Scam phone call

[DaveReading]

Scammers have been know to duplicate the dialing tone to give the impression that the line has hung up - then pretend to be the bank when you ring a number.
If in doubt ring another number, such as you mobile, from it to confirm the line is clear.

That exploit has not been possible for several years. A caller cannot keep the line open once you have disconnected.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

That exploit has not been possible for several years. A caller cannot keep the line open once you have disconnected.

So - you are saying that if either end hangs up then the line disconnects??

I didn't know that had changed!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

This is just based on a sample size of one - i.e. just me

but I used to make a point of deliberately keeping scam calls on the phone for a long as possible
then I noticed that the number of calls I was getting was rising - probably at least one a day

I became a bit busier and stopped doing that as much and noticed that the number of call dropped
so I stopped doing it completely - just told them to take my number of their list and hung up

and now I probably get less than one call a week on average

My theory - based on the HUGE survey as explained above - is that sometimes if you deliberately annoy then and keeping them talking- even directly insult them - then they sometimes add your number to lots of lists for revenge

or maybe it is a total co-incidence

who knows!

 

[Blue]

Pressing "1" can have several effects
1) it can get your number flagged as being a potential viable target - number to be noted and maybe sold to other scam organisations
2) you get put onto a scammer - either real or automated - who will try to extract personal data from you "to confirm your identity" or "to confirm this is your account"

There are probably other options - but all of them could cause problems

Just a couple of notes -
Firstly - if the scam call advises you to ring a number - then DO NOT do so from the phone they rang unless you have confirmed the line has been disconnected. Scammers have been know to duplicate the dialing tone to give the impression that the line has hung up - then pretend to be the bank when you ring a number.
If in doubt ring another number, such as you mobile, from it to confirm the line is clear.

Secondly - report it to whoever you can. Action Fraud, TPS, the bank they are pretending to be and also whocalledme.co.uk
the more information there is out there the better

Unfortunately, I can confirm that point 1) does happen and it's a real nuisance.

My wife, who has dementia, reacted to a scam e-mail some years ago and ever since I can even see when the mugs list that contains her name gets sold on as her account gets bombarded in surges. Thankfully things seem to be tapering off in recent months so that particular list must have lost it's value on the black market.

My wife also got scammed on the phone. In that instance I was promptly alerted to what had happened so was able to make immediate contact with our bank and prevent loss. The bank was very efficient.

Be careful folks.

 

[mustang1]

Yeah I imagined that pressing 1 would confirm there was someone there, etc.

I just wonder what fun one could've had though! 😆

There are some guys on YouTube who have a bunch of fun with this kind of stuff.

 

[HMS_Dave]

There are some guys on YouTube who have a bunch of fun with this kind of stuff.

Indeed. Call flooders are a powerful tool against the scamming gimps...

 

[oldwheels]

This is just based on a sample size of one - i.e. just me

but I used to make a point of deliberately keeping scam calls on the phone for a long as possible
then I noticed that the number of calls I was getting was rising - probably at least one a day

I became a bit busier and stopped doing that as much and noticed that the number of call dropped
so I stopped doing it completely - just told them to take my number of their list and hung up

and now I probably get less than one call a week on average

My theory - based on the HUGE survey as explained above - is that sometimes if you deliberately annoy then and keeping them talking- even directly insult them - then they sometimes add your number to lots of lists for revenge

or maybe it is a total co-incidence

who knows!

I never answer numbers I do not recognise and now I get virtually no nuisance calls. If it is of any importance they will leave a message and I can ring back. Some nuisance ones do leave a message but that can be ignored.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I never answer numbers I do not recognise and now I get virtually no nuisance calls. If it is of any importance they will leave a message and I can ring back. Some nuisance ones do leave a message but that can be ignored.

Seems reasonable - except that I sometimes get calls from organisations that claim to have been trying to get hold of me for ages

turns out that the call centre isn't allowed to leave a message on an answer phone (or similar on a mobile) so all I get is a missed call from an unknown number
happened a couple of days ago when someone rang about a genuine problem but it came up as unknown so I answered with a rather cynical voice, only to find it was genuine

 

[Chris S]

Last week I got an automated phone call from 'BT' informing me there was a problem with my account. I thought it was a scam because a computerised voice gave me my phone number, which they had just dialled. I just ignored it.

At the weekend I got a text saying the same thing so I logged on to my BT account and there was an unpaid bill.

Genuine companies do sometimes use automated phone calls to contact you.