New sophisticated fraud scam

[albion]

I got a text claiming my card was compromised.

Not being 100% certain if genuine I opened the app first to get a similar message.
It turned out a test zero sum transaction had been done, no doubt using millions of stolen details from one of the thousands of hacked retailers.

A quick phone call by me and my card was cancelled and replaced in 48 hours.
Unfortunately it is getting ever more sophisticated. So expect Chat GPT calls/texts impersonating family members.

 

[presta]

A few days after lock down started I rang Allied Irish bank and got a recorded message saying "We're all working from home, leave your number and someone will call you back". Then I got a call from someone asking for my A/C & password, and when I challenged her I just got "well, you called us". As I was only calling to close an account with £2 left in it, I gave her my details, but so much for the "We'll never call you asking for security information" guff they trot out.

###

Another occasion I thought I might have fallen for a scam email, so I called Lloyds security on a Sunday evening and asked them to freeze my account. The following morning I quickly checked the email was genuine, then called the bank back:
"You can unfreeze my account now"
"Oh, it's OK, it's already been done for you"
"What do you mean already done, I've only just called you"
"It's ok, it been done"
"What do you mean, I haven't rung since I asked you to freeze it"
"It's ok, there's no problem"

The call just went on and on like that until I gave up with them, it was patently obvious that security had never frozen my account in the first place.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Yes I know. And it’s awful. My point is this is not sophisticated. It is blindingly obvious. The banks, however, are now quite good at protecting the elderly from scams.

There was a retired schoolteacher who fell for this one locally and she got cleared out of her savings. It was a lot of money like 80K or something like that. The bank said that she should have known better etc, it was a well known scam. The bank tried to stop her initially from transferring the money but she did it anyway despite warnings from them. Then she wanted her money back. The bank refused. After a LOT of hassle and this going on the T.V she was reimbursed. I felt sorry for the bank in this instance because they were telling her it was a scam and she ignored them.
She went on t.v saying that she was starting with Alzheimer's or something.

 

[presta]

This was a new one I read about, it's certainly made me think twice about scanning QR codes now. I do use these parking apps but I always downloaded as the app direct front the official store and not a QR link.

Scammers put fake QR codes on parking machines

I remember hearing that on the radio, not that I have either a smartphone or a car. There's also the false front panel on bank ATM machines, too.

 

[markemark]

There was a retired schoolteacher who fell for this one locally and she got cleared out of her savings. It was a lot of money like 80K or something like that. The bank said that she should have known better etc, it was a well known scam. The bank tried to stop her initially from transferring the money but she did it anyway despite warnings from them. Then she wanted her money back. The bank refused. After a LOT of hassle and this going on the T.V she was reimbursed. I felt sorry for the bank in this instance because they were telling her it was a scam and she ignored them.
She went on t.v saying that she was starting with Alzheimer's or something.

Yep. The banks can only do so much. People must have autonomy to do what they want with their money. There are mechanisms in place if people don’t have capacity, power of attorney etc. But if they’re not enacted then they must be free to do with their money as they see fit. This is all on the assumption the banks did all they reasonably could do which it sounds like they did.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Did it sound like a Welsh accent ? That can sound awfully like an Indian one. I understand that more 'boiler rooms' in India now than in Nigeria.

Only to the auditorily challenged.

Goodness gracious me.

 

[icowden]

Yes I know. And it’s awful. My point is this is not sophisticated. It is blindingly obvious. The banks, however, are now quite good at protecting the elderly from scams.

And my point is that it isn't. This wasn't from a call centre in the third world. This was a very well spoken woman with a slick script, and a clear line as if she were in an office. They had some information about me and executed it incredibly well. I have never had a scam call this sophisticated.

 

[markemark]

And my point is that it isn't. This wasn't from a call centre in the third world. This was a very well spoken woman with a slick script, and a clear line as if she were in an office. They had some information about me and executed it incredibly well. I have never had a scam call this sophisticated.

And my point is that it is blindingly obvious. Someone rang you up stating they were from a bank and asking you for information. That is about as obvious as it gets. If you found it more believable because of her accent then I would strongly recommend you spend a little time protecting yourself in the future by reading up on common tactics. Basing your fraud detection on accents and line quality is, sorry to say, extremely naïve.

 

[BoldonLad]

The 'mum my phone is broke - please end money to buy a new one' text scam is still doing the rounds

Geordies would not be caught out by that, we know the correct word is mam, none of this posh Mum stuff

 

[Kingfisher101]

And my point is that it isn't. This wasn't from a call centre in the third world. This was a very well spoken woman with a slick script, and a clear line as if she were in an office. They had some information about me and executed it incredibly well. I have never had a scam call this sophisticated.

Just because someone is well spoken doesn't mean they cant be a criminal. Someone's voice or in another instance their looks has nothing to do with it.
Some employees who work in banks and their call centres pass information onto criminals for money as well. Loads of people in the finance sector end up in prison.

 

[BoldonLad]

Just because someone is well spoken doesn't mean they cant be a criminal. Someone's voice or in another instance their looks has nothing to do with it.
Some employees who work in banks and their call centres pass information onto criminals for money as well. Loads of people in the finance sector end up in prison.

This is, in all probability, true, but, most people are much more likely to believe a well dressed, well spoken individual that by a heavily accented, shabby looking individual.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Yep. The banks can only do so much. People must have autonomy to do what they want with their money. There are mechanisms in place if people don’t have capacity, power of attorney etc. But if they’re not enacted then they must be free to do with their money as they see fit. This is all on the assumption the banks did all they reasonably could do which it sounds like they did.

I do wonder about some of the cases I see on the telly and in the papers

If I decide to send some money to someone then it is my money and I should be able to

Now - the bank should be expected to take some responsibility for warning you if their systems - that see a lot more dodogy things than we do - flag it as being suspect

but at the end of the day they need to let us give our money to whoever we want

some of the cases I have seen have the bank warning and warning them but how far should they be expected to go before allowing it
and if the person has seriously insisted then at what point do they HAVE to allow it

and it it has reached that point why should they take the loss???

morally I mean

clearly they have the resources and I am not going to cry at them loosing 0.00000001& of their overall money available
but.....

 

[Cycleops]

Only to the auditorily challenged.

Goodness gracious me.

Sure, but a little more difficult to spot than 'How You dey?'

 

[icowden]

Just because someone is well spoken doesn't mean they cant be a criminal. Someone's voice or in another instance their looks has nothing to do with it.
Some employees who work in banks and their call centres pass information onto criminals for money as well. Loads of people in the finance sector end up in prison.

Of course, but in my experience scam callers usually have an accent, and usually trip up or are over eager. You can usually tell they are scammers. This one was different. Cool calm and collected and not at all thrown by anything I said.

 

[DaveReading]

I've heard of that one from years back, but I think it only works with landlines and more and more people just use mobile

No, it hasn't worked with landlines either for several years.