A scam phone calls and emails discussion.

[sor]

That's less of an issue these days. In the past, only the calling party could end the call. But BT changed this a few years back and either party can now end the call. And i that's always been the case for mobiles.

specifically, in ye olde days there was a significant period between the called party putting their phone down and the call ending. I presume it's a hangover from the days before cordless phones, where you might like to answer a call at one phone and take the conversation elsewhere. The call would still end but it'd be quite a wait. This was only ever the case for "analogue" landlines, anyone using ISDN or VoIP or as you say mobile would not be affected.

As that ended up being used by scammers to pretend you're making a phone call to the real organisation (they'd play dialtone and ringing tone) BT eventually took it down to a second or two.

 

[najaB]

I presume it's a hangover from the days before cordless phones, where you might like to answer a call at one phone and take the conversation elsewhere. The call would still end but it'd be quite a wait.

Indeed, that's exactly why it was set up that way. ISTR that the delay was something like three minutes.

 

[AndrewE]

specifically, in ye olde days there was a significant period between the called party putting their phone down and the call ending. I presume it's a hangover from the days before cordless phones, where you might like to answer a call at one phone and take the conversation elsewhere. The call would still end but it'd be quite a wait. This was only ever the case for "analogue" landlines, anyone using ISDN or VoIP or as you say mobile would not be affected.

As that ended up being used by scammers to pretend you're making a phone call to the real organisation (they'd play dialtone and ringing tone) BT eventually took it down to a second or two.

Thanks for the explanation, it's reassuring. I suppose the lack of knowledge that things have changed does no harm, and it saves confusing the elderly by telling them that something else is different now!

 

[75A]

Just had a phone call from British Gas on my Wife's 'Company' phone, (6pm on a Saturday evening) funny thing is the nearest property with 'mains' gas is well over 15 miles away. Needless to say we said 'Good night'.

 

[jbqfc]

got one today from making out to the metropolitan police saying i need to phone asap about an incident and to press 9 to be transferred
it was not very good its was what sound to me like an AI voice with a very strong American accent
John

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Just had a phone call from British Gas on my Wife's 'Company' phone, (6pm on a Saturday evening) funny thing is the nearest property with 'mains' gas is well over 15 miles away. Needless to say we said 'Good night'.

So, was your "British Gas" account about to be disconnected? Or, maybe, you were due a refund?!

 

[75A]

So, was your "British Gas" account about to be disconnected? Or, maybe, you were due a refund?!

Didn't wait that long to find out.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Didn't wait that long to find out.

As, presumably, you don't have a "British Gas" account, possibly you might just have strung them along for a while!

 

[bearhugger]

I woke up this morning to a WhatsApp message from an unknown number asking if I was in the UK. Blocked straight away.

 

[75A]

As, presumably, you don't have a "British Gas" account, possibly you might just have strung them along for a while!

Could of, but I have limited patience in these things and would have sworn quite a lot.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When actually being scam-telephoned rather than pressing any requested buttons requested, just ask to be transferred to a more senior criminal as that is who "Action Fraud" would like to speak to.

 

[Eyersey468]

I've noticed lately a lot of scam emails to do with car tax, I simply report them and delete them.

 

[contrex]

Hello?

This is (name) from (company), I understand you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault, is that right?

I had one of these. I said 'Yes! That terrible accident!'. They asked if I was injured. I said 'Yes'. They said 'Badly?'. Again I said 'yes'. 'How serious?'. I said, 'I'm dead.' CLICK! BEEEEEEP......

 

[dangie]

….' CLICK! BEEEEEEP......

If it’s not annoying enough to get the scam calls, it’s even more annoying when they hang up on you!

 

[contrex]

If it’s not annoying enough to get the scam calls, it’s even more annoying when they hang up on you!

I had one about an hour ago. Allegedly from Amazon, about a £200 Amazon gift voucher appearing on my account. I pressed 2 to speak to an adviser, and told 'Kevin' that there must be a mistake. What mistake? It was meant to be two thousand, not two hundred, I said. No problem, he said, it's blocked but we can fix this for you. I said I hoped it would be quick, as I had promised it to my new friend in Nigeria, who was going to make me rich. CLICK.

I don't know why I bother keeping the landline, as scam calls are all that come on it.

 

[Trackman]

I had one about an hour ago. Allegedly from Amazon, about a £200 Amazon gift voucher appearing on my account. I pressed 2 to speak to an adviser, and told 'Kevin' that there must be a mistake. What mistake? It was meant to be two thousand, not two hundred, I said. No problem, he said, it's blocked but we can fix this for you. I said I hoped it would be quick, as I had promised it to my new friend in Nigeria, who was going to make me rich. CLICK.

I don't know why I bother keeping the landline, as scam calls are all that come on it.

I wouldn't be pressing any buttons as it could connect you to a premium number.

 

[Buzby]

I wouldn't be pressing any buttons as it could connect you to a premium number.

Urban myth! You are only billed for calls you actually dial from scratch - in-call numbers pressed are not billed as if a premium call dialled from scratch. Anyway, I have all my mobile and landlines with premium rate call blocking as standard as an additional measure.

 

[Trackman]

Urban myth! You are only billed for calls you actually dial from scratch - in-call numbers pressed are not billed as if a premium call dialled from scratch. Anyway, I have all my mobile and landlines with premium rate call blocking as standard as an additional measure.

Probably, Just going off what Ofcom have said:

Coronavirus scam calls and texts

We have received reports of scam calls and texts relating to the coronavirus, or Covid-19.

www.ofcom.org.uk

if you press a button on your phone you could be connected to a high-cost premium number, leaving you liable for a significant call cost

 

[Buzby]

It’s when you read guff like that it makes you despair that they’re supposed to know about these things! First thing to query is ‘how can I be charged for a call I didn’t make?’. Pressing an in-call button doesn’t allow for this and never has!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Probably, Just going off what Ofcom have said:

Coronavirus scam calls and texts

We have received reports of scam calls and texts relating to the coronavirus, or Covid-19.

www.ofcom.org.uk

I presume the scammers have got a way of fooling the telecoms system into treating a button push as a fresh call originating from the phone on which the button was pushed?

 

[Buzby]

If that was the case, they’re at the wrong side of the billing system to originate a billing charge. Of course things got murky when OFCOM introduced premium rate codes which meant premium call charges could be reverse-billed to the caller (usually over mobile network) which is how the ringtones market started (and died!). Because Premium Rate Call Barring stops you initiating such calls (based on the number dialled) so anyone trying to bill you in reverse for a call you didn’t make would be hard to pull off.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

If that was the case, they’re at the wrong side of the billing system to originate a billing charge. Of course things got murky when OFCOM introduced premium rate codes which meant premium call charges could be reverse-billed to the caller (usually over mobile network) which is how the ringtones market started (and died!). Because Premium Rate Call Barring stops you initiating such calls (based on the number dialled) so anyone trying to bill you in reverse for a call you didn’t make would be hard to pull off.

Unless someone has somehow found a way of tricking the software into over-riding that?

 

[najaB]

Unless someone has somehow found a way of tricking the software into over-riding that?

Nope. Premium rate barring is exactly that - premium rate numbers are barred, by the Telco.

 

[DelW]

Something of which I was unaware until today, and which doesn't seem to have been mentioned so far on this thread, is the existence of a single "emergency" number to contact your bank if you've received a scam call and need to speak to the bank to check on your account.

The number is 159, which apparently takes you to a voice dialogue to determine which bank you need, then onto the relevant department. It has apparently been available for a couple of years, but doesn't seem to have been widely publicised. It's obviously still necessary to ensure that the line has cleared from the scam call, or to ring from a different phone, to be sure your call is going to the correct place.

Are others aware of this, or have even used it? Did it work successfully and/or quickly? I usually end up on hold for anything up to half an hour when using the number on my bank card.

Need to call your bank? Many can now dial 159 for safety

If you're worried you've been contacted by a suspicious number claiming to be your bank you can now call '159' from your landline or mobile, which guarantees you a secure line with your bank to verify the original phone call. It's part of a UK-wide initiative launched by industry group Stop...

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Consumers wanting to avoid financial fraud now have a secure and easy-to-remember phone number to contact their banks on in order to avoid painful scams. It could prove to be the safest way for many to contact their provider if they have suspicions and concerns about their accounts, or even if they're struggling to find a customer services number.
Stop Scams UK and Global Cyber Alliance have today launched the UK-wide 159 call service, which is designed to guarantee consumers a safe route to contacting their banks.
The scheme is urging people to "stop, hang up and call 159" to check calls are for real. The idea is to help those who believe they have been contacted by scammers claiming to be their bank, or by fraudsters who encourage them to transfer money.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I was told by a well-travelled person that the last time she took a call about Amazon Prime from a scam company, she told them that her booked holiday in South America had a river trip on the Orinoco as part of the itinerary and that she would not be allowed by the holiday company to also take a river ride on the Amazon on that particular holiday. The line then went dead.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I was told by a well-travelled person that the last time she took a call about Amazon Prime from a scam company, she told them that her booked holiday in South America had a river trip on the Orinoco as part of the itinerary and that she would not be allowed by the holiday company to also take a river ride on the Amazon on that particular holiday. The line then went dead.

As scams go, that one sounds a tad niche. Best not to respond, otherwise you could find yourself up the creek!

 

[Purple Train]

I find all these tales about the scammers hanging up very interesting. I was once staying with a friend who received such a call (a man with a thick Indian accent trying to sell a "phone" for £20) and managed to keep him on the line for a good 20-25 minutes talking about, amongst other things, a mutual friend's accent, the general idiosyncrasies of the resident dog, and I think Phantom as well, all while the man at the other end was faintly bleating "iPhone £20" constantly. While there was no "punchline", so to speak, it was obvious from about 30 seconds in that she was messing with him. Was this scammer unusually patient, or are the ones mentioned on this page just unusually impatient?

 

[contrex]

it was obvious from about 30 seconds in that she was messing with him. Was this scammer unusually patient, or are the ones mentioned on this page just unusually impatient?

I am no expert, but I imagine they are watched by supervisors, and have to make at least a semblance of trying before they hang up, but 20 minutes does seem like a long time.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Had a phone call and email yesterday from Virgin Media offering us help to move our account to our new address. This was baffling as we haven’t moved! I called Virgin this morning on their approved number who confirmed the call and email was genuine,however they could not or would not explain why they thought we were moving. Neither would they tell us where we were supposed to have moved to. All they would do is confirm our present address and put a note on our account. Has anyone else had this happen?

 

[londonbridge]

I once had my council tax messed up when new people moved in down the street and were somehow recorded as having moved into my property. First I knew of it was when I got a notification of closure of my account. Rang them and was told I’d moved. Told them I hadn’t and they said they’d sort it out. I then got a CHAPS notification for a refund of overpaid tax. Rang them again and said “I’m not entitled to this, do not pay it”, but it still appeared in my bank account three weeks later. Meanwhile I’d received a bill for tax due for the remaining part of the year, in the name of the new person. By now my next direct debit had been missed as my account was still closed.

I then got a bill in my name with a new payment plan which included reclaiming the refund and ran through to March, meaning I wouldn’t get February/March off, as the DD was ten payments. Went down to the office and was told they’d reinstated my account. I demanded they take back the refund and the DD that had been missed and reinstate my original payment plan but they refused to do so, ended up having to write them a cheque before they agreed to put my original payments back in place.