A mobile phone call mystery...

[AndyRM]

Normally I don't pick up calls from numbers I don't recognise, or that are with-held, but as I'm on the hunt for a job I've got into the habit of doing so, just in case.

Earlier this afternoon a call flashes up, and the number is literally one away from my own digits, causing me to question whether I was calling myself somehow before realising.

The conversation went like this:

"Hello, Andy speaking."

"Hi, I had a missed call from this number?"

"... I'm not sure how, I haven't called anyone today."

"Oh..."

"Indeed. How strange! Sorry about that."

All this was about an hour ago, and at first I thought nothing of it. But now I'm wondering could my number have been cloned somehow? I didn't think that was possible but scammers are getting more and more sophisticated.

I guess it's probably worth a call to my provider, but their customer service is painful to deal with.

Has this ever happened to anyone in the CC collective?

 

[Tenkaykev]

Normally I don't pick up calls from numbers I don't recognise, or that are with-held, but as I'm on the hunt for a job I've got into the habit of doing so, just in case.

Earlier this afternoon a call flashes up, and the number is literally one away from my own digits, causing me to question whether I was calling myself somehow before realising.

The conversation went like this:

"Hello, Andy speaking."

"Hi, I had a missed call from this number?"

"... I'm not sure how, I haven't called anyone today."

"Oh..."

"Indeed. How strange! Sorry about that."

All this was about an hour ago, and at first I thought nothing of it. But now I'm wondering could my number have been cloned somehow? I didn't think that was possible but scammers are getting more and more sophisticated.

I guess it's probably worth a call to my provider, but their customer service is painful to deal with.

Has this ever happened to anyone in the CC collective?

I know that the " Junk " call companies often spoof the calling number ( I've had my own number pop up on caller display ) So perhaps a spam caller has auto generated your number to appear as the calling number on the recipients phone?

 

[Threevok]

^^^^ This

and you can't even trust caller ID anymore

 

[AndyRM]

I know that the " Junk " call companies often spoof the calling number ( I've had my own number pop up on caller display ) So perhaps a spam caller has auto generated your number to appear as the calling number on the recipients phone?

Yeah, that seems plausible. I've filled out the fraud form just to be on the safe side.

 

[vickster]

Normally I don't pick up calls from numbers I don't recognise, or that are with-held, but as I'm on the hunt for a job I've got into the habit of doing so, just in case.

Earlier this afternoon a call flashes up, and the number is literally one away from my own digits, causing me to question whether I was calling myself somehow before realising.

The conversation went like this:

"Hello, Andy speaking."

"Hi, I had a missed call from this number?"

"... I'm not sure how, I haven't called anyone today."

"Oh..."

"Indeed. How strange! Sorry about that."

All this was about an hour ago, and at first I thought nothing of it. But now I'm wondering could my number have been cloned somehow? I didn't think that was possible but scammers are getting more and more sophisticated.

I guess it's probably worth a call to my provider, but their customer service is painful to deal with.

Has this ever happened to anyone in the CC collective?

A friend of mine says she is having the same today and ignoring

 

[PeteXXX]

If I do bother to answer a call from a number I don't recognise, I say nothing. I just listen and see if the caller offers any information then I decide if they're worthy of my time.

 

[Venod]

Its the latest thing with scam calls, I had one who said he was from BT the other day and that they had traced some problems with my internet connection, we are not with BT, they called on the house phone it was a local number, he didn't sound local even to this country, I played along for a while then asked him if he was really from BT, he said he was and for me to check the calling number, which was a number from our exchange.
It displays a local number so you don't ignore them, when I got tired of goading him, I informed him we were not with BT and he hung up.

 

[AndyRM]

I remember being called a few times about an 'Issue with my Windows' machine. I use a Mac, so it was fun (if a little cruel) driving people nuts by stringing them along not being able to find the 'Start' button.

An update on this one - I've had texts and e-mails saying that various things on my account have changed/been added. All from legit sources so this is possibly a little more sinister than I'd first thought.

 

[HarryTheDog]

i nearly fell for a scam yesterday, I just noticed my virgin tv was knackered. I started to goodle search problems with virgin TV, their website was dead. Suddenly phone call on the landline, This is virgin media your internet connection is being attacked by a foreign cycber attack.( callers english was terrible) Go to google play and download this weird program. Just then i found on google the whole of virgin TV and IT/website was down for the country and noticed on my phone, number witheld. so I rudely told the caller to naff off.
I thought wow clever scam, coinciding with national virgin failure. I wonder if many fell for it.

 

[raleighnut]

I had one a few moths back, purportedly from BT unauthorised use of our router wifi. He wanted me to log onto the computer, go to a certain website and enter the access codes etc to the router, After about 15 minutes of me faffing about pretending to do this I told him I was unable to get on line (lie) so there must be a problem and to send me a new router as this one was a bit old anyway he hung up.

Maz used to work for BT as a 'Network Records Designer' so I know that

BT DO NOT COLD CALL CUSTOMERS if there is a problem you have to call them.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I had one a few moths back, purportedly from BT unauthorised use of our router wifi. He wanted me to log onto the computer, go to a certain website and enter the access codes etc to the router, After about 15 minutes of me faffing about pretending to do this I told him I was unable to get on line (lie) so there must be a problem and to send me a new router as this one was a bit old anyway he hung up.

Maz used to work for BT as a 'Network Records Designer' so I know that

BT DO NOT COLD CALL CUSTOMERS if there is a problem you have to call them.

I had that a while ago and the guy said he was calling from "BT Opensearch" to fix a problem with my router.
I asked him to repeat the company and he said it again. When I told him there was no such company he insisted it was real!

I suggested he learn the proper names of the businesses he's impersonating before trying to scam anyone ... and he hung up.

 

[Oldhippy]

The first thing I ever do with a new phone is put on silent and keep it that way and when not using data to look at CC it is on airplane mode.

 

[oldwheels]

A while ago I got a series of calls from people wanting to speak to Amy who worked in a care home. I asked some of them to repeat the number they had called and it was certainly mine.
It dawned on me that she had given out the wrong number on a new phone she had and asked some of the callers to tell her if they were in contact in person to give out the correct one and delete mine.
One I remember was very indignant "she is no friend of mine" in a very plummy voice.
The message eventually got through and the calls to my number stopped. Genuine mistake.
I used to get a lot of calls from the USofA wanting to book accommodation at Glengorm Castle and had quite a few friendly and interesting conversations. The last two digits were transposed as our numbers were otherwise similar. They had misdialled.

 

[Threevok]

I regularly get text messages from Liverpool Bespoke Flooring, telling me the fitter will be with me on Saturday - despite me telling them twice they have the wrong number

Hell of a long way to lay a floor

 

[raleighnut]

I had that a while ago and the guy said he was calling from "BT Opensearch" to fix a problem with my router.
I asked him to repeat the company and he said it again. When I told him there was no such company he insisted it was real!

I suggested he learn the proper names of the businesses he's impersonating before trying to scam anyone ... and he hung up.

Yep, Openreach seperated from BT many years ago they are the 'Network Providers'
this was needed as BT became more commercial aquiring a few mobile providers (despite selling off BT Mobile years ago) as they were not allowed to be a service provider due to competition regulations.

Another dead giveaway is people purpoting to be from 'British Telecom' they haven't existed since the 80s (remember the Maureen Lipman ads for 'Beatty' when the name changed)