FFS scammers everywhere

[Coatscoatscoast]

In the last three weeks I’ve had a number of calls from ‘Tesco mobile’ offering me a reduction on bills but then asking for my security details. Persistently calling back saying ‘we’ve been cut off’ and me saying ‘no, I hung up on you’.

A call from ‘Amazon’ telling me there has been a suspicious transaction on my account and sending me a ‘blocking’ code that they then asked me to read down the phone - it was actually the one time passcode to log into my account. I strung that one along for a while and she ended up shouting at me down the phone that my account had been compromised - ‘I responded yes, probably by you!’

And just now had someone trying to pull a fast one on Vinted.

Lucky for me I am pretty savvy and they don’t get anywhere with me. The only reason I give them the time of day is because while they’re bothering me they’re not bothering someone else but FFS. AIBU in wanting to go off grid sometime?? I appreciate the irony of posting on the internet about this btw. My phone number is obviously ‘out there’ now. Bastards

I got this one! They said they were from my 'local council'. I told them I'd give them a tenner if they could tell me which council that was

You don't need to download an app. Just forward the message on to that number. It will then ask for the phone number.

Once those have been sent you can block and delete.

I used to work for HMRC and got the "HMRC will arrest you" calls to my work mobile. 😂

I somehow doubted that I would be allowed to continue my job with no notification of an internal investigation if they were about to arrest me...

Find a way to block calls, especially international ones, as most people especially pensioners do not need or want them.

Once reported, these phone numbers should be shut down.

Make it harder for them, bring in anti-spoofing tech. Stop UK virtual numbers being sold so easily.

I wonder if they would do it to their own community living abroad, especially the elders.

This stuff makes me angry... I can spot it but there must be a lot of people, especially older ones who don't know how things work these days and could be easily scared by people saying they have to act now.

My friend had one of those scarily convincing ones last year where they seemed to come from the bank phone number and it's only because she knew the real bank wouldn't ask her for the sort of information or action they were requesting that she didn't respond.

I only answer the phone if it’s a number that flashes up that’s in my phone so for instance Lizzie or Julie calling.

My phone company has calls come through as suspected spam, I didn’t ask for this.

It is elderly ppl answering their own phones, that’s not gullible. That’s crime and fraud, preying on the elderly. One day when we are old and our minds are fuzzier, it will have mixed in to things we do not grasp because we stopped keeping up on tech at a certain point.

Yet another ‘We tried to deliver your parcel but you weren’t in’ today. ‘Please just pay this trippery little re-delivery charge, kindly giving us all your cc details, thanks!’
Purporting to be from Evri - exactly the same wording when it’s ‘from’ Royal Mail.

Ooo.

I had that the other day too

People most likely to be scammed are younger, mainly under 34.

Occasionally I'll string the windows technical support calls along. Forcing a rage quit is most therapeutic.

I was informed by text that my application for jobseekers allowance had been approved and I should confirm my personal info and bank account, and the allowance would be sent to my bank account. I'm a pensioner.
I also got emails re photos I should look at, I'm guessing as a follow up to a long email informing me I’d been filmed on my webcam watching porn and this video would be forwarded to my contacts unless I paid a ransom in bitcoin. this didn't work as a) I hadn’t been watching porn, b) I have a double layer of sticky strips from a post it note stuck over my webcam, and c) I have no idea about bitcoin anyway. Still the emails kept coming and even repeats of the original threatening one. "Hi my prey, this is my last warning. I write you since I attached a tro jan on the web site with porno which you have viewed. My tro jan captures all your private data and switched on your camera which recorded the act of your solitary s ex. Just after that the t rojan saved your contact list. I what looks like erase the compromising video records and info if you transfer 600 USD in bi tcoin.
This is the address for payment: (long sequence of characters)
I will give you 22 hours after you open my message for making the payment. As soon as you read the message I'll see it right away. It is not necessary to tell me that you have sent money to me. This address is connected to you, my system will erased automatically after transfer confirmation.
If you need 40h just Open the calculator and type +,+
If you don’t pay, I’ll send dirt to all your contacts. Let me remind you - I see what you're doing. If you try to deceive me, I’ll know it immediately. I don’t live in your country. Bye. Don’t forget about the shame and to ignore, your life can be ruined." Ridiculous. All from different email addresses even when the name matched.

• I will erase the compromising video records and info

What was the Vinted scam?

I got this today. I had to pay a £100 fine last year after a mistake at a hospital paying machine so I initially panicked..then calmed down and reported it. Bastards.

The bastards are constantly targeting my elderly DM. We think she has dementia now and recently she had someone phone saying they needed her bank account details as they owed her money. She gave them all her details 😱 Luckily, a few minutes later she questioned herself and phoned me at work. Her bank wouldn't speak to me as my DM wasn't with me so I had to race home from work so I could speak to them with DM present. In the 15 mins it took me to get home they had managed to set up voice recognition on her account! I spoke to someone at the bank really quickly who blocked mum's account.

Luckily we had organised mum's POA's about 10 years ago and the bank suggested that now was the time we made it active, which I have done. I've had to take away anything with her bank account details in case someone phones again and she forgets.she is being constantly bombarded by these calls and we are thinking of getting rid of her landline because of this. Total scum.

Thanks: I couldn't see how to forward it on my phone (Google pixel 3a): the three dots didn't give that option

I have had a few Windows technical calls. I spent a happy few minutes describing my windows and patio door and asking them to advise me in detail which bit was actually broken, and how could they tell? They were quite confused at the end of it.

We have caller ID on the landline and people have to announce who they are, so I decide whether to press 1 to take the call or not.

On my mobile I just hang up if it's a recorded message. If I do end up speaking to someone I am uncertain about, I generally say I don't anything about it, my husband deals with all that but he is in prison for 18 months so they will have to call back once he is out. They generally hang up at that point.

I did not know about this but have just turned it on. Thank you so much. I have absolutely awful anxiety and this will make stop my heart pounding every time I get a call from an unknown number.

Thanks for this I think I have forwarded it but can't tell, I really am not at all techy! Message deleted and number blocked (I can do that part!)

Total scum. Never a truer comment @Icequeen01 !

This was the one I got!
Last month I had to pay a parking ticket fineas I stupidly put the ticket I had paid for, back in purse with my bank card (🤦) and I was going to get all sweary as I had evidence of payment.....then looked up the number and yes a scam. Bastards, I agree

I was sent a text yesterday saying I was being threatened with court if I didn't pay a parking fine. Click on the link to pay. Um, no. I get loads of bogus e mails and my poor MIL gets phoned a million times a day by scammers. DH has had to sit with her and explain how they trick people and the signs to look out for. She said but they're so friendly and tell you to get comfy and take your time 😐

my phone usually says its a scam call , or when they say are you free i say im in the middle of a military operation at the moment