Watch out for latest scam

[PaulSB]

Let me get this right. You received a text with a phone number purporting to be from Amazon. You called the number.

Is it any wonder scammers are successful?

 

[Smokin Joe]

Let me get this right. You received a text with a phone number purporting to be from Amazon. You called the number.

Is it any wonder scammers are successful?

I'd have to agree with this. These scams have been so well documented I am surprised that anyone who doesn't fall into a "Vulnerable" category gets pulled in. Banks and government organisations are forever sending emails telling us about the classic signs of fraud, and this is one of them.


BASIC RULES

If any organisation which has a financial interest in you makes an unsolicited communication treat it with the utmost suspicion. NEVER make contact with them in the way they suggest and NEVER open any links they send. If you wish to check whether it is genuine, delete the email or text and then contact the organisation using a number you know to be genuine. As for giving them your account details, passwords or access to your computer, not likely.

 

[ColinJ]

Let me get this right. You received a text with a phone number purporting to be from Amazon. You called the number.

Is it any wonder scammers are successful?

Indeed!

A friend of mine got scammed by someone who phoned up claiming to be from Microsoft. Under his instruction she enabled 'remote assistance' a.k.a. 'let me take over your computer, lock you out of it, and demand a ransom'! Only at that point did she suspect that something was wrong, but by then it was too late. She had to pay a computer shop £50 to reinstall Windows for her. She isn't stupid, just way too trusting!

 

[Yellow Fang]

Let me get this right. You received a text with a phone number purporting to be from Amazon. You called the number.

Is it any wonder scammers are successful?

Can't remember the exact sequence. Thing is, I was concerned about a purchase I had made yesterday from a website. I was not 100% sure the company was reputable.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I'd have to agree with this. These scams have been so well documented I am surprised that anyone who doesn't fall into a "Vulnerable" category gets pulled in. Banks and government organisations are forever sending emails telling us about the classic signs of fraud, and this is one of them.


BASIC RULES

If any organisation which has a financial interest in you makes an unsolicited communication treat it with the utmost suspicion. NEVER make contact with them in the way they suggest and NEVER open any links they send. If you wish to check whether it is genuine, delete the email or text and then contact the organisation using a number you know to be genuine. As for giving them your account details, passwords or access to your computer, not likely.

But that is not true. My building society has contacted me about suspicious transactions. Amazon is not a bank, but it is big and corporate.

 

[DaveReading]

Can't remember the exact sequence. Thing is, I was concerned about a purchase I had made yesterday from a website. I was not 100% sure the company was reputable.

May we know what was the number that you dialled ?

 

[newfhouse]

My building society has contacted me about suspicious transactions.

In such situations you should phone them back using the number on the reverse of your card or on the top of your statement.

 

[Yellow Fang]

It shows how easy it is, if someone like you who has a corporate laptop can be utterly fooled then what hope does confuses and compliant Granny and Grandpa have. My late Grandfather was head of HR at a major insurance company in his working days, that did not stop him handing over £20k to a ‘Policeman’ who knocked at the door needing the money to setup a sting.

I was a bit suspicious, but I don't know when I would have said enough.

My stepfather was upset about being conned out of about £120. Someone pretending to be a new neighbour said he worked for a Mercedes garage and could him a new tyre. My stepfather studied Physics at Oxford University before transferring to medicine. Not sure he is still at his peak powers, but he's still not a complete idiot.

 

[ColinJ]

I think it was +44 **** ******, but that might be one of our work clients, so I wouldn't call it.

I would delete that number! If it is dodgy, you don't want people ringing it. If it is one of your work clients... you DEFINITELY don't want people ringing it!

 

[Dave7]

In such situations you should phone them back using the number on the reverse of your card or on the top of your statement.

Better still......send me sort code, account number and the 3 numbers on the back of the card..... I will do the rest

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Got a text from someone telling me they were from Amazon and that someone had tried to buy something on my account, which had looked suspicious. I called the number and was put through to what sounded like a busy call room. Someone tried to guide me into installing AnyDesk on my work laptop, which did seem suspicious. I could not do it because it was a work laptop and I do not have administrator right to allow me to install software. I also have a PC, but that runs Linux. Call went dead, I was suspicious so I requested a call from Amazon and they confirmed it was a scam. What made this scam sound more convincing was that it seemed to be made from a busy call room (she was foreign though).

Having taken the bait once, be prepared to receive further attempts from other scammers.

 

[PaulSB]

But that is not true. My building society has contacted me about suspicious transactions. Amazon is not a bank, but it is big and corporate.

This is true I've had calls from both my bank and credit card provider regarding suspicious activity. I've had three automated calls and one human. Each time I've called back on a different number. Three transactions were correct, one was fraud for £4.99.

I have all my accounts set so that any transaction, debit or credit, greater than £100 I receive a text notifying me of the transaction. It's almost instant, perhaps 20 seconds delay.

 

[PaulSB]

Can't remember the exact sequence. Thing is, I was concerned about a purchase I had made yesterday from a website. I was not 100% sure the company was reputable.

Please don't think I'm being unkind but you are setting yourself up here. Purchasing from a possibly dodgy website and probably providing email address, street address, financial/payment details, perhaps a phone number? The next day calling an unknown number in response to a random text message.

Perhaps yesterday's website was dodgy and this is how the scammers targeted you?

I would urge you to think very carefully about your online activity because you are heading towards being caught out by scammers.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Did you call them from the phone you got the text on?

 

[cougie uk]

A number of years ago I got a telephone call from someone saying they were from the fraud department of my credit card company and they had to verify some information before they could talk me.

I asked them to provide some information first to prove they were who they claimed to be but was told that they gas to identify me first. Getting nowhere I said I would hang up and call the number on the back of my card then ask for the fraud team. She said 'no problem, when you get through ask to speak with Alice'.

I ended that call and called aforementioned number from another line. Getting through to the fraud team and asking for Alice I ended up speaking with the woman who had called me. She said 'I wish we had more customers like you. '

In the end they were just querying a transaction that I had made and was able to confirm that.

I remain suspicious to this day of any unsolicited communications.

I've heard of calls like this before - but if the other person doesn't end the call - somehow your next call goes straight back to them ?

Maybe it's landline only but it's something to be aware of.