Over the last few days we have received telephone calls and when answering the phone it went dead. Each time we made a note of the first few numbers and they were always the same.
This morning we received another call from the same number but instead of going dead this time there was a message informing us that to avoid having our contract terminated within an hour we needed to press 1 which of cause we didnt do and guess what over twelve hours later our phone is still on.
Thought it might be worth mentioning in case any of you receive the same call.
Talk Talk scam
Re: Talk Talk scam
I got the old "Microsoft Technical Support" one the other day. You've all probably had that one. Human voice (Asian sounding) - not a robot.
I just say nothing and hang up quickly. Is that the best policy? I'm aware that the people making these calls may not really be to blame - they're just being exploited, trying to scrape a living, trapped in a dead-end job probably offering a pittance for wages. If I want to hurt anyone, it's the gangmasters behind these invidious scams.
I just say nothing and hang up quickly. Is that the best policy? I'm aware that the people making these calls may not really be to blame - they're just being exploited, trying to scrape a living, trapped in a dead-end job probably offering a pittance for wages. If I want to hurt anyone, it's the gangmasters behind these invidious scams.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Re: Talk Talk scam
My wife has had a dozen or so calls,all to her Mobile,claming to be from HMRC saying she owes a considerable amount in unpaid Tax.After the first couple of messages she rang HMRC who informed her it is a scam and they’ve had dozens of enquiries about the same thing.Each message gets more threatening,Baliffs,Court,Prison etc.
There is no number when her phone rings it just says London number.The number given to return the call is an 090 which suggest a premium rate number.Sometimes it’s a male voice sometimes female but always sound English.I read some of these numbers charge £100s to your phone bill just by calling them.
There is no number when her phone rings it just says London number.The number given to return the call is an 090 which suggest a premium rate number.Sometimes it’s a male voice sometimes female but always sound English.I read some of these numbers charge £100s to your phone bill just by calling them.
Re: Talk Talk scam
661-Pete wrote:I got the old "Microsoft Technical Support" one the other day. You've all probably had that one. Human voice (Asian sounding) - not a robot.
I just say nothing and hang up quickly. Is that the best policy? I'm aware that the people making these calls may not really be to blame - they're just being exploited, trying to scrape a living, trapped in a dead-end job probably offering a pittance for wages. If I want to hurt anyone, it's the gangmasters behind these invidious scams.
I like playing with them......
Having lots of problems finding that elusive windows button and than asking if the big Apple on the bag was part of the problem
The other is to confirm that they actually have access to your computer ...... then turn the tables by claiming it is an MOD computer and they are now in breach of the Official Secrets Act and Anti-Terrorism legislation. Then ask them not to hang up as the call is being traced and start asking them for their IP address, adder they are operating from and anything else you fancy, not letting them get a word in. They hang up fairly quickly
Or my favourite is Tom Mabe's murder scene:
[youtube]aOvXxnSEQKY[/youtube]
Re: Talk Talk scam
ON the other hand, I had the opposite, I had a mobile call asking me to contact my bank, so I thought that I would double check.... there are no longer any numbers you can go through to the local branch. You have to go through central call centres that are unable to provide a local number and all they could advise was "ringing the number"
So went into the branch and asked them... it was genuine apparently they give the "sales staff" mobiles to call customers. I explained that I do not accept calls from anyone that could be a scam.
They then replied that had I rung back, the Answerphone would have identified them as being the bank!!!!!
Further explanation was that all a scammer needed to do was dictate and answerphone message and achieve the same thing, so it was hardly a good system. What they should be doing is having an identifiable land line number in the branch, which they are no longer allowed.
Weren't happy to be told that I would not be discussing anything financial a number I could not verify from an independent source
So went into the branch and asked them... it was genuine apparently they give the "sales staff" mobiles to call customers. I explained that I do not accept calls from anyone that could be a scam.
They then replied that had I rung back, the Answerphone would have identified them as being the bank!!!!!
Further explanation was that all a scammer needed to do was dictate and answerphone message and achieve the same thing, so it was hardly a good system. What they should be doing is having an identifiable land line number in the branch, which they are no longer allowed.
Weren't happy to be told that I would not be discussing anything financial a number I could not verify from an independent source
Re: Talk Talk scam
Said it before .........
We use an answer phone and never ever pick up if the phone rings. It's usually spam, but if we hear a voice through the speaker that we recognise or it sounds like a genuine call, we'll pick up and apologise for not getting to the phone quickly enough.
This way, we never get bitten by a scam.
Our mobile phones never get answered if the number isn't in our contacts list.
We use an answer phone and never ever pick up if the phone rings. It's usually spam, but if we hear a voice through the speaker that we recognise or it sounds like a genuine call, we'll pick up and apologise for not getting to the phone quickly enough.
This way, we never get bitten by a scam.
Our mobile phones never get answered if the number isn't in our contacts list.
Mick F. Cornwall
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36778
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Re: Talk Talk scam
Mick F wrote: ... Our mobile phones never get answered if the number isn't in our contacts list.
Just to state the obvious, you need to be sure you have every feasible contact on your phone because some calls are in your interest. We recently had a bit of a mix-up when nobody asked me to collect my grandchildren after school. No problem because the school rang me and I was there PDQ. It then turned out that the school had first rung my son - no 1 contact - but he'd not recognised the number.................... It wouldn't have made any difference because he was elsewhere, which is why I was supposed to be picking them up in the first place, had somebody told me.
Re: Talk Talk scam
thirdcrank wrote:Mick F wrote: ... Our mobile phones never get answered if the number isn't in our contacts list.
Just to state the obvious, you need to be sure you have every feasible contact on your phone because some calls are in your interest. We recently had a bit of a mix-up when nobody asked me to collect my grandchildren after school. No problem because the school rang me and I was there PDQ. It then turned out that the school had first rung my son - no 1 contact - but he'd not recognised the number.................... It wouldn't have made any difference because he was elsewhere, which is why I was supposed to be picking them up in the first place, had somebody told me.
With my wife being terminally ill and all sorts of agencies involved in her "care plan", not answering numbers not (yet) in my contacts list would have been at best extremely counter-productive and at worst fatal. Doesn't seem a sensible filter to me.
Re: Talk Talk scam
Yep. Loads of them.thirdcrank wrote:Just to state the obvious, you need to be sure you have every feasible contact on your phone because some calls are in your interest.
You can phone me, because I still have your number from 2007(?) when we met at Rosedale Chimney.
If the number is a local one, I may answer. If it's a mobile number that is unknown, I wouldn't.
Often, I'll Google this unknown number, and usually is a scammer, and then the number gets banned.
Strange number? Just Google it and you may well find thousands of other people have had it too.
Mick F. Cornwall
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36778
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Re: Talk Talk scam
All I'm saying is that some of this isn't as clear cut as you suggest, particularly if you have more interest in the call getting through than the caller has.
The situation seems to be changing. So, there seem to be far fewer withheld numbers, which used the be the problem with calls from large public bodies. Also such bodies don't seem to have only one number displayed for everybody. eg With the schools thing, until quite recently, if you received a call from any local authority school, caller display or ringing 1471 brought up one general number and you had to guess, even though you could ring them on their own separate number.
Also, even in my fairly small world, some firms seem to give even some of their office staff a mobile phone so they can make direct contact without messing about with what was once called the switchboard. I think few firms now have mobile staff who don't have a mobile phone. eg I recently needed a locksmith and having made contact by landline, when the locksmith was on his way, he rang from his mobile to update me etc. I rang a construction firm in Lancashire and somebody was on his mobile quite quickly to make an early appointment which really suited me.
This type of communication is the modern way, increasing productivity and efficient travel. It's not easy to opt out. Unfortunately the crooks and survey-mongers exploit this .
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PS the situation is a bit like people knocking at your door. I don't like cold-callers and I get rid as soon as possible. The unsolicited salespeople are a nuisance, but intruders posing as cold-callers are much worse. Routinely not answering the door would mean ignoring some bona fide callers.
The situation seems to be changing. So, there seem to be far fewer withheld numbers, which used the be the problem with calls from large public bodies. Also such bodies don't seem to have only one number displayed for everybody. eg With the schools thing, until quite recently, if you received a call from any local authority school, caller display or ringing 1471 brought up one general number and you had to guess, even though you could ring them on their own separate number.
Also, even in my fairly small world, some firms seem to give even some of their office staff a mobile phone so they can make direct contact without messing about with what was once called the switchboard. I think few firms now have mobile staff who don't have a mobile phone. eg I recently needed a locksmith and having made contact by landline, when the locksmith was on his way, he rang from his mobile to update me etc. I rang a construction firm in Lancashire and somebody was on his mobile quite quickly to make an early appointment which really suited me.
This type of communication is the modern way, increasing productivity and efficient travel. It's not easy to opt out. Unfortunately the crooks and survey-mongers exploit this .
==========================================================
PS the situation is a bit like people knocking at your door. I don't like cold-callers and I get rid as soon as possible. The unsolicited salespeople are a nuisance, but intruders posing as cold-callers are much worse. Routinely not answering the door would mean ignoring some bona fide callers.
Re: Talk Talk scam
Mick F wrote:Said it before .........
We use an answer phone and never ever pick up if the phone rings. It's usually spam, but if we hear a voice through the speaker that we recognise or it sounds like a genuine call, we'll pick up and apologise for not getting to the phone quickly enough.
This way, we never get bitten by a scam.
Our mobile phones never get answered if the number isn't in our contacts list.
We now have BT call guardian.
The person on the other end of the line has to. state who they are and then press #
We then get a message that we have a call from and the recorded message. Works well
As for mobiles, unfortunately my MiL had a bit of a disaster and her flat is being stripped and redecorated, so we had a multitude of companies ring us, so we have to answer just in case