Scam calls - a new trick?

[pje16]

You clearly don't understand how scammers/spammers work and why it is so difficult to stop them - maybe have a read up on the many technicalities of off shored cloud PBX and database hacking and then come back with some actual knowledge?

Slightly condescending
I may not know technically but as I get hardly any, I know as much as I need to

It's not condescending, it's calling out BS...

agree to disagree

[XFool]

You clearly don't understand how scammers/spammers work and why it is so difficult to stop them - maybe have a read up on the many technicalities of off shored cloud PBX and database hacking and then come back with some actual knowledge?

Slightly condescending
I may not know technically but as I get hardly any, I know as much as I need to

It's not condescending, it's calling out BS...

Yeah...? And I know what some of the self appointed(?) experts on my ISP's have told me down the years! They are the experts, not me. But I'm HERE they are not.

I can call out BS pretty well, too. When I need to.

[Infrasonic]

Slightly condescending
I may not know technically but as I get hardly any, I know as much as I need to

It's not condescending, it's calling out BS...

Yeah...? And I know what some of the self appointed(?) experts on my ISP's have told me down the years! They are the experts, not me. But I'm HERE they are not.

I can call out BS pretty well, too. When I need to.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

[XFool]

It's not condescending, it's calling out BS...

Yeah...? And I know what some of the self appointed(?) experts on my ISP's have told me down the years! They are the experts, not me. But I'm HERE they are not.

I can call out BS pretty well, too. When I need to.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-deception

[Infrasonic]

Yeah...? And I know what some of the self appointed(?) experts on my ISP's have told me down the years! They are the experts, not me. But I'm HERE they are not.

I can call out BS pretty well, too. When I need to.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-deception

Glad to see you aknowledge that you suffer from that as well- all may be not lost - the road to redemption is self recognition. Good luck on your journey of self discovery...

[XFool]

Who would have thought a simple topic in Computers, TVs & Phones, on spam email/phone calls could lead to such Sturm und Drang?

Well, by now... almost everybody?

Is nowhere 'safe' ?

[Infrasonic]

Who would have thought a simple topic in Computers, TVs & Phones, on spam email/phone calls could lead to such Sturm und Drang?

Well, by now... almost everybody?

Is nowhere 'safe' ?

viewforum.php?f=29

[XFool]

I feel this is worth repeating - and bearing in mind for future reference on this topic:

My email addresses and phone number are for a private individual, there has never been any business use. Perhaps THIS is the reason? The people who complain of spam rarely explain or contextualise anything beyond: "I get a lot of spam...". It might help if they did.

[XFool]

Who would have thought a simple topic in Computers, TVs & Phones, on spam email/phone calls could lead to such Sturm und Drang?

Well, by now... almost everybody?

Is nowhere 'safe' ?

viewforum.php?f=29

That goes nowhere in particular. Which is likely appropriate...

[chas49]

Moderator Message:
I think this has gone well beyond the discussion which is approriate for this board. Please stick to the topic. (chas49)

[Alaric]

It genuinely interests me why there is this seeming difference between those who get lots of spam emails/phone calls and those of us that don't. There must be a reason but I have never seen a simple explanation.

On phone calls, one simple explanation is that your name, address and phone number are, or were, listed in a telephone directory.

When "Microsoft" or "BT" phone up to tell me there's a problem with my computer or internet, I sometimes ask me how they associate the computer or its connection with the phone number.

On emails, long long ago, relatively speaking, before twitter and forums, there were discussion groups. These used to be like forums in that specialist subjects could be discussed. There was one called uk.finance for instance, You downloaded the latest postings as part of your local access to email. Crucially for use by spammers, an email address was published if you posted.

[XFool]

It genuinely interests me why there is this seeming difference between those who get lots of spam emails/phone calls and those of us that don't. There must be a reason but I have never seen a simple explanation.

On phone calls, one simple explanation is that your name, address and phone number are, or were, listed in a telephone directory.

Yes. My landline phone number has always been ex-directory.

But they used those automatic routine diallers - or used to - that could then lead to a silent call if there is nobody available to pick up the answer.
These all seem to have faded away over the years. Government action? I haven't picked up a scam landline call over the full two years of the pandemic.
I can still remember the occasion of my last scam landline call (it was funny!) but cannot remember how long ago it was now.

Rightly or wrongly, my intuition is that there may be 'right ways' and 'wrong ways' (in terms of effectiveness) of dealing with these things. The idea being to get 'struck off' any lists you are on - if this is possible. At the very least there is the psychological satisfaction of feeling you are doing something.

And in my case at least, it doesn't seem to have done any harm.

[GeoffF100]

I have not been troubled with spam email or spam calls lately.

In my experience, spam emails are rarely stopped by ticking the do not email me box, but can usually be stopped with an unsubscribe link. The exception is the main dealer that services my car.

My landline number changed when I changed ISP a year or so ago. I very rarely make calls on the landline, but I sometimes I call 0800 numbers on it. If I cannot locate my mobile phone I call it from my landline, but I do not answer the call.

I got a burst of spam text message shortly after I changed my mobile to 1p mobile, but they have died away.

If I get a suspicious call on either phone, I hang up immediately. A call is suspicious if:

(1). It is obviously a recorded voice.

(2). It claims to be from the National Crime Agency, Police, HMRC etc.

(3). Tells me that I have been involved in an accident.

It usually only takes me a few seconds to hang up.

[Infrasonic]

I've been ex directory my whole life on all phones, LL, Mobiles. It helps of course but that isn't the real issue.

There are billions of real email addresses and phone numbers on scammers lists that have come from breaches of databases or snooping whilst data packets are being transported unecrypted. Clicking unsubscribe or blocking illegal email spammers addresses just confirms your account is actively managed. It only works with legitimate firms (a vast minority of the overall spam volume).


Unless you are going to go completely off grid and live in a field then your full name, D.O.B, address, emails, phone numbers etc. are going to be on Govt. (and company) databases some of which will be accessible from the internet and open to being hacked.

All of us are completely at the mercy of these entities to ensure that the data is properly encrypted at all stages (at rest, during transport etc.).

Unfortunately that hasn't always been the case - hence so many hacking issues where unencrypted plain text data has been stolen and sold on via the dark web. Once this stuff is out there the only thing you can do to become anonymous(ish) again is dump all that information and start again - which you can't do easily for your name and date of birth...

With phone numbers get an IP phone number (SiP/VoIP) in front of your real ones so you can dump it if needs be - with email use disposable (e.g https://10minutemail.com/) or aliases or just use loads of real addresses that are non identifying (NOT your real name) and aggregate all the inboxes to your preferred email client - desktop and/or web.
If they start getting loads of random phishing spam dump the email address.

[XFool]

I've been ex directory my whole life on all phones, LL, Mobiles. It helps of course but that isn't the real issue.

I have had the same phone number for decades (ex directory landline). I have had my original email address for decades, it still redirects to my current email address. Both email addresses are based on my real name.

There are billions of real email addresses and phone numbers on scammers lists that have come from breaches of databases or snooping whilst data packets are being transported unecrypted. Clicking unsubscribe or blocking illegal email spammers addresses just confirms your account is actively managed. It only works with legitimate firms (a vast minority of the overall spam volume).

Yes.

In all the (true) spam emails I ever got, whatever I did with them (which was several things) I never ever replied to the email address itself. Never said: 'Do not send me email', never 'Unsubscribed', never 'Cancelled'. Whatever I did, I never did that.

In the past at least, with some browsers, your email address could be found as text in Cookies. Regarding security more generally there are matters such as rDNS. What do you see here?

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

Unless you are going to go completely off grid and live in a field then your full name, D.O.B, address, emails, phone numbers etc. are going to be on Govt. (and company) databases some of which will be accessible from the internet and open to being hacked.

All of us are completely at the mercy of these entities to ensure that the data is properly encrypted at all stages (at rest, during transport etc.).

Unfortunately that hasn't always been the case - hence so many hacking issues where unencrypted plain text data has been stolen and sold on via the dark web. Once this stuff is out there the only thing you can do to become anonymous(ish) again is dump all that information and start again - which you can't do easily for your name and date of birth...

With phone numbers get an IP phone number (SiP/VoIP) in front of your real ones so you can dump it if needs be - with email use disposable (e.g https://10minutemail.com/) or aliases or just use loads of real addresses that are non identifying (NOT your real name) and aggregate all the inboxes to your preferred email client - desktop and/or web.
If they start getting loads of random phishing spam dump the email address.

Never had to bother with any of that myself.

[onthemove]

Read the word MAY
It sounds unlikely is all I am saying
almost 45m in THREE months come on......

Crikey... you're kidding!

Admittedly, OK, over the past few months I've not had anywhere near as many, possibly because I report every nuisance or fraudulent call to...

https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/nui ... -messages/

But several months ago, at one point I was getting variations on mainly the Amazon scam (automated call telling me my amazon prime subscription has been renewed, etc- when I don't have amazon prime), but other various scams as well, up to 4 times PER DAY.

Admittedly all on the landline... I never seem to get any on my mobile.

Several times I resorted to completely unplugging my landline from the wall for several days and forgot I'd done so, leading my mum to worry as she couldn't then contact me.

95% are the Amazon scam, but I've had the HMRC scam as well telling me I'm going to be prosecuted - quite a threatening and concerning call if you aren't aware it's a scam - I've also had multiple variations of claiming to be "your ISP" type scam telling me there's a problem with my internet, etc, and then wanting to get access to my computer, etc

To be quite honest, the number of scam calls I get, I'd be absolutely astonished if there was anyone left in the country who isn't getting these calls.

--
Edit: Just to add, I've been registered with the TPS for a very long time now. I sometimes think some of the scammers just use the TPS database as their calling list.

[XFool]

Read the word MAY
It sounds unlikely is all I am saying
almost 45m in THREE months come on......

Crikey... you're kidding!

To be quite honest, the number of scam calls I get, I'd be absolutely astonished if there was anyone left in the country who isn't getting these calls.

Well it seems that for some reason, in some manner, some of you must have volunteered somewhere, to take the load off the rest of us.

Could some kind of poll be called for?

Edit: Just to add, I've been registered with the TPS for a very long time now. I sometimes think some of the scammers just use the TPS database as their calling list.

Possibly?

[XFool]

45 million people in UK received scam texts or calls in last three months

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/20/45-million-people-in-uk-received-scam-texts-or-calls-in-last-three-months

Watchdog Ofcom lays bare scale of problem as mobile network EE blocks 18,000 sim cards

"Research by Ofcom found that 82% of adults had received a suspicious message during the summer, with most reporting that it had come via a text.

Landline calls continued to be a threat for older people, with 61% of over-75s saying they had received a potential scam call."

So who's getting mine?

[Infrasonic]

45 million people in UK received scam texts or calls in last three months

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/20/45-million-people-in-uk-received-scam-texts-or-calls-in-last-three-months

Watchdog Ofcom lays bare scale of problem as mobile network EE blocks 18,000 sim cards

"Research by Ofcom found that 82% of adults had received a suspicious message during the summer, with most reporting that it had come via a text.

Landline calls continued to be a threat for older people, with 61% of over-75s saying they had received a potential scam call."

So who's getting mine?

Post your email and phone contact details if you're feeling left out...

[Lootman]

Unless you are going to go completely off grid and live in a field then your full name, D.O.B, address, emails, phone numbers etc. are going to be on Govt. (and company) databases some of which will be accessible from the internet and open to being hacked.

The following does not relate to spam/scam calls particularly, but rather to the concept of maintaining privacy.

I have had a focus on privacy for decades now, following an issue that arose before the internet was commonly used. I take the following steps to secure my privacy which have proven to be successful so far, including not being troubled by such calls.

1) I use a mailbox for all my correspondence and deliveries. The address looks like a normal street address rather than a POB. So anyone i do business with, e.g. banks, do not know where I live, only where my post is received.

2) I have almost never been on the electoral roll - exception was one year since 1987, just before we moved house.

3) All my household bills are in my wife's name, so even my local authority does not know I live in their jurisdiction

4) My email addresses (other than one which is just for close friends and families) are all in a name that looks like a real name but is not mine.

5) I have no social media accounts other than here, where I am careful not to give away too much personal information.

So it is possible to go "off the grid" whilst not literally being off the grid and living in the woods. It just takes commitment and for some it may be too late.