Had one of these today....And I'd not heard of this particular one...Though apparently it's been going for a little while.
Targeted at the elderly... So it might be worth passing on to anyone you might feel could do with 'the tip'.
Basically an automated message, purporting to come from HMCR...."This is the HMRC, we're informing you that we have filed a lawsuit against you.....please call back urgently, blah blah, blah." (I didn't listen to the whole message...I just put the phone down.)
Obviously trying to get all your details so that they can fleece you. >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Could sound quite intimidating to some folk, and get them bothered enough to phone back, and get conned.
Cheers - Phil
Not had one of those yet. Few years back there was a scam saying you were owed a rebate, delivered by email. Very clever, the help button put you on to the revenue site. Just be careful out there.
I got a second one....I listened to the message the whole way through this time.
It ends with, "Press 1 to speak to the case officer," (so he can get all your bank details.)
As it was the same number (allegedly) calling again, I passed that number onto the HMRC's 'phishing' dept.
There's a warning on their site about this (and other) scams they're aware of.
These people are SO frigging evil !!
Cheers - Mr Cross.
Thanks very much Mr. Cross. I had a call from a very distinctly Asian gentleman the other day. His parents, for some unfathomable reason, had named him Anthony. I hung up immediately.
Thanks for the heads up. Had e-mails but so far no calls.
Since I posted about this number (01618503863) on the 'who called me' website.....They've had 130 or more searches.....and umpteen comments.
All exactly the same 'con'...apparently some folk have spoken to a 'real person' from this number, who has been particularly abusive, and frightened a couple of elderly ladies....
"If you don't pay up on the tax you've owed since 1998, the police will be around to arrest you in half an hour."
SNARL !!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Cheers - Phil
Unless we are expecting a call from a specific person at a specific time we never answer any of our phones these days. That's how bad it is. Ever single scam message (or phishing email for that mater) we receive, I report to some higher authority. Shame to have to operate this way but the electronic highways are fraught with scum and parasites.
We have been threatened with seizure of our home, vehicles, bank accounts; cancelation of our insurance, social security, drivers licenses, credit cards; termination of our power, water, gas, and, unbelievably, our mail service; and, of course, imminent arrest by various "local" authorities.
Some poor people, usually elderly, succumb to these threats. I believe these perpetrators should be prosecuted under our terrorist laws or - when isolated - visited by a SEAL team.
Obviously you have hit a nerve!
Quote from: Techno on 09 March 2018, 02:50:08 PM
Had one of these today....And I'd not heard of this particular one...Though apparently it's been going for a little while.
Targeted at the elderly... So it might be worth passing on to anyone you might feel could do with 'the tip'.
Basically an automated message, purporting to come from HMCR...."This is the HMRC, we're informing you that we have filed a lawsuit against you.....please call back urgently, blah blah, blah." (I didn't listen to the whole message...I just put the phone down.)
Obviously trying to get all your details so that they can fleece you. >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Could sound quite intimidating to some folk, and get them bothered enough to phone back, and get conned.
Cheers - Phil
Yeah we know this one The relevant people are looking into it
Thanks for heads up.
I no longer click on anything that is sent to me or speak to anyone who phones me who I don't know.
Shame really and no doubt I am missing on some genuine callers who have £10,000 to give me :D but my upbringing to answer when questioned / spoken to etc is getting increasingly easy to supress.
We are in fact assailed from all sides, even from the 'good'. I went to a reputable high street store today and bought bag, handed over cash, the sales assistant said ' can I have your e-mail for your e-receipt'.
I make a point of being aggressive and unhelpful to telemarketers these days. The world should follow my example.
Same manner towards missionaries.
Sadly for most telemarketers and I have done it at times when money was short is that they are just trying to make something like a living. The money is never great and a lot is commission only I have never met anyone doing the job who wanted to do it long term. So I would never be rude to them as they are just people trying to make a few quid
In the past few weeks I have received about ten emails from the HMRC saying that I am due for a tax refund, the thing is the amounts are always differnt. I can understand the HMRC getting things wrong but not so consistently wrong.
I have also had several calls asking me about my 'car accident' Point One: I don't drive and Point Two: I haven't been in any knid of vehicular accident. These people must have a hotline that us mere mortals cannot channel into -luckily for us. I just tell them I am a subscriber to the Telephone Prefernce Service and ask them to remove my number from their records. I too have tried to sell over the phone and it is a very thankless task.
The other one I can't stand and that is irritating me more than anything is the cals you get saying that there is something wrong with your computer, landline or internet, also in a distinctly Asian sounding voice but obviously with Anglo-Saxon ancestry. To these I either ask them to hang on so they can talk to the bill payer and leave them hanging for a while or just tell them -politely of course- where they can shove their scam.
Any threatening calls will receive a full broadside from me, not what the rich call prayers shall we say ;)
The line "Oh my god, the blood, it's everywhere..."usually results in a quick hang up!
Quote from: Fenton on 09 March 2018, 08:53:56 PM
Sadly for most telemarketers and I have done it at times when money was short is that they are just trying to make something like a living. The money is never great and a lot is commission only I have never met anyone doing the job who wanted to do it long term. So I would never be rude to them as they are just people trying to make a few quid
A plague bacillus is also just trying to make a living.
Sadly, I was taken in by ...'someone' who could stop my computer sending out spam...many years ago...(I was very tired...even more so after watching the 'work' done as it progressed! THEN I googled it and found it was a scam!) :o ( Reset PC to 'factory'...then bought another machine! With all the hassle and expense entailed.) :o :(
Still TRY to be polite to the B*****s...(hoping they will not be vindictive and increase targeting frequency)...but thinking about all those cruise missiles reaching the end of their shelf life...can wish! :d :d :d
Quote from: Fenton on 09 March 2018, 08:53:56 PM
Sadly for most telemarketers and I have done it at times when money was short is that they are just trying to make something like a living. The money is never great and a lot is commission only I have never met anyone doing the job who wanted to do it long term. So I would never be rude to them as they are just people trying to make a few quid
I agree that telemarketers that are selling legitimate products (like the very few door-to-door salespeople) should be treated kindly and with respect and with no attempt to waste their time. Cold-calling (and I've had a taste of it) is a tough way to make a living (if you actually can).
I'm speaking of those that are total
scam artists criminals who use fear and intimidation, most particularly against the weak and defenseless, to extract money without even a hint of a product. These are in a different league.
Of course - I don't talk to either category.
Steps to take -
1) Get preference on your phone - no cold calls from legit operators after that
2) For the computer scam - ask which operating system, they will only know windows.
3) For any scam if you have time keep em talking
4) If it looks like a legit number then it's probably being piggybacked. Call your service provider and give it to them. If it's one of theirs then they can put a stop on it.
5) As a last resort, put the phone next to a radio.
Some of these people are very determined, had 7-8 calls on the mobile once, with me talking to BT on land line at same time.
IanS
I'm not sure if it still the case but TPC only used to stop calls to your number that were on existing dialler lists. If the same company got new dialler lists from another 3rd party and your number was on that then they could still ring you. As I say this was a few years ago so the legislation may have changed
I'm ex-directory and on TPS (which seems to be total overkill, being ex-dir !!)....I still get a few 'cold/scam calls', from time to time. (They seem to come in batches.....3 or 4 a week for a number of weeks....Then nothing for possibly months.)
You just won't stop random auto-diallers. :'( :'(
Cheers - Phil
Me and the wife got rid of our landline because of all the ppi calls, we paid extra for being ex-directory but found out later it had been issued before, we were constantly being bombarded by bailiffs calls
Take care
Andy
I don't mind the odd one but we get a barrage at work constantly. Lately we've had a different random energy broker ringing nearly every day trying to offer us a new deal on our electricity. I try to be polite and tell them that we're contracted for quite a while yet and that I'll sort it closer to the time but they get very pushy about. One yesterday kept asking for various details from our latest bill, like the tariff we're on, the end date of contract, etc. In the end I passed the phone to Adele to play 'bad cop' and she told them to get stuffed.
The 'you've got a problem on your computer' ones I quite enjoy, it's a bit of fun stringing them along and pretending you're doing everything they tell you. I kept one on the line for about 20 minutes a couple of years back telling him there were rabbits on my screen, my 'internet box' was smoking, my 3 1/2 inch floppy drive wasn't connected, etc.
You mean you anit got a 3.5" floppy ?
Nah, it's only 2.5"! :d :d
I keep getting emails about how to fix that.
A few Years ago someone phoned my dad offereing him free calls if he would change his phone contract to them. He told them I am 85 and Have been wit Bt all my life so I am not changing now. Two weeks later he got sent the paperwork to sign for transferring his account. They submitted the change regardless of what he said. I expect they thought "Doddery old man will just sign it"
On the occasions I get them I am very cagey and give out very little info and normally ask them lots of questions. "Who are you?, How did you get this number. Which of my cars are you saying had an accident.? etc" I then get very rude and aggressive if I am short of time. If not I string them along.
First time for AGES we've had scam calls.....Two so far, from different numbers....(Must be Cardigan code's turn again)
Pretending to be from "Your Internet Service Provider".....Telling us that the service will be terminated, as 'naughty people' are hacking into the service.
First one, I nearly followed instructions....But only for a split second...'Cos they'd correctly guessed who my ISP was.
Second one was the generic, "This is your ISP.....".....and then the same drivel.
A pox on them. >:(
Cheers - Phil
Quote from: Techno on 29 May 2019, 12:17:07 PM
First time for AGES we've had scam calls.....Two so far, from different numbers....(Must be Cardigan code's turn again)
A pox on them. >:(
Cheers - Phil
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits
And other recessed area.