To be clear, I am sorry that these people lost money. Clearly the people doing it are scumbags of the first order.
But, someone rings up, says that they are your bank, asks you to type your PIN(s) into the phone, then a courier turns up at the door and takes away your cards.
Just how daft do people have to be? You wouldn't be able to con one of my children like that, never mind grown adults.
I wonder if they'd be interested in this bridge in Brooklyn I have for sale.
www.bbc.com/news/business-30279582 (the video is the interesting bit).
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I've got an elderly customer who fell for one of those. The "Bank" phoned her asking for her card details and pin number because they claimed her debit card card had been cloned and they needed to check the details. The daft thing was that she was suspicious straight away and because of this she gave them the details of the account with the least amount in (A few hundred quid), instead of just putting the phone down and of course lost the lot.
There have been so many warnings about this it's a wonder anyone who still retains their marbles (Which she has) will fall for it. Still, business people used to try to book the Crossroads Motel for conferences, so I suppose gullibility goes right across the board.
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People still give money to Nigerian hoaxers. They must do. Lots of it still going on...
They remind me of people who complain of the UK's Conservative Government...
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Whatever medium one uses, it's a confidence trick. As such, successful confidence tricksters are going out to convince one of something one knows not to be true, but present such a good argument that one is convinced.
They don't need that many successes to be in profit and part of the needed abilities are knowing when to push and when to retreat.
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This site is fighting back.
www.419eater.com/
Beware, some of the tales will involve time and mirth.
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>> Whatever medium one uses, it's a confidence trick. As such, successful confidence tricksters are going
>> out to convince one of something one knows not to be true, but present such
>> a good argument that one is convinced.
The clue is in the word "confidence" They are very good at being nice, gaining your confidence, and convincing you they are working on your behalf.
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>> The clue is in the word "confidence" They are very good at being nice, gaining
>> your confidence, and convincing you they are working on your behalf.
Like the folks who call your mobile and persuade you they're from your SP offering an upgrade. In fact they're selling you an un needed contract with a totally different SP.
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There's a local BBC radio program I love listening to every weekday, where callers 'phone in to see if they can be recompensed for being scammed. It confirms my faith in human nature.
There's one born every minute.
Let's hope it's never me!
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>> But, someone rings up, says that they are your bank, asks you to type your
>> PIN(s) into the phone, then a courier turns up at the door and takes away
>> your cards.
>>
>> Just how daft do people have to be? You wouldn't be able to con one
>> of my children like that, never mind grown adults.
They do "hang up" and ask you to call the number on the back of the card.
They hold the line open, and then pretend to be the card issuer.
Most people used to know that you couldn't cut off an incoming call, time was when you could call up, then leave your phone off the hook and block somebody's line for as long as you wanted, within reason.
That changed a while back I think, but it was still minutes. There were some moves afoot more recently to enable a call receiver to hang up and recover the line in a couple of seconds or so, which would make the scam harder. Not sure what the progress is with that.
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I have a very simple response to unsolicited calls when they sound ever so slightly plausible, as in they purport to be from a business or institution with which you actually do have some form of relationship.
I still refuse to answer their "security" questions but put it to them that in this age of scams, that if they are who they say they are, will they please write me a letter stating the nature of their enquiry and if I decide it requires further attention, I'll get back to them. If they ask for my address I point out that they must surely have that and that I look forward to receiving their mail.
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>> I have a very simple response to unsolicited calls
So do I, its called an answer phone. If its important or of note they will leave a message.
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>> I have a very simple response to unsolicited calls
It's fun to waste their employers time occasionally.
(a) I had an accident in 2012 the circs of which the regulars know. Marginal whether it was my own silly fault or that of a car park company failing to ensure sufficient grip on metal decking. I'm also an ex employee of the Court Service so have a grasp of how compo cases work. Cold called about compensation being held in my name I ask 'how do they know' - line invariably goes dead.
(b) Called about solar panels on my roof I point out that while I own my roof and have potentially £10k to invest any profit I make from such panels is via 'green taxes' paid by those who struggle to keep their pre paid meter fed. How an I reconcile the morality?
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"So do I, its called an answer phone. If its important or of note they will leave a message."
Same with my phone. If it ain't my wife, my kids, my parents or close mates, I don't answer. Clients will leave a message, nobody else does.
Same with our gated street. If you don't speak English to me, you don't get buzzed in.
Same with our parties. If you wear panties, you don't get invited.
Last edited by: BiggerBadderDave on Tue 2 Dec 14 at 20:55
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>> Same with our gated street. If you don't speak English to me, you don't get
>> buzzed in.
>>
>> Same with our parties. If you wear panties, you don't get invited.
So knickerless non english speaking Milfs don't get in?
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 2 Dec 14 at 21:07
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"So knickerless non english speaking Milfs don't get in?"
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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I don't answer calls from withheld numbers or numbers as I don't recognise anymore as as undoubtedly if I do I end up regretting doing it ! Also along the same lines as Runfer if someone does try and sell me something, my answer is always that I do not conduct business over the phone, but if they would like to post me details of whatever it is I will have a look at it.
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Most of the scammers I get on the phone are PPI fishers or ' Mend your computer sir ? ' ones.
One of the last ' faulty PC ' ones was quite entertaining. I kept him on for about 9 minutes, bumbling about with an imaginary PC...I was sat at the dining room table at the time.
The last thing he said to me was " You know what...you're an e***** idiot..send me your sister ! '
I told him he couldn't do a job on our cat..let alone sister........not that I have either !
Well, you've gotta have a laugh when you've finished reading the paper ! Withheld numbers don't usually get answered 'cos SWM deals with phone calls but if she's out and I fancy a bit of sport then.......
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The Microsoft scammer who phoned me hung up after I strung her along for about five minutes before asking her a very graphically phrased question about whether she performed an unnatural act in the bedroom.
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>> How unpleasant.
>>
That's what I'd have thought if the thieving scum had cleaned out my bank accounts.
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Crude offensive language especially to women is completely unnecessary. You clearly knew the nature of the call and were never in any danger of financial loss. A curt explanation that you new the nature of the scam on simply hanging up would suffice unless you actually enjoy talking in that manner
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>> Crude offensive language especially to women is completely unnecessary.
She was fully aware of twhat she was doing, and would have had no scruples about conning the elderly or the less able.
We are not talking about a grad from a call centre in leeds here. This is a criminal enterprise.
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>> We are not talking about a grad from a call centre in leeds here. This is a criminal enterprise.
True enough. But you can tell someone rudely to sod off without being gross and in a way bullying. It's an art. either you have it or you haven't.
You can even just put the phone down. They never call back.
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>>You can even just put the phone down. They never call back.
Oh yes they do, repeatedly. See tonights One Show, Angela Rippon does a piece on nuisance calls.
Like Ted, I quite enjoy a wind-up when I'm feeling bored.
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>> Oh yes they do, repeatedly. See tonights One Show, Angela Rippon does a piece on
>> nuisance calls.
I've had that experience too. Same spoofed London number rang me ten times on same day last month. Alternated between ignoring and answering. In latter case the line was immediately dropped by caller.
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>>
>> She was fully aware of twhat she was doing, and would have had no scruples
>> about conning the elderly or the less able.
>>
>> We are not talking about a grad from a call centre in leeds here. This
>> is a criminal enterprise.
>>
Exactly.
Male or female, try and scam somebody for every penny you can get out of them and you have no reason to complain about the comeback. You don't like it, don't do it.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Wed 3 Dec 14 at 19:30
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I don't bother to abuse them, but they are fair game if you do.
Some of the people who lose money to them will be the ones who can least afford it.
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I had quite a long phone conversation once with an American-sounding geezer. It was strangely directionless, we went round and round for ages. I'm often patient and polite and must have been that day.
Eventually however I tried to cut to the chase by saying: 'Are you really asking me to front you some money electonically?' It seemed that yes, he was actually.
I thought that was awfully funny. But I stammered out through gales of laughter that I thought him an excellent salesman.
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>>Crude offensive language especially to women is completely unnecessary.
I agree with CG. She may have deserved no better, but the art of a decent human being is to behave towards idiots better than they behave towards you. Unless you consider yourself no better, of course.
And who knows what her story is. For all I know she's just trying to look after her kids. Because I'd steal to do that, wouldn't you?
Or perhaps she's a thieving, scheming scumbag. There's still no reason to sink to her level.
I do not hold myself up as a role model!
Last edited by: No FM2R on Wed 3 Dec 14 at 20:30
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>>
>>
>> And who knows what her story is. For all I know she's just trying to
>> look after her kids. Because I'd steal to do that, wouldn't you?
>>
>>
If she's stealing off me (And for all she knows I could be worse off than she is) I don't give a damn about her circumstances.
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If you ever go to India and hear the locals humming Richard Thompson's 'I feel so good', you'll know that they work in the call-centre that's been calling me.
This backfired once when my son's mate rang from the US to ask him to be his best-man. He sent my son an e-mail saying he couldn't understand why, when he called the land-line, he got Richard Thompson.
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It's obvious that everyone on here can deal with these calls in their own way. I'd agree that some of the people, who are caught out, are a bit dim. The real problem, as I see it, is the old and infirm or the old person who's just having a bad day. I've sometimes watched their faces as they try to deal with these calls. They tend to look distressed and panicky and part of it is the fact that they don't want to be rude - they weren't brought up that way.
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I don't think necessarily believe its being, dim thick or stupid in a lot of cases. Naive or gullible maybe. The vast majority of people are honest, decent and trusting. Telephone calls are an intrusion into your 'safe' castle.
As has been said, for some, it is not natural to be rude. These vulnerabilities are being totally exploited by thieving scumbags only one step ahead of the door knockers and scamming trades persons who know exactly what they are up to. They have no scruples. The impact on a victim who has been scammed can be life changing. Electronic burglary. I have no sympathy they deserve everything that comes their way.
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>> necessarily believe its being, dim thick or stupid in a lot of cases. Naive or gullible maybe. The vast majority of people are honest, decent and trusting.
Quite right Fc. I can think of two such I managed to deter, not without difficulty. One was experienced but perhaps a bit dim, and totally uneducated. The other is very bright and highly educated.
I'm having to force myself not to add 'Go figure'.
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Mrs took a call the other day and politely asked the company name and pointed out we are registered with the TPS. Caller (male) said "I don't give a s***, I'm just doing a job"
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Sounds like the roughneck-sounding caller who tried the solar panels con on me. It is usually possible to guess that the call is dodgy for a few seconds as the call centre background hubbub is heard before the caller homes in.
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Surely isn't beyond the wit of phone companies to co-operate on a system on the following lines:
-You decide a call is a scam or is otherwise undesirable
-You press a button or buttons which tell the phone company permanently to stop calls from this particular caller to your particular number
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>> -You decide a call is a scam or is otherwise undesirable
>> -You press a button or buttons which tell the phone company permanently to stop calls
>> from this particular caller to your particular number
Cold callers will just morph the number - many are false anyway. I'm called regularly by several very similar 0843 numbers all are claims related whether accidents, credit insurance or the latest - flight delays.
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Before we joined the TPS we were getting a lot of cold calls. I finally burst at one geordie lady, asking herif she was comfortable interrupting peoples' lives.
She said it was better than the dole, and I've tried to be more pleasant since. TPS has stopped most of the UK call centre calls now.
I did have one of the "microsoft" guys on. An asiatic american accent.
Mrs Too had recently nearly fallen victim to one, and she's a retired computer professional.
As soon as he mentioned microsoft, I said "F... off" and put down the phone.
He called back immediately and asked to speak to my husband (!)
he then shouted " don't F...ing tell me to F...off you F...ing M.... F....."
So i felt pleased to upset him.
BTW Sorry if the language offends, and I will understand if this post is moderated off.
8o)
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Another one today.
A Leeds number but not one known to me. Probably genuine as caller had the accent of the city.
Asked to speek to either me or Mrs B. Admitting I was B she then explained her records indicated I'd worked in industry and might be entitled to compensation.....
Pointed out I'd never worked anywhere noisier than a court lobby and she rang off.
Just another claims factory.
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>> records indicated I'd worked in industry and might be entitled to compensation.....
I always respond to them with "PARDON, CAN YOU SPEAK UP"?
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We had one of those this evening. SWM answered it...she's just too polite !
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Mine today was "Do you want a new boiler on the scrappage scheme".
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I'll mention that to my wife.
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My son has a great line when scammers call him. He says "I'd love to talk with you. Will you just wait until I get naked". They ring off.
Last edited by: martin aston on Fri 5 Dec 14 at 21:22
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>> My son has a great line when scammers call him. He says "I'd love to
>> talk with you. Will you just wait until I get naked". They ring off.
>>
Before he says " Then I can listen to your exciting news!"
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I occasionally say -
"I'm so glad you called, can we talk about God"
8o)
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You can set an emailer to catch and delete messages containing certain words. A handy device would be something that automatically engaged the caller in brief conversation and then ended the call if it heard words like "double glazing", "injury", etc, or whatever you set it to spot.
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As I said above, since we got on to the TPS the number of calls has reduced enormously,and we can handle the remaining human calls (OK, By being offensive!)
But we are plagued by recorded offers to give us free boilers and cavity wall insulation - sometimes several times a week, and even, sometimes, a day.
You have to press 9 to speak to someone !!!
There's no way to complain, since the number is withheld.
8o(
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Phone Scams - Robin O'Reliant
