Scam phone call: Colin Coker from the fraud investigation dept

[yetanotherusernameAgain]

Just putting this out there as a warning of a 'real person' scam telephone call (rather than the recorded voice type). He says he's from the fraud investigation department, which is likely to alarm people into following his instructions, while not realising he hasn't said which company he works for.

He first called a few weeks ago:

CC: Hello, I'm Colin Coker from the fraud investigation department. Can I speak to xxxx?
Me: They're not here at the moment. Can I take a message?
CC: [disconnects call]

Then again this week:

CC: Hello, I'm Colin Coker from the fraud investigation department. Can I speak to xxxx?
Me: Which company are you from?
CC: The bank.
Me: Which bank?
CC: NatWest.
Me: And who is it you want to speak to?
CC: [disconnects call]

Obviously they can change names so 'Colin' might not be around for much longer. But be wary even if a real person phones you - I've got used to ignoring the recorded messages about Amazon Prime or suspicious activity on your credit card, and this isn't one of those auto-dialling call centres that only connects if you answer the phone.

I'll see if he calls again. Might play with him for a bit longer next time. [Would it be very wrong of me to blow a whistle down the phone at him?]

I had one that said he was from the HMRC and told me if I didn't follow the instructions my National Insurance number was going to be cancelled

Would that mean you no longer pay tax and national insurance? Sounds great!

I take great and absolute joy and pleasure in blowing a whistle as loud as I can down phone, and sometimes I talk REALLY quietly first so they turn the volume up.

I have literally NO qualms in damaging anyone who makes a living through fucking arseholing wanking scamming people

You need Joe Lycett, he's ace at this kind of thing.

I had one that said he was from the HMRC and told me if I didn't follow the instructions my National Insurance number was going to be cancelled.

Makes a change from them threatening me with a jail warrant if I didn't immediately pay my tax debt 🙄

Thanks for the warning OP, these scams are designed to make you flustered so you give out information.

Play with him OP, play to your heart's content

I'd be inclined to say "oh hi Colin, this is Emily from the Tactical Fraud Team".

We used to have an estates police outpost type thingy as there was loads of asb on the estate so the police had a semi permanent plot with a landline we had the number too....when the scammers called we used to complain we couldn't hear them on our mobiles and ask that they call our landline and give them the number to the police outpost the reactions were funny 😁

I think I'm maybe sounding too delighted since they are cutting me off earlier and earlier.

The longest I've ever had one on was almost an hour! I had that one singing to distract an imaginary baby - I think he knew and was playing along with me.
If they keep talking it's wasting time when they could be robbing someone vulnerable, plus I get to release my shadowy side.

I recently lost my pet scammer. He's been trying to convince me I bought crypto and got scammed (never happened) and I played with him over several phone calls before trying to help him out by advising him how to be a better scammer by not losing his temper, stopping being aggressive and telling him that a genuine company employee would never be calling me my dear and introducing themselves as my friend. Hello my dear, it's your friend...

He got very offended at the suggestion he was a scammer and called me a stupid ass bitch.

The next time he rang me I regaled him with my finest rendition of a shortened version of a monty python song.

Sit on my face and tell me that you love me
I'll sit on your face and say I love you, too-ooo
Life can be fine if we both sixty-nine
If we sit on our faces in all sorts of places and play, w...

And he hung up.

I didn't get to finish my song. 😭 I happened to be on my private phone to my sister when he rang on my public number so I had to sing "..e'll be blown awaaaaaaaaay" at her instead or I'd have had musical blue balls.

He's not rung me since. I think I've been dumped.