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Scams: telephone, email, texts 2022

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On a few emails I have received trying to sell me things, I have tried clicking the 'Unsubscribe' button only to have my computer security telling me that it is an unsafe website. I do not think that they have been scams but just a mailing list that I have accidentally got on to. I just forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk
 
DavidGrain said:
I have tried clicking the 'Unsubscribe' button
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An issue with 'Unsubscribe' can be that the mail list can be managed by a specialist company. You may be unsubscribed from a particular company, but your email address is now confirmed as active for a lot of other lists. It is an efficient method of keeping lists updated with addresses that people are actually connected to and monitoring, rather than waiting sometime for a lack of responses.
Andrew.
 
DavidGrain said:
On a few emails I have received trying to sell me things, I have tried clicking the 'Unsubscribe' button only to have my computer security telling me that it is an unsafe website. I do not think that they have been scams but just a mailing list that I have accidentally got on to. I just forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk
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Clicking 'Unsubscribe' just tells the scammers that yours is a live address, which they can sell on to other advertisers or scammers. Either forward it to the company it has supposedly come from (phishing@company name) or mark it as spam, where any further e-mails from them will go to your spam folder.
 
I nearly got caught ... :rolleyes:
I received an email from someone I know well - they use outlook.com email.
There was no text just the attachment shown below - I've replaced names with ***
Scam email_iOS.jpg
I'm usually very careful but because I knew the sender I clicked the 'Open' button without checking the link within it.
I was signed into Chrome and Gmail and immediately Google flashed up a full screen red warning Unsafe so I did not proceed further. To be safe I've changed my Gmail password, run Windows Security offline virus check and thinking about changing my Microsoft account password.

Chatting with the person I know, a scammer somehow got into his email settings and diverted all his incoming mail to the deleted folder so he did not know anything was wrong until many of his 78 contacts started asking him why he was sending out strange emails.
 
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oldMohawk said:
I nearly got caught ... :rolleyes:
I received an email from someone I know well - they use outlane.com email.
There was no text just the attachment shown below - I've replaced names with ***
View attachment 173232
I'm usually very careful but because I knew the sender I clicked the 'Open' button without checking the link within it.
I was signed into Chrome and Gmail and immediately Google flashed up a full screen red warning Unsafe so I did not proceed further. To be safe I've changed my Gmail password, run Windows Security offline virus check and thinking about changing my Microsoft account password.

Chatting with the person I know, a scammer somehow got into his email settings and diverted all his incoming mail to the deleted folder so he did not know anything was wrong until many of his 78 contacts started asking him why he was sending out strange emails.
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I have been hit a couple of times and have nothing but contempt for scammers but the authorities do nothing. My new computer was scammed as the data was being transferred from the old one. I should say that the sellers system was scammed a major US company. Both gmail and Microsoft account passwords had to be changed. Took awhile to sort it out. Fortunately I had my iPad and phone.
 
I wouldn`t say i was scammed, but my Malwarebytes went crazy yesterday. It blocked all Google services so i couldn`t get on the web & in the end i had to open Malwarebytes & untick web protection. I still had Norton & Nordvpn to protect me so i wasn`t too bothered. Happy to say Malwarebytes is behaving itself today.
 
In the USA one that we get all the time is a Message from? that starts "How are you?" then goes on with "have you heard about the so and so" usually money give away, then they want you to fill out a form giving your SS@ DOB, etc nothing but a scam!!
 
Nigel Edwards said:
My favourite is; when asked if that is Mr ******, I say no, but I'll get him for you . . . . . ! they have a LONG wait. Or the "Sorry we only rent this property" is a good one.
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I can genuinely say "I only rent this" now! Or "You'll have to ask my landlord" if they want me to have new stuff fitted or an exchange boiler, etc. Shuts them up straight away!
 
oldbrit said:
In the USA one that we get all the time is a Message from? that starts "How are you?" then goes on with ....
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As soon as they ask "How are you today" I say that phrase tells me they are scammers, so goodbye - and put the phone down.
 
I've had scammers ask "Are you still at...." and give out an address left over 10 years ago. Of course I say I am, and would welcome their mail / visit from their representative. The place has changed hands at least twice since I left, so they'll never get a sale from me!
 
My reasonably priced 3 handset cordless telephone (bought from Argos) blocks all scam calls - I haven't heard one for at least two years. Only callers on my contacts list get through to ring the phone. All other callers are silently diverted to the answer phone, I don't hear anything. Scammers never leave messages - they just hang up. Only a look at the calls list.shows that scammers tried to call.

Setting-up the phone is a bit fiddly - I always need the instruction manual ....
 
oldMohawk said:
My reasonably priced 3 handset cordless telephone (bought from Argos) blocks all scam calls - I haven't heard one for at least two years. Only callers on my contacts list get through to ring the phone. All other callers are silently diverted to the answer phone, I don't hear anything. Scammers never leave messages - they just hang up. Only a look at the calls list.shows that scammers tried to call.

Setting-up the phone is a bit fiddly - I always need the instruction manual ....
Click to expand...
what if its 999 and they are not on your call list and are trying to get you in a hurry ?
 
Smudger said:
I wouldn`t say i was scammed, but my Malwarebytes went crazy yesterday. It blocked all Google services so i couldn`t get on the web & in the end i had to open Malwarebytes & untick web protection.
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Same thing happened to me Smudger. I quickly closed Chrome and opened Microsoft Edge which was OK. Immediately switched back to Chrome and that was then OK! It seems Malwarebytes are aware if the issue - see https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/malwarebytes-blocks-all-google-apps/
 
mw0njm. said:
what if its 999 and they are not on your call list and are trying to get you in a hurry ?
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I have the numbers of Doctors and other parts of the NHS etc on my contacts list so they always get through - basically anyone who I want to receive calls from is on my contacts list.

Other callers can always leave a message on my answer phone. If the police wanted to urgently phone me they need to always call from a number I can put in my contacts list.

The last time I called them they put me on hold !

In the early days of Covid (2020) when I was interested in receiving NHS calls about jabs, I switched the protection off and could hear scammers trying to get through but simply ignored them.
 
oldMohawk said:
My reasonably priced 3 handset cordless telephone (bought from Argos) blocks all scam calls - I haven't heard one for at least two years. Only callers on my contacts list get through to ring the phone. All other callers are silently diverted to the answer phone, I don't hear anything. Scammers never leave messages - they just hang up. Only a look at the calls list.shows that scammers tried to call.

Setting-up the phone is a bit fiddly - I always need the instruction manual ....
Click to expand...
oldMohawk, what is the brand or phone manufacturer? As my old boss would say, “when all else fails read the instructions” He was a radio astronomer scientist!
 
My BT phone blocks any number at the press of a button i leave it on answer machine mode all the while,while i am in i can see who is calling before i answer it its suprising what cranks call and hang up when they here the machine:(
 
Richard Dye said:
oldMohawk, what is the brand or phone manufacturer? As my old boss would say, “when all else fails read the instructions” He was a radio astronomer scientist!
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Richard, it is a BT4600. Obviously not made by BT (British Telecom) they just have their badge on it and use 'Truecall' software - 'Call Guardian'. Caller display (free on BT) is needed. The default setting is - all callers have to announce who they are before you let them in. Family relatives get annoyed by this unless you quickly change it so only they get normal access! Scammers never announce so they don't get in. I have it set differently going to the answer phone.
BT4600.jpg
BT have a more elegant model at a price and there are many other models made by different manufacturers. They are fiddly to set up and many users leave them on the default announce setting which forces 'withhelds' to announce who they are.
 
oldMohawk said:
Richard, it is a BT4600. Obviously not made by BT (British Telecom) they just have their badge on it and use 'Truecall' software - 'Call Guardian'. Caller display (free on BT) is needed. The default setting is - all callers have to announce who they are before you let them in. Family relatives get annoyed by this unless you quickly change it so only they get normal access! Scammers never announce so they don't get in. I have it set differently going to the answer phone.
View attachment 173322
BT have a more elegant model at a price and there are many other models made by different manufacturers. They are fiddly to set up and many users leave them on the default announce setting which forces 'withhelds' to announce who they are.
Click to expand...
Thank you, will see if there’s anything similar here.
 
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