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Scams: telephone, email, texts 2022

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Chunky AC said:
I was under the impression that if goods are faulty or not as described, (incorrect size delivered are not as described) the can be returned at the dealers expense. The dealer should provide you with a preprinted label. To affix to the parcel.
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they are suppose to but some dont and get away with it knowing flee bay will not want to lose there custom and say nout,which i discovered today. so i know in future
 
Chunky AC said:
I was under the impression that if goods are faulty or not as described, (incorrect size delivered are not as described) the can be returned at the dealers expense. The dealer should provide you with a preprinted label. To affix to the parcel.
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Yes, or a scan and go from a pick up point. I think it comes down to the proverbial FINE PRiNT!
 
Lloyd said:
Yes, they've started already. I had a lengthy conversation with a 'supervisor' on the line that claims to be from Microsoft saying they know my computer was "Being used by scammers" (!) - I said they can't get in to use it and pretended not to understand what he was saying about technology. That was 20 minutes of his life he won't get back! If its anything to do with loft insulation, boiler renewal, double glazing, replacement soffits (what the hell are soffits anyway?) I tell them to contact my landlord. (You can do that even if you own your house - they aren't interested if they can't deal with you directly!) Another trick to try is let the phone ring 5 times before answering it - scammers dial multiple numbers then disconnect once one answers. Not failsafe, but often saves your bother. On mobiles, check the number calling - if it doesnt begin with "0" or "+44" its from outside of the UK. You can check where from on this page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_telephone_prefixes_by_country
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A guy on the radio had the right idea he took out a 0900 number ( separate phone for friends and relatives) so every time these companies rang he would keep them talking as long as possible as they were having to pay him for the call.
 
I had a text this morning from something called 'Trace Alert' telling me that I had been near someone who had Covid. There was a link to a NHS website where I needed to order a test kit etc etc. I could see that the linked site was fake so deleted the text. I never have Bluetooth in my phone switched on so could not have interacted with any other phone. It was a scam!
 
Wanted to warn everyone about a scam message I received. The message was apparently from my son who had dropped his phone down the toilet but had managed to get it to work with a new sim card. I had a text conversation advising him to put his phone into a bowl of rice to dry it out.

12 hours later I received another text asking me for a great favour, because his phone was linked to his bank account he was unable to pay a bill that was overdue and could I do it for him.

I was nearly drawn in by this but then thought why would his wife not pay it and also the payee had a strange name.
I asked confirmation of my birthdate and received the reply 'I've forgotten it dad, this is XXX (my son's name) why would it not be me'
They were asking for £570.

I have reported the number. Please be careful they are getting more sophisticated. I loathe these people.
 
brummy-lad said:
Please be careful they are getting more sophisticated. I loathe these people.
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Think. When you were working, or if you still are, you were (are) very good at your job. Pick another unrelated job, you would probably be OK at it, but maybe not too hot. For the scammers, that is their job. That is what we are up against.

brummy-lad said:
The message was apparently from my son who had dropped his phone down the toilet but had managed to get it to work with a new sim card.
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It is sometimes called SIM Swap, and often involves shady employees at phone shops in collusion with scammers.

brummy-lad said:
I was nearly drawn in by this
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Well done for catching it.

Andrew.
 
I've just received another text from 'Trace Alert' ... it's a scam so I deleted it.
but
On 20th July I received a text apparently from my GP medical practice with a link to
h_ttps://nhsm.uk/********
(I've mangled the link so that it does not work here and put stars instead of some text which identified my NHS details ... they knew who I was and who was my GP) (To make the link show, delete the underscore and stars)

I'm a suspicious oldie so did not open the link in my phone and typed it into my laptop where Windows Defender and Google Security said it was ok and this appeared ... the red is from me ....
Image4.jpg
I was suspicious because the text said the Flu jab is 'Free' ... well every flu jab I've had over the years was free!
Also I've never had to book an autumn flu jab in mid-summer, I book them in Sept direct with my GP.
I checked the link from the 'Call Now' phone button and it was to my GP's number.

The uninvited text from nhsm.uk is genuine but I will still book direct with the GP practice as I always have done.
I did click the button saying 'I want a flu jab' ... but they should already know I have been having them for 10+ years !!
 
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For a few weeks now, I've been receiving and deleting daily emails asking me to click various tabs for "confirmation" of loans or vote for some cause or other. They're obviously bogus because they all use a short nickname derived from my email address, not even the full name. Somebody out there is very persistent right now.
 
I also get many bogus texts which cause me to be suspicious when a genuine text arrives. I get texts from 'Trace Alert' every week even though I have reported them. I do get texts from sender 'nhs' but have never seen sender 'nhsm' before ... but checks show they are the NHS ... unless they are very clever scammers.
 
oldMohawk said:
unless they are very clever scammers.
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I had one the other day. Netflix: Update your details within 48 hours to avoid extra charges on your account.
From a mobile number.
Linked to an http random number /letter sequence.
That is just lazy, they could at least try a little bit. I can delete that in my sleep.

On the other hand, how many need to fall for it for a scammer payday ?

Andrew.
 
Looking through my unread emails I noticed this one from Santander. It looked very professional and official.
Image4.jpg
I was a bit puzzled because I do not have a Santander Bank Account but it wanted all details PIN numbers etc.

There were clickable links all over it and when I mouse-hovered over them they all pointed to an address in Bangkok. Even the link (at the bottom) supposedly to the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA.org) went to some place in Bangkok.

Maybe Santander Bank does run from Bangkok, but mistakenly picked the wrong person (me a suspicious old fogey) to send it to ... :(
 
I do have a Santander account but refuse to go online. I get lots of emails with links but just delete them. They always address them to Mrs ....... never my initials or first name. The end part looks like the end of yours with Santander and FCA links but I have never hovered the mouse over them. I will do so next time and see what they say.
 
This is the link to the Financial Conduct Authority
h_tt_ps://bangkokcustom.com/rasc?stepid=cGhpbHd3YXlAYnRpbnRlcm5ldC5jb20=&step=rJr8rNL&id=santander
I have changed the link so that is does not connect from this post. It does not look genuine to me unless the FCA has gone abroad. I intend to contact the FCA through a UK link for their comment.
 
oldMohawk said:
Looking through my unread emails I noticed this one from Santander. It looked very professional and official.
View attachment 171956
I was a bit puzzled because I do not have a Santander Bank Account but it wanted all details PIN numbers etc.

There were clickable links all over it and when I mouse-hovered over them they all pointed to an address in Bangkok. Even the link (at the bottom) supposedly to the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA.org) went to some place in Bangkok.

Maybe Santander Bank does run from Bangkok, but mistakenly picked the wrong person (me a suspicious old fogey) to send it to ... :(
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it pays to be a suspicious old fogey these days om
 
i used the santander hole in the wall.and i had a lot off junk mail come to me from them, how did they know my address?
 
Just had a red pop up window from Norton, "Auto protect has quarantied high risk Linux.Mirai " I don`t have Linux so i don`t quite understand? Oh to get my hands on these scum that make so many peoples lives a misery.
 
Smudger said:
Just had a red pop up window from Norton, "Auto protect has quarantied high risk Linux.Mirai " I don`t have Linux so i don`t quite understand? Oh to get my hands on these scum that make so many peoples lives a misery.
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A lot of strange stuff going on with Norton these days! They (whomever) keep sending me a bill saying my protection will expire in two days or something like that. I would be careful.
 
I continually (for the last 2 months or so) keep getting similar from Mcafee. but it comes in a bold text with a particular typeface. I get a lot of other spam using the saem typeface, so delete anything with that bold typeface immediately. I am with the real Mcafee , and the frist time I got one I checked on the proper site . That is something you should always do anyway whether you think it genuine or not
 
mikejee said:
I continually (for the last 2 months or so) keep getting similar from Mcafee. but it comes in a bold text with a particular typeface. I get a lot of other spam using the saem typeface, so delete anything with that bold typeface immediately. I am with the real Mcafee , and the frist time I got one I checked on the proper site . That is something you should always do anyway whether you think it genuine or not
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Yes, I have received a couple from MacAfee but mostly Norton.
 
Smudger said:
Just had a red pop up window from Norton, "Auto protect has quarantied high risk Linux.Mirai " I don`t have Linux so i don`t quite understand? Oh to get my hands on these scum that make so many peoples lives a misery.
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What that means is that it's found a virus called "Linux.Mirai" and put it into their quarantine folder. From that you might be able to find out where it came from and you should be able to delete it safely.
 
Those nice people at HMRC have sent me a text offering a tax refund. All I have to do is give them my bank details so they know where to send it to .... :rolleyes:
 
I never looked at the title and I've now deleted the text. The 'giveaway' for me was the .com extension, HM gov always use .co.uk.
 
Government websites use .gov.uk. Local authorities use the local authority name plus .gov.uk

I have had a few scams with .jp which is Japan.
 
oldMohawk said:
I never looked at the title and I've now deleted the text. The 'giveaway' for me was the .com extension, HM gov always use .co.uk.
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HM generally use .gov.uk for things although there are also a lot of functions that have been delegated to non-governmental organisations that could have any extension they want.
 
Had an invitation today to take part in a survey for Lidl. As I very rarely shop in Lidl and have never given them my details, the email was immediately suspect. Looked very well done but the sender's address looked weird to me. At the bottom to unsubscribe there was a link an an address in New York State. I reported it to [email protected].
 
There seem to be several cases of phishing here lately. Did you know that most online email accounts have some simple automated method of reporting phishing from the same page as you use to access your email? Admittedly this will go to the email provider rather than anything official but they're most likely to be able to do anything about it. If nothing else, it's used to decide what goes in people's junk mail rather than their inbox.
 
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