Scam phone call, that I think some will fall for

[slothy]

Received a phone call at lunch time, supposed to be from Mastercard/Visa. The recorded voice said that within the last 15 minutes, £600 had been transferred from our account into a foreign account, and to press 1.

I put the phone down, then started wondering if maybe it was true. My husband visited the bank, to be told yes it was a scam.

Hope people don't fall for this one.

[Alikado]

The missus got a few last week purporting to be from Amazon to say the account had been hacked, she put the phone down and they rang back a couple of times and were most insistent that it wasn't a scam. The account hadn't been hacked.
We regularly get calls from 'TalkTalk' telling us the Internet is going to be cut off, we've not been with TT for about 5 years.

[slothy]

We've had plenty of the internet scam calls, but never Visa, or Amazon.

Thought about just phoning the bank up, but I think I'd read advice that you shouldn't phone straight back, as you might get through to the scammers phone line instead of the real phone number you think you are ringing.

[said]

The missus got a few last week purporting to be from Amazon to say the account had been hacked, she put the phone down and they rang back a couple of times and were most insistent that it wasn't a scam. The account hadn't been hacked.
We regularly get calls from 'TalkTalk' telling us the Internet is going to be cut off, we've not been with TT for about 5 years.

I bet you are registered with BT!

[Rigsby]

We've had plenty of the internet scam calls, but never Visa, or Amazon.

Thought about just phoning the bank up, but I think I'd read advice that you shouldn't phone straight back, as you might get through to the scammers phone line instead of the real phone number you think you are ringing.

If you really need to phone them use another phone, landline or mobile.
As you say they will pretend to hang up but keep the line open.

[The PNP]

I bet you are registered with BT!

Funny you should say that....I have an additional line from BT that is purely for internet, its number has never been given to anyone. Yet that phone line rang out of the blue a couple of weeks ago!

An Asian male was on it claiming to be 'BT Openreach'. Had me fooled at first, since only BT could possibly have known the number. He sounded totally genuine, till he wanted to open a screenshare program - I smelt a rat. He then began saying there had been 'illegal' usage and my internet would go off for a fortnight etc, etc.

Phoned me again a week later and tried the same routine. Imo, either BT's customer database has been hacked - or there are bent BT employees in India, selling private phone numbers to scammers.

Best advice, never ever open a screenshare program with cold callers - regardless who they claim to be.....

[Lamparilla]

Imo, either BT's customer database has been hacked - or there are bent BT employees in India, selling private phone numbers to scammers.

Best advice, never ever open a screenshare program with cold callers - regardless who they claim to be.....

A couple of years ago, a TalkTalk operator at the call centre they use in South Africa admitted to me that this is rife with them.

[The PNP]

A couple of years ago, a TalkTalk operator at the call centre they use in South Africa admitted to me that this is rife with them.

That would not surprise me....My (now compromised) second BT line has never otherwise rung since it was installed. I can think of no other explanation.

[Alikado]

I bet you are registered with BT!

No, not in the last 12 years.

[gsgsgs]

That would not surprise me....My (now compromised) second BT line has never otherwise rung since it was installed. I can think of no other explanation.

Could it not be auto diallers, computers randomly dialling numbers until they get one that rings then transfers it to a person, hence to usual few seconds delay in hearing a voice?

[The PNP]

Could it not be auto diallers, computers randomly dialling numbers until they get one that rings then transfers it to a person, hence to usual few seconds delay in hearing a voice?

Well, that's not impossible. Yet in
over a year since line installed it's never happened before. The guy was also certain I was with BT and I didn't notice a delay when I picked up. He also sounded genuine, just like a BT employee - not like the usual midering idiots you get with broken English.