A scam phone calls and emails discussion.

[DelW]

I'm used to the idea that scam callers "spoof" other numbers, often using dialling codes similar to mine.

But today I had the weird experience of an incoming landline call which appeared on my caller display with ... my own number (including area code), which is rather obviously fake!

It went to my answerphone and was some kind of recorded message (I didn't feel the need to listen to it before deleting).

 

[yorksrob]

Just got the HM Revenue scam again ! Haven't had that one for over a year now.

 

[swt_passenger]

Just got the HM Revenue scam again ! Haven't had that one for over a year now.

There might actually be some method to them doing that.

According to a proper letter that came with this years coding notice, this is the time of year when they actually do start calculating refunds if they’ve estimated your previous tax code wrongly. I‘ve worked out an exact figure they owe me, not too large but definitely worth having. In all my dealings with HMRC I tick the box to stick to paper correspondence.

 

[bearhugger]

Just got the HM Revenue scam again ! Haven't had that one for over a year now.

Me too - quite a terrible auto speech message.

 

[yorksrob]

There might actually be some method to them doing that.

According to a proper letter that came with this years coding notice, this is the time of year when they actually do start calculating refunds if they’ve estimated your previous tax code wrongly. I‘ve worked out an exact figure they owe me, not too large but definitely worth having. In all my dealings with HMRC I tick the box to stick to paper correspondence.

If it's important I'd expect a letter anyway.

Me too - quite a terrible auto speech message.

Indeed. There quoting "HM Revenue" now, rather than IRS last year, so they've got the country right at least now

 

[swt_passenger]

I had an amazingly detailed Email about security updates today, supposedly from Santander, I’m struggling to work out if it’s real or not. Fortunately I’ve never had an account with Santander, so it’s easy enough to ignore. But I’ve forwarded it to their phishing address anyway, as someone suggested before.

 

[londonbridge]

Most recent scam text I had said “You’ve recently been exposed to a confirmed case of Omicron. Please now proceed to order a test at national-health.uk.com”. No need to order one as I’ve still got some at home, as well as the web address being obviously wrong…..all scam and suspicious texts I receive get forwarded to 7726.

 

[Gloster]

I got two e-mails in my spam box asking how I was and asking if I was available on e-mail (*) as they wanted a favour. Properly spelt and with plausible names, but straight to the bin.

* Shades of It’s a Long Way to Tipperary: ‘Paddy wrote a letter/To his Irish Molly-O/Saying, “Should you not receive it/Write and let me know!’

 

[John Webb]

Having had nothing on the computer for a couple of months, in the past two days I've had three 'messages' apparently from people I know but certainly not from their proper e-mail addresses! All the messages, although from different addresses, invited me to take a look at 'some photos I've been meaning to send you' and including a link; the three links were all different. This morning I've received an email from a particular sports association saying 'Here is your proof of payment.' Never been in contact with them at any time!
All have been forwarded on to my e-mail provider and promptly permanently deleted from my mail box.

 

[Trackman]

Indeed. There quoting "HM Revenue" now, rather than IRS last year, so they've got the country right at least now

Hahaha! I've had one of those! So I owe the US money too. lolz and all that.
On my work phone the other day; someone was ringing from the UK department of health and social security (DHSS) !!

 

[yorksrob]

Hahaha! I've had one of those! So I owe the US money too. lolz and all that.
On my work phone the other day; someone was ringing from the UK department of health and social security (DHSS) !!

Indeed. We paid off lend-lease a few years ago, I recall

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I got two e-mails in my spam box asking how I was and asking if I was available on e-mail (*) as they wanted a favour. Properly spelt and with plausible names, but straight to the bin.

Any call or email commencing with an enquiry after my health is a sure-fire sign of a scam. India has a form of medical politeness used in greetings and this seems normal to be in the scripts that are issued to call centre staff there.

 

[Steddenm]

Had a spam call today from my OWN NUMBER advising me that an amazon order had been placed. I doubt that very much as I'm currently on an ALR across the UK from Ireland

 

[Bevan Price]

I keep getting emails inviting me to click a link to see my phone bill - originating from senders with dubious email address unrelated to my phone supplier.

 

[Typhoon]

I keep getting emails inviting me to click a link to see my phone bill - originating from senders with dubious email address unrelated to my phone supplier.

I'm not surprised that people fall for this. I have had an e-mail inviting me to click on a link to view my energy bill. e-mail address different from the past. format different from the past, I've never had bills e-mailed to me before (but they know the e-mail address). I think it more than likely that it is genuine, however I have contacted them by e-mail (to the 'usual' address) and snail mail, asking them to confirm whether it is legitimate. No reply to date.

Bogus e-mails are far from unknown, I am not prepared to open a document on the strength of 'more than likely'. Some companies could do a whole lot more to protect customers

 

[Bevan Price]

I'm not surprised that people fall for this. I have had an e-mail inviting me to click on a link to view my energy bill. e-mail address different from the past. format different from the past, I've never had bills e-mailed to me before (but they know the e-mail address). I think it more than likely that it is genuine, however I have contacted them by e-mail (to the 'usual' address) and snail mail, asking them to confirm whether it is legitimate. No reply to date.

Bogus e-mails are far from unknown, I am not prepared to open a document on the strength of 'more than likely'. Some companies could do a whole lot more to protect customers

I think they are probably spam phishing, just sending random messages to email addresses "harvested" from the web, just as I used to get random phone calls about my non-existent Amazon prime membership.

 

[gnolife]

My partner keeps getting scam emails where the scammer's tried to split it into the name and got it hideously wrong. To give an illustration of what I mean using a fictional name, suppose you've got a Steven E Smith, with the email StevenESmith@hotmail.co.uk, and referred to as Steve Nesmith.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think they are probably spam phishing, just sending random messages to email addresses "harvested" from the web, just as I used to get random phone calls about my non-existent Amazon prime membership.

I do wonder just how many times people have been warned about "clicking on links"?

 

[jmh59]

People that phone us at home either get silence (if the wife picks the phone up she waits for them to speak first), or the third degree - if I pick a call up I ask for their name, address, company name and number, I never say who I am when they say 'is this mr xxx', instead I ask who they are and why they are calling. If someone tells me the call is being recorded I tell them I do not agree and they must stop - that seems to confuse them and they hang up.

Mind you, I did once feel the need to apologise to our bank liaison person as I refused to believe they were them and hung up...

So, given that, I don't actually know what spam calls we actually get but it's about one every couple of weeks.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I do wonder just how many times people have been warned about "clicking on links"?

What's really annoying is that despite warning heavily about it themselves, PayPal do send genuine e-mails with "click here to log into your account" on them - they should instead say "log in through your normal saved link".

 

[PeterY]

What's really annoying is that despite warning heavily about it themselves, PayPal do send genuine e-mails with "click here to log into your account" on them - they should instead say "log in through your normal saved link".

I always log in though my normal links and not just Paypal.

 

[trainmania100]

Only scams I get are 'ive missed a parcel, arrange a delivery" and 'ive been in contact with someone positive for covid" SMS messages.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Since the last telephone scam call was made, whilst one of my twin sons was visiting me, he it was who answered the phone and told the caller that his name was Inspector Jack Regan of the Flying Squad and the call was immediately terminated. I have had no telephone scam calls since.

 

[pdeaves]

Here's an interesting email I got today (processed to text only so the link isn't actually a link now):

Prior to Yahoo Mail Agreement

"Starting on July 28, 2022, Yahoo! customers who have not updated their email account will no longer be able to log in to their Yahoo! and through email addresses.

Customers will have to Verify their email address to confirm
Kindly click on the attachment re-login and verify now! We apologize for any inconvenience caused.


CLICK HERE TO VERIFY NOW

Copyright © 2022!

The link directs to 'yahoo-<some numbers>.square.site', very official looking (not).
Note the use of an exclamation in the copyright. Wow! Must click!

 

[Gloster]

The link directs to 'yahoo-<some numbers'.square.site', very official looking (not).
Note the use of an exclamation in the copyright. Wow! Must click!

Sound like one of a series that I had. The giveaway (which I realised after a while) was that it came from a personal non-yahoo site.

 

[najaB]

The link directs to 'yahoo-<some numbers>.square.site', very official looking (not).

The reason for that is because a lot of browsers only show the first x characters of a link when you hover over it. So make the link long enough and it'll start with the correct/a believable domain name.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I always log in though my normal links and not just Paypal.

So do I, but that's not the point. The point is PayPal themselves are always sending out direct links and it really annoying that they do that.

 

[DelayRepay]

Most recent scam text I had said “You’ve recently been exposed to a confirmed case of Omicron. Please now proceed to order a test at national-health.uk.com”. No need to order one as I’ve still got some at home, as well as the web address being obviously wrong…..all scam and suspicious texts I receive get forwarded to 7726.

This is a very sinister scam. If you'd clicked the link, you'd have been taken to a legitimate looking website with NHS branding, asking you to complete your details and pay a £1.99 postage charge for your test to be sent to you.

Shortly after, you'd receive a call claiming to be from your bank (and they know which bank, because they've got your card details). They'll tell you that you've fallen for a scam by inputting your details into a fake NHS website. They'll tell you that to protect your money, you need to move the funds to a different account they've set up for you, where your money will be safe. Obviously this account is one that the fraudster controls and you will never see your money again.

It was very successful earlier in the year when the media were reporting high Omicron infection rates at the same time as the Government were announcing that free Covid tests would no longer be available. There are people who have lost tens of thousands of pounds as a result.

 

[dk1]

Blast a whistle down the phone. Loud as you can

 

[py_megapixel]

Blast a whistle down the phone. Loud as you can

Doesn't work if it's a computer...