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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to tell fake police scammer to fuck off?

101 replies

MadMadMadamMim · 04/05/2021 00:42

Had a phone call today from a bloke with a faint London accent telling me he was phoning from Brixton police station. On a Bank Holiday Monday. Not suspicious in the slightest...

Him: Am I speaking to (my full correct name)?

Me: Who is this?
Him: I'm calling from Brixton police station.
(I live in the North East)
Me: Right
Him: We've arrested a young man with your Visa credit card on him

Me (interrupting). Oh no officer! What should I do? I'm a vulnerable old lady!
Had I better give you all my bank details and security codes or should you just FUCK OFF YOU SCUM!! I don't know how you sleep at night!

I'm not sure which of us put the phone down first, but Brixton police have sloppily not called again, so I assume they know nothing of this.

Bastards! I'm getting sick of answering calls from twats like this. I am considering getting a whistle to blow down the phone.

OP posts:
Original poster
MadMadMadamMim · 04/05/2021 18:48

@IndecentCakes

What is the scam in the OP? Haven't heard of this one.
I found this on Google - so I presume that's where the call was heading before I shouted abuse!

www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/police-issue-scam-telephone-call-3899144

OP posts:
anon12345678901 · 04/05/2021 19:03

@eechypeechy

My father is a police officer and he gave me one really good piece of advice recently - when you get a call from a number you don't know, DON'T speak first if you pick up - a lot of the times these people are fishing for a voice clip that can easily be used for voice recognition software for online banking - if it's someone who genuinely wants to speak to you, and they hear silence on the other end of the phone, they'll speak first - otherwise, a lot of the time, the call automatically disconnects because the software hasn't picked a voice up.
That does work, it's what I do. There's a silence and the number hangs up. It's great! I get far too many scam calls and texts... The Royal Mail scam texts are really pissing me off now. I always want to text back 'fuck off you shitty lowlife' Grin
ElphabaTWitch · 04/05/2021 19:25

Same.
Amazon charging me £79.99 and cancelling something unless I press 1.
HMRC having me ARRESTED ( yes arrested) unless I press 1
So sorry to hear about your car crash ( I particularly enjoy these ones. If I have the time I make up the most elaborate and outlandish stories of car mishaps that I can get away with until they get a supervisor who panics and ends the call)
Any number of automated messages I just hang up on as soon as I hear the voice.

NoBetterthanSheShouldBe · 04/05/2021 19:34

I’ve unplugged my landline - the important people have my mobile number.

Slippy78 · 04/05/2021 19:35

Just unplug the phone and use your mobile instead. There's really no good reason for a land-line telephone nowadays.

anon12345678901 · 04/05/2021 19:42

@Slippy78

Just unplug the phone and use your mobile instead. There's really no good reason for a land-line telephone nowadays.
All mine are to my mobile. Always unknown mobile numbers, unfortunately I use that mobile for work as well as personal so have to answer unknown numbers Sad
Reign21 · 04/05/2021 20:00

@ElphabaTWitch

Same. Amazon charging me £79.99 and cancelling something unless I press 1. HMRC having me ARRESTED ( yes arrested) unless I press 1 So sorry to hear about your car crash ( I particularly enjoy these ones. If I have the time I make up the most elaborate and outlandish stories of car mishaps that I can get away with until they get a supervisor who panics and ends the call) Any number of automated messages I just hang up on as soon as I hear the voice.
I did this too about the "car accident".. I told them I had the other person's body in my car boot and can they advise me on how to deal with it. They soon hung up 🤣
quizqueen · 04/05/2021 20:08

How many people give HMRC their phone number especially if they are just on normal PAYE, so how would they know it to call. I never answer any phone call now unless the number comes up as one in my contacts. I then dial 1471 and note the unknown number and google it. If it's someone I want to talk to then I call them back, otherwise I just enjoy the comments written on the website about the scam number!

trilbydoll · 04/05/2021 20:17

We get a lot from Sky and I always agree it isn't working, probably because we don't have an account with them. With the car accident I always ask for more information as it's news to me but they seem to know what they're talking about.

Both my dad and DH have had full blown arguments with them, they don't like being told they are thieving scum for some reason.

BelleBlueBell · 04/05/2021 20:17

@Slippy78

Just unplug the phone and use your mobile instead. There's really no good reason for a land-line telephone nowadays.
You don't need to submit a reason to have a landline, you can have one simply because you want one you know Grin

No one is ever unreasonable to say anything to a scammer, no need to worry about that OP

NinjaPig · 04/05/2021 20:18

I put on Sky's Talk Shield last week and we haven't had one spam call since!! They have to announce who they are before we take their call and we can add safe numbers to get through straight away

toffeebutterpopcorn · 04/05/2021 20:20

I like your style, OP!

Clymene · 04/05/2021 20:21

I get DS to scream down the phone. It may not stop them (actually I do get fewer landline scam calls than I used to) but it definitely makes me feel better.

And that's a good thing.

HarryLimeFoxtrot · 04/05/2021 20:27

My friend is partially sighted. She has a lot of fun with the car crash ones. “I’m so glad it’s not my fault. I’ve been really worried about it. Especially as my eyesight is officially so bad that I’m not allowed a driving licence...”

goose1964 · 04/05/2021 20:31

Sky have a service whereby calls from an unknown number are asked to announce themselves, cue no scam calls.

WhereYouLeftIt · 04/05/2021 20:38

"We are currently getting roughly 5 to 10 calls a day"

Shock definitely not unreasonable to tell them to fuck off!

I only get maybe one a fortnight; at that level I am happy to waste their time. I have all manner of persona I adopt for the calls, my current favourite is an slightly deaf impatient woman who holds forth for some time on how useless Amazon are, I told them I was cancelling last month, do you know how irritating it is dealing with such an incompetent company, yadda yadda yadda. They have to hang up on me because they can't get a word in edgeways.

PhatPhanny · 04/05/2021 20:42

Bt call guardian

Puzzledandpissedoff · 04/05/2021 20:46

Or I pretend to go along with it, just to waste their time

IME this is the best thing to do; it can be a lot of fun if done well, and while you're wasting their time they're not bothering someone else

This is quite fun too, for anyone who's not yet seen it:

AnneElliott · 04/05/2021 21:41

That prank call is hilarious. I often try to do similar if I have time to waste. I hate scammers. Sometimes I pretend to be a police control room which often gets them hanging up.

The other day I got one telling me they were the NCA. I suggested they ask me what I did for a living and when they did I told them I was the DG of the NCA (obviously I don't actually work for them). They tried to carry it on in the face of thinking they were actually talking to Lynne Owens but after a couple of minutes they gave up!

Maray1967 · 04/05/2021 22:20

I don’t get many as we have the BT call
Minder phone but the odd one on the mobile is a great opportunity to waste their time as long as it suits me as while they’re with me they’re not scamming someone else.

CirclesWithinCircles · 04/05/2021 22:55

Sometimes, if I can be bothered, I like to ask them security questions.

"Thats fine. You'll understand if I just run through a few security questions with you first..."

"Whats your name and what is your role with in the company?"

"Whats the name of your company?"

"Isn't it a limited company?"

"It is? So why doesn't it have the word "limited" in its name?"

"Oh, its not a limited company after all. How unusual. Whats the company's registered address?"

"I've just looked that up on Companies House website and there is no such company listed under that address. I believe your call may be fraudulent and I am afraid I will have to pass this number, along with the personal details you have given to me to the police/Action Fraud".

At this point, they always hang up, then I block the number.

grantoderek · 04/05/2021 23:51

You are awesome. Whilst you have tge energy, keep it up. They hate people actually standing up to them. Scum.

sbhydrogen · 05/05/2021 00:07

"It says I'm going to be arrested!"
"Can I have your name please?"
"Yeah, it's GO FUCK YOURSELF."
"Die, son bitch"

A regular occurrence in our household.

montysma1 · 05/05/2021 00:13

I like to keep them for ages pretending that I am going to hand "Microsoft" control of my computer to investigate suspicious activity on my account.
Silly me, I keep punching in the wrong numbers and pressing the wrong buttons. But we keep trying😂
I wonder if I should ask them if it would work better with my computer switched on.

tensmum1964 · 05/05/2021 00:23

@ElphabaTWitch

Same. Amazon charging me £79.99 and cancelling something unless I press 1. HMRC having me ARRESTED ( yes arrested) unless I press 1 So sorry to hear about your car crash ( I particularly enjoy these ones. If I have the time I make up the most elaborate and outlandish stories of car mishaps that I can get away with until they get a supervisor who panics and ends the call) Any number of automated messages I just hang up on as soon as I hear the voice.
I've had the car crash one. I played along for ages and when he asked me about my "minor" injuries I told him I had died. The silence at the other end was hilarious and eventually he put the phone down.