A new telephone and broadband scam?

[devonwoody]

Got a telephone call at 8am this morning , a message (no telephone number available at 1471) and then an email the same thing (not opened) stating I have used 80% of my broadband allowance. I am virgin and do not have a fixed allowance.

So what is the verdict please?

 

[Glynne]

Definitely a scam.
We have a more regular one with a caller saying their system is reporting a fault with our broadband.
I even picked one up at my Mum's house (she's 91) saying the same thing. When I explained that the house had never seen a computer let alone broadband they casually just asked to speak to someone who knew what they were talking about!

 

[morfa]

Scam. Do you really think that your broadband company will ring you up telling you that you're nearly out of bandwidth? Course they won't.

Honestly, I'd get rid of my landline if I could, it's all just scams these days. The only people who still ring us on it are parents. All of who either have mobiles or are internet savvy enough to work skype.

 

[transatlantic]

So what exactly is the scam? what do they get people to do?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Got a telephone call at 8am this morning , a message (no telephone number available at 1471) and then an email the same thing (not opened) stating I have used 80% of my broadband allowance. I am virgin and do not have a fixed allowance.

So what is the verdict please?

It will be a scam John....doubtless their end goal will be to ask you to divulge some personal information of some description. Likely a password for this, that or the other. I'm afraid it's all too common these days. I recommend you telephone Virgin's security team and report it to them. If they call again, just tell them you're going to get a document with something relevant on and leave the phone line open to waste their time....or get one of those air horns and let the thing off right next to the receiver

 

[graduate_owner]

Surely what you need t do here is to give the caller your bank account details and password so they can help you to continue having internet access. Also your credit card details would be most useful, after all they are only trying to help. People are so suspicious these days.

K

 

[DrPhill]

Got one this morning, riding on the back of the leakLeak. Told me that someone else was using my broadband from a different address. Messed him around for about fifteen minutes - rebooting computer, acting confused "I only use it for internet banking as I dont really understand the inter web" ..... "my (non-existent) son sets it all up for me", "will he be able to help me connect to my savings account again?", getting him to ring back, rebooting the computer, pressing wrong keys. Eventually he rang back and I claimed that I did not have a computer. I knew I had won when he called me a Mo....Fu.... Ah, the simple joys in life.

 

[devonwoody]

Doc Phil, I will get my own back expect a telephone call around 03.00 tonight, your helpful adviser =P~

 

[DrPhill]

Evil thinker....... time to put the call-blocker back methinks

 

[Alexam]

Surely what you need t do here is to give the caller your bank account details and password so they can help you to continue having internet access. Also your credit card details would be most useful, after all they are only trying to help. People are so suspicious these days.

K

There are some silly people that may believe what you say and I know that you are joking, but they may not. Never give any information out and if it is a 'cold call' end the conversation before getting caught out.

 

[graduate_owner]

But not readers of this forum, surely?

You are quite correct though, else why would these scammers keep trying? They know they will catch out someone sooner or later.


PS, my internet banking password is "password123".

K

 

[transatlantic]

I think you have to be a particular type of evil to perform these kinds of scams that involve targeting the weak. To think that someone could actually talk "face to face" to a knowingly vulnerable (often elderly) person and extract their personal data/property ... and be ok with it.

Where do they find these people?

Should such a thing happen to someone in my family, especially those who are vulnerable or don't understand, I'd be happy with seeing that person beaten to a pulp.

 

[graduate_owner]

Fully agree, but it is nearly always the elderly and vulnerable that are targeted. It's the same with these cowboy builders - like the ones who charged a brain damaged man £64,000 for building a wall that should have cost about £600, and the job was pretty poor too. At least these were caught and gaoled.

K