander]

Thanks for posting. Interesting listen for me as I get calls from someone claiming to be from O2 several times a week all like the ones that journo recorded from Indian call centres. Unlike her calls they don't seem as sophisticated for the simple reason I'm not with O2. My number was originally an O2 number though so I might string them along next time to see what information they do have about my number. Currently I just instantly hang up and block the number for all the good it does as they are just rotating through cloned numbers from here there and everywhere (one I got on Monday was a Coventry number).

All the scam calls I've ever received, the callers didn't have run of the mill Anglo Saxon accents.

Then it depends what mood I'm in and time available:
- Abusive (after making 100% sure it's a scammer); or
- String them along with nonsense such as claiming that I want to give them more personal data than they've even requested and "Because I trust you, can we cut to chase and I'll transfer lots of money to you now".

 

[Arthur]

I'm sure plenty of you have booked accommodation via booking.com for our upcoming european adventures.

Hotel hackers redirect guests to fake Booking.com to steal cards

Security researchers discovered a multi-step information stealing campaign where hackers breach the systems of hotels, booking sites, and travel agencies and then use their access to go after financial data belonging to customers.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

Very sophisticated this one as it genuinely comes via the booking.com platform and has the details of your booking.

This is still happening.

Booked a hotel for Newcastle yesterday. Within half and hour got an email from Booking reportedly from the hotel asking me to pay the balance on a dodgy third party site.

On the booking.com site when you open the message it prompts you it might be dodgy and you can report it. Clicking on report just takes you to a dos and don't page. Very surprised booking.com haven't taken this more seriously. Been going on for months now.

 

[Simster]

Thanks for posting. Interesting listen for me as I get calls from someone claiming to be from O2 several times a week all like the ones that journo recorded from Indian call centres. Unlike her calls they don't seem as sophisticated for the simple reason I'm not with O2. My number was originally an O2 number though so I might string them along next time to see what information they do have about my number. Currently I just instantly hang up and block the number for all the good it does as they are just rotating through cloned numbers from here there and everywhere (one I got on Monday was a Coventry number).

Scammers once cloned my mobile number - basically masked their number with mine. For 2 days my phone was inundated with old dears ringing "me" back on the number they had obviously seen on their call logs. And of course the people who knew full well it was some smelly scammer and were just calling back to say "f*ck off you robbing c*nt".

 

[knocky1]

All the scam calls I've ever received, the callers didn't have run of the mill Anglo Saxon accents.

The scam text I got was run of the mill Anglo Saxon.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Thanks for posting. Interesting listen for me as I get calls from someone claiming to be from O2 several times a week all like the ones that journo recorded from Indian call centres. Unlike her calls they don't seem as sophisticated for the simple reason I'm not with O2. My number was originally an O2 number though so I might string them along next time to see what information they do have about my number. Currently I just instantly hang up and block the number for all the good it does as they are just rotating through cloned numbers from here there and everywhere (one I got on Monday was a Coventry number).

Same. About one a week. Just end the call and block the number. Can't really be bothered with any games.

 

[Arthur]

Scammers once cloned my mobile number - basically masked their number with mine. For 2 days my phone was inundated with old dears ringing "me" back on the number they had obviously seen on their call logs. And of course the people who knew full well it was some smelly scammer and were just calling back to say "f*ck off you robbing c*nt".

Had the same happen to me. People are f***ing rude though.

"I had a missed call from this number"
Sorry mate it wasn't me that called you I've had......
*hangs up*
......my number cloned

 

[rippleman]

A referee's whistle! That will do the trick. Blow it as hard as you can into the scammers earhole. (They don't like that).

Whether the scammers are calling you or contacting you online, BELIEVE NOTHING. TRUST NOBODY. I don't claim its 100% foolproof but it will make it so much more difficult for the scammers to get you.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

A referee's whistle! That will do the trick. Blow it as hard as you can into the scammers earhole. (They don't like that).

Whether the scammers are calling you or contacting you online, BELIEVE NOTHING. TRUST NOBODY. I don't claim its 100% foolproof but it will make it so much more difficult for the scammers to get you.

I have an air horn app on the mobile that I have used on full volume down the landline to a couple Of these ones if they start getting abusive

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

Thanks for posting. Interesting listen for me as I get calls from someone claiming to be from O2 several times a week all like the ones that journo recorded from Indian call centres. Unlike her calls they don't seem as sophisticated for the simple reason I'm not with O2. My number was originally an O2 number though so I might string them along next time to see what information they do have about my number. Currently I just instantly hang up and block the number for all the good it does as they are just rotating through cloned numbers from here there and everywhere (one I got on Monday was a Coventry number).

I'm in the same position - I used to be with O2 but no longer. Get spells when they call several times a week. I play along with them sometimes depending what mood I'm in and how much time I have.

I've had some fun with them on a couple of occasions where I've gone along with what they've had to say and then they say they'll send me a PIN that I need to read back to them. They do this via O2 website I guess using my number. And even though I'm no longer with them it still seems to work. I tell them when I've received the PIN and they ask me to read it to them. Which I do - except I just say random numbers nothing like the PIN I've received. On one occasion the chap sent 3 PINs to me as they weren't working (funny that). When the third was also wrong and didn't give him the access to my account info he wanted, he swore at me and told me I was wasting his time and put the phone down. Me wasting his time

 

[Easy 10]

 

[atfc village]

post office one yesterday morning . I get tablets delivered so if im not in tell the PO where to leave them . 1 hour later get a text from The PO your parcel is damaged it's gone back to HQ can you confirm details etc etc . Looked ok so filled it in pressed continue and up popped the next page ,can you confirm bank details etc etc . So clever until you get to page 2 spotted it then .

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I've just has a voice AI scam / spam call on my mobile ....

Really strange and I didn't immediately twig.
Male voice with a bland English accent.
Basically trying to "sell" me a medi-sense alert device.
It sounded just like a bloke on his first day reading from a crib-sheet.
He said "free item and free delivery - for just £1.33 per day"
So I questioned "How much per day?" this was ignored and just went on to ask me to confirm my address.
I tried to stop him (it) by saying: "Hang on a mo, just go back 3-4 lines on your crib sheet - how MUCH per day?"

The voice said "So ...." with a 4-6 second pause.
I said: "No, don't want one".

The voice said "So ...." with a 4-6 second pause.
I asked: "Is it your first day?"
Reply: "So ..." again with a 4-6 second pause.

It was here that I started to think that I was not engaged with a human.

I asked "What's your name? Are you human or AI?"
Reply "So ...." and another pause.

I was now certain this was not human as it could not process my questions.

Then it said "My name is Sam and I work for devices." - sometime after I'd originally asked for his name.

Defo had me going for a minute.

Next time I get a call I think could be similar I'm just going to ask: "To verify you are a real person, what day is it today? And what day follows Christmas day?"
Any human could answer this with ease - but AI will be stumped, at least to begin with.
The concern is, as the AI knowledge-base grows it's intelligence, they might be a time it could fool anyone?

Fun to play along for a while, but the deeper picture could be a worry ....
Anyone had similar?

 

[tstanbur]

I've just has a voice AI scam / spam call on my mobile ....

Really strange and I didn't immediately twig.
Male voice with a bland English accent.
Basically trying to "sell" me a medi-sense alert device.
It sounded just like a bloke on his first day reading from a crib-sheet.
He said "free item and free delivery - for just £1.33 per day"
So I questioned "How much per day?" this was ignored and just went on to ask me to confirm my address.
I tried to stop him (it) by saying: "Hang on a mo, just go back 3-4 lines on your crib sheet - how MUCH per day?"

The voice said "So ...." with a 4-6 second pause.
I said: "No, don't want one".

The voice said "So ...." with a 4-6 second pause.
I asked: "Is it your first day?"
Reply: "So ..." again with a 4-6 second pause.

It was here that I started to think that I was not engaged with a human.

I asked "What's your name? Are you human or AI?"
Reply "So ...." and another pause.

I was now certain this was not human as it could not process my questions.

Then it said "My name is Sam and I work for devices." - sometime after I'd originally asked for his name.

Defo had me going for a minute.

Next time I get a call I think could be similar I'm just going to ask: "To verify you are a real person, what day is it today? And what day follows Christmas day?"
Any human could answer this with ease - but AI will be stumped, at least to begin with.
The concern is, as the AI knowledge-base grows it's intelligence, they might be a time it could fool anyone?

Fun to play along for a while, but the deeper picture could be a worry ....
Anyone had similar?

That sounds just like a simple recording not AI. Nothing clever about it is there?

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

That sounds just like a simple recording not AI. Nothing clever about it is there?

Absolutely not a recording.
It was trying to interact in a conversation with me. But got easily stumped with a simple question, definitely not a recording ....

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Got another one this morning !!!

This time the voice said: "Hi, Sam here from British Gas. Our energy adviser would like to speak with you."
The voice was exactly the same tone / accent as the one the other day [and the name - Sam].

I said "Ok, just before we go on, to confirm you're a real person, what day is it today?"
Voice said: "Ok ...." with a 5+ second pause, then "Who is your current energy provider?" [I'm already a BG customer so I knew now it was fishy]
I repeated my question again [what day is it today] - the voice just did the same "Ok ...." [pause]

I tried to converse with it some more but it was evident the code for the AI was obviously flawed [at the moment], 10 seconds of silence, then it ended the call with "Thank-you, goodbye".

Keep your wits about you NSCers - but if you have the time [and inclination] play with it - I love playing with scam calls and these AI ones are no where near as much fun. Some of the Asian ones get so rattled when they sus I'm winding them up they often end their call with: Fcuk-you, mudder-fcuker!" - I just laugh and say "Have a nice day Mr Scammer"

 

[Bombardier]

Got another one this morning !!!

This time the voice said: "Hi, Sam here from British Gas. Our energy adviser would like to speak with you."
The voice was exactly the same tone / accent as the one the other day [and the name - Sam].

I said "Ok, just before we go on, to confirm you're a real person, what day is it today?"
Voice said: "Ok ...." with a 5+ second pause, then "Who is your current energy provider?" [I'm already a BG customer so I knew now it was fishy]
I repeated my question again [what day is it today] - the voice just did the same "Ok ...." [pause]

I tried to converse with it some more but it was evident the code for the AI was obviously flawed [at the moment], 10 seconds of silence, then it ended the call with "Thank-you, goodbye".

Keep your wits about you NSCers - but if you have the time [and inclination] play with it - I love playing with scam calls and these AI ones are no where near as much fun. Some of the Asian ones get so rattled when they sus I'm winding them up they often end their call with: Fcuk-you, mudder-fcuker!" - I just laugh and say "Have a nice day Mr Scammer"

Must get 2 or 3 calls a day at the moment but just let them ring through. If they want me they will leave a v/mail.