| New phone scams [message #338877] |
Tue, 07 March 2017 15:08  |
hancock4
Messages: 6746
Registered: December 2011
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CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
collection tactics, not fraud.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
(I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
supporter computer scammers.)
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338878 is a reply to message #338877] |
Tue, 07 March 2017 15:16  |
Joe Pfeiffer
Messages: 764
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes:
> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
> overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
> Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
> collection tactics, not fraud.
>
> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>
> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
> supporter computer scammers.)
My wife's parents got hit last week.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338879 is a reply to message #338877] |
Tue, 07 March 2017 15:33 |
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Originally posted by: JimP.
On Tue, 7 Mar 2017 12:08:05 -0800 (PST), hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. Theyve
> overtaken identity thieves to become the nations top fraudsters,
> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
> Commissions Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
> collection tactics, not fraud.
>
> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>
> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
> supporter computer scammers.)
My relatives tell them they don't have a computer.
--
Jim
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338894 is a reply to message #338877] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 00:33 |
Andrew Swallow
Messages: 1705
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 07/03/2017 20:08, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
> overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
> Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
> collection tactics, not fraud.
>
> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>
> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
> supporter computer scammers.)
>
I have been receiving lots of phone calls from phone scammers in the UK.
The BT support ones are definitely scams. I reported a software problem
to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338899 is a reply to message #338894] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 02:28 |
Morten Reistad
Messages: 2108
Registered: December 2011
Karma: 0
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In article <BMWdnQH5JqQTCiLFnZ2dnUU78X3NnZ2d@giganews.com>,
Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
> On 07/03/2017 20:08, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
>> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
>> overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
>> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
>> Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
>> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
>> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
>> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
>> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
>> collection tactics, not fraud.
>>
>> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>>
>> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
>> supporter computer scammers.)
>>
>
> I have been receiving lots of phone calls from phone scammers in the UK.
> The BT support ones are definitely scams. I reported a software problem
> to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
> Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
I use the app from telefonterror.no, it has a user-updated blacklist
of numbers where it just hangs up. I hear one sub-second little ring
and then silence.
It only works with domestic numbers, though. But it saves a lot
of aggrevation.
-- mrr
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338900 is a reply to message #338894] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 04:14 |
mausg
Messages: 2483
Registered: May 2013
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 2017-03-08, Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
> On 07/03/2017 20:08, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
>> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
>> overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
>> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
>> Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
>> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
>> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
>> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
>> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
>> collection tactics, not fraud.
>>
>> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>>
>> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
>> supporter computer scammers.)
>>
>
> I have been receiving lots of phone calls from phone scammers in the UK.
> The BT support ones are definitely scams. I reported a software problem
> to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
> Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
As micro$ is basically a scam, whats the difference?
--
greymaus.ireland.ie
Just_Another_Grumpy_Old_Man
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338901 is a reply to message #338894] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 04:39 |
Ahem A Rivet's Shot
Messages: 4843
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On Wed, 8 Mar 2017 05:33:26 +0000
Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
> I reported a software problem
> to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
> Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
I goove you need a zbarlous support contract before they'll pay you
that much attention.
--
Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays
C:>WIN | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see
You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338906 is a reply to message #338899] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 09:49 |
Dan Espen
Messages: 3867
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> writes:
> In article <BMWdnQH5JqQTCiLFnZ2dnUU78X3NnZ2d@giganews.com>,
> Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
>> On 07/03/2017 20:08, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>>> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
>>> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
>>> overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
>>> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
>>> Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
>>> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
>>> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
>>> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
>>> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
>>> collection tactics, not fraud.
>>>
>>> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>>>
>>> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
>>> supporter computer scammers.)
>>>
>>
>> I have been receiving lots of phone calls from phone scammers in the UK.
>> The BT support ones are definitely scams. I reported a software problem
>> to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
>> Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
Since MSFT would never call you in that manner you can be certain that
it is a scam.
> I use the app from telefonterror.no, it has a user-updated blacklist
> of numbers where it just hangs up. I hear one sub-second little ring
> and then silence.
>
> It only works with domestic numbers, though. But it saves a lot
> of aggrevation.
I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
behavior.
--
Dan Espen
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338908 is a reply to message #338901] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 10:23 |
Walter Banks
Messages: 1000
Registered: July 2012
Karma: 0
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On 2017-03-08 3:39 AM, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
> On Wed, 8 Mar 2017 05:33:26 +0000
> Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>> I reported a software problem
>> to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
>> Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
>
> I goove you need a zbarlous support contract before they'll pay you
> that much attention.
>
Actually no. I reported a quite obscure bug in a w10 update related to
access of a W2000 computer on the network (W2000 to W10) worked fine.
Since the computers were a few feet apart it didn't matter much.
About 10 days later I got a call from MS asking if I still had the
problem. Unbeknown to me it was fixed in one of the minor updates.
My first reaction to the call was it was one of the scam calls.
I have been impressed with Microsoft support and for that matter W10 in
general. It can run any windows application code we have ever released
without rebuilding the executables including doing so on <$100 tablets.
The code goes back to the earliest releases of windows.
w..
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338911 is a reply to message #338906] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 12:30 |
Charlie Gibbs
Messages: 5313
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
very few messages.
> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
> behavior.
Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
--
/~\ cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid (Charlie Gibbs)
\ / I'm really at ac.dekanfrus if you read it the right way.
X Top-posted messages will probably be ignored. See RFC1855.
/ \ HTML will DEFINITELY be ignored. Join the ASCII ribbon campaign!
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338915 is a reply to message #338906] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 13:29 |
Peter Flass
Messages: 8375
Registered: December 2011
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
> Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> writes:
>
>> In article <BMWdnQH5JqQTCiLFnZ2dnUU78X3NnZ2d@giganews.com>,
>> Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
>>> On 07/03/2017 20:08, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>>>> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
>>>> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
>>>> overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
>>>> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
>>>> Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
>>>> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
>>>> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
>>>> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
>>>> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
>>>> collection tactics, not fraud.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>>>>
>>>> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
>>>> supporter computer scammers.)
>>>>
>>>
>>> I have been receiving lots of phone calls from phone scammers in the UK.
>>> The BT support ones are definitely scams. I reported a software problem
>>> to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
>>> Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
>
> Since MSFT would never call you in that manner you can be certain that
> it is a scam.
>
>> I use the app from telefonterror.no, it has a user-updated blacklist
>> of numbers where it just hangs up. I hear one sub-second little ring
>> and then silence.
>>
>> It only works with domestic numbers, though. But it saves a lot
>> of aggrevation.
>
> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>
> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
> behavior.
>
I agree. Unfortunately, like spam emails it's pretty difficult to catch and
punish someone. Also, like spam, sometimes the definition is a bit cloudy.
--
Pete
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338921 is a reply to message #338911] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 13:53 |
Dan Espen
Messages: 3867
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>
> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
> very few messages.
I don't see how that's a solution unless you turn the ringer off.
>> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>> behavior.
>
> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
They are a lower form of life.
A form of life that thinks it's fine to come into your house
uninvited and crap on the floor.
--
Dan Espen
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338924 is a reply to message #338900] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 14:04 |
Andrew Swallow
Messages: 1705
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 08/03/2017 09:14, mausg@mail.com wrote:
> On 2017-03-08, Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
>> On 07/03/2017 20:08, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>>> CBS News reported to beware of bogus IRS agents, fake offers of
>>> tech support and faux beaus -- in other words, impostors. They’ve
>>> overtaken identity thieves to become the nation’s top fraudsters,
>>> according to the latest consumer complaint data. The Federal Trade
>>> Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, which tallies up the number
>>> and type of consumer complaints received each year, reported more
>>> than 3 million of them in 2016. Debt collection remains the No. 1
>>> gripe, accounting for some 28 percent of reported complaints. However,
>>> the bulk of debt-collection complaints involve overly aggressive
>>> collection tactics, not fraud.
>>>
>>> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/move-over-id-theft-heres-the-new -no-1-fraud/
>>>
>>> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
>>> supporter computer scammers.)
>>>
>>
>> I have been receiving lots of phone calls from phone scammers in the UK.
>> The BT support ones are definitely scams. I reported a software problem
>> to Microsoft so I not certain if the calls from "Microsoft Technical
>> Support" is a scam but I still hang up.
>
> As micro$ is basically a scam, whats the difference?
>
>
Microsoft may have decided to fix the fault and the programmer check a
few details.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338925 is a reply to message #338911] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 14:06 |
Andrew Swallow
Messages: 1705
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 08/03/2017 17:30, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>
> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
> very few messages.
>
>> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>> behavior.
>
> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
>
The Indian and Nigerian economies, not the British one.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338935 is a reply to message #338925] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 16:26 |
Morten Reistad
Messages: 2108
Registered: December 2011
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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In article <JP6dnUwSJbOyy13FnZ2dnUU78dGdnZ2d@giganews.com>,
Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
> On 08/03/2017 17:30, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
>> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>>> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>>> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>>
>> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
>> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
>> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
>> very few messages.
>>
>>> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>>> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>>> behavior.
>>
>> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
>>
>
> The Indian and Nigerian economies, not the British one.
I do have quite good stats from largish (18k subscribers) voip
installation about where the spam calls originate.
The #1 is .. UK.
By quite a large margin, too.
Then you have Pakistan, Poland, the baltics, Ghana(!) and
India and Nigeria around 10th place.
This is by the callerids shown. Which may be fake, but not quite
enough to dethrone the UK.
-- mrr
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338945 is a reply to message #338921] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 19:27 |
Joe Pfeiffer
Messages: 764
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> writes:
> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
>
>> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>>> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>>> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>>
>> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
>> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
>> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
>> very few messages.
>
> I don't see how that's a solution unless you turn the ringer off.
>
>>> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>>> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>>> behavior.
>>
>> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
>
> They are a lower form of life.
> A form of life that thinks it's fine to come into your house
> uninvited and crap on the floor.
Even more, they're a form of life that thinks it's fine to come into
your house and pick your pocket.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338950 is a reply to message #338934] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 20:33 |
hancock4
Messages: 6746
Registered: December 2011
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 5:09:12 PM UTC-5, John Levine wrote:
> Andreas Kohlbach <> wrote:
>> This is a folklore group. *Old* phone scams might be ontopic.
>
> These are old phone scams. The only thing that's new is that someone
> at CBS who never heard of them before did a story on them.
Unfortunately, a lot of non-technical people aren't aware of them
and get burned.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338957 is a reply to message #338921] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 22:25 |
Charlie Gibbs
Messages: 5313
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
>
>> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>>> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>>> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>>
>> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
>> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
>> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
>> very few messages.
>
> I don't see how that's a solution unless you turn the ringer off.
It's still a bit of a bother - but not nearly as much as if you
answer the phone and actually have to talk to them.
If I do pick up the phone, the caller has two seconds to say
something before I hang up. There's usually at least that much
dead time before the autodialer connects me to the next available
agent.
>>> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>>> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>>> behavior.
>>
>> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
>
> They are a lower form of life.
> A form of life that thinks it's fine to come into your house
> uninvited and crap on the floor.
Indeed. So when they knock on the door, I don't open it.
That'll have to do for now.
--
/~\ cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid (Charlie Gibbs)
\ / I'm really at ac.dekanfrus if you read it the right way.
X Top-posted messages will probably be ignored. See RFC1855.
/ \ HTML will DEFINITELY be ignored. Join the ASCII ribbon campaign!
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338958 is a reply to message #338877] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 22:44 |
Mike Spencer
Messages: 997
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes:
> (I've known senior citizens who have been tricked by the tech
> supporter computer scammers.)
I was really looking forward to my first tech support scam call. I
had a spare Windoes computer sitting right there in an otherwise
all-Linux environment and I was ready to play the Credulous Old Geezer
for hours.
Trouble is, I really *am* an Old Geezer and my hearing is bad
enough that I couldn't understand the scammer without numerous
repetitions, which made it boring for me. He didn't take well to my
suggestion that he eliminate his thick accent and call back in year
or so.
--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338959 is a reply to message #338958] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 23:04 |
Roger Blake
Messages: 167
Registered: December 2011
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 2017-03-09, Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
> Trouble is, I really *am* an Old Geezer and my hearing is bad
> enough that I couldn't understand the scammer without numerous
> repetitions, which made it boring for me. He didn't take well to my
> suggestion that he eliminate his thick accent and call back in year
> or so.
If I have the time it's fun to play around with those idiots.
In fact I keep a couple of virtual machines around for the "Windows
Support technician" to stumble around in. Frequently they'll
use Teamviewer to remote in and show you what's "wrong with your
computer." Since Teamviewer is cross-platform I let them into a Linux VM
and it's pretty funny watching them try to get anything to work. I also
have a Windows VM available if they're using a different, Windows-only
remote package. That VM has event logging turned off and any existing
logs cleared, so there are no grievous "errors" to find. Drives them nuts.
Eventually they'll figure out I'm yanking their chains after which they
generally utter some indecipherable third-world curse and hang up.
It's hard to imagine anyone actually falling for such transparent scams.
--
------------------------------------------------------------ -----------------
Roger Blake (Posts from Google Groups killfiled due to excess spam.)
NSA sedition and treason -- http://www.DeathToNSAthugs.com
Don't talk to cops! -- http://www.DontTalkToCops.com
Badges don't grant extra rights -- http://www.CopBlock.org
------------------------------------------------------------ -----------------
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338960 is a reply to message #338959] |
Wed, 08 March 2017 23:28 |
Joe Pfeiffer
Messages: 764
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> writes:
> On 2017-03-09, Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
>> Trouble is, I really *am* an Old Geezer and my hearing is bad
>> enough that I couldn't understand the scammer without numerous
>> repetitions, which made it boring for me. He didn't take well to my
>> suggestion that he eliminate his thick accent and call back in year
>> or so.
>
> If I have the time it's fun to play around with those idiots.
>
> In fact I keep a couple of virtual machines around for the "Windows
> Support technician" to stumble around in. Frequently they'll
> use Teamviewer to remote in and show you what's "wrong with your
> computer." Since Teamviewer is cross-platform I let them into a Linux VM
> and it's pretty funny watching them try to get anything to work. I also
> have a Windows VM available if they're using a different, Windows-only
> remote package. That VM has event logging turned off and any existing
> logs cleared, so there are no grievous "errors" to find. Drives them nuts.
>
> Eventually they'll figure out I'm yanking their chains after which they
> generally utter some indecipherable third-world curse and hang up.
>
> It's hard to imagine anyone actually falling for such transparent scams.
You're someone who has both Linux and Windows honeypots available for
them to play in (what a delicious mental image). The people who get
caught are people who need help setting up a Windows machine when they
first get it home (and there are lots of otherwise-intelligent people,
typically older, who fit that description).
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338962 is a reply to message #338950] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 00:30 |
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Originally posted by: The Newest Other Guy
On Wed, 8 Mar 2017 17:33:56 -0800 (PST), hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 5:09:12 PM UTC-5, John Levine wrote:
>
>> Andreas Kohlbach <> wrote:
>>> This is a folklore group. *Old* phone scams might be ontopic.
>>
>> These are old phone scams. The only thing that's new is that someone
>> at CBS who never heard of them before did a story on them.
>
> Unfortunately, a lot of non-technical people aren't aware of them
> and get burned.
I feel like anyone (under 70) who falls for something like that DESERVES
what they get.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338964 is a reply to message #338957] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 02:08 |
Ahem A Rivet's Shot
Messages: 4843
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 9 Mar 2017 03:25:07 GMT
Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
> It's still a bit of a bother - but not nearly as much as if you
> answer the phone and actually have to talk to them.
One thing that puzzles me about all this, I have never had this
kind of call that seems to plague so many people. If the phone rings it's
either a real call or a wrong number. I have had a few (less than five) SMS
scam messages on my mobile but never a phone scammer or even a cold calling
seller. I have no idea what I'm doing right here, but I intend to keep
doing it.
--
Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays
C:>WIN | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see
You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338968 is a reply to message #338945] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 08:18 |
jmfbahciv
Messages: 6173
Registered: March 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
> Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> writes:
>
>> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
>>
>>> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>>>> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>>>> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>>>
>>> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
>>> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
>>> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
>>> very few messages.
>>
>> I don't see how that's a solution unless you turn the ringer off.
>>
>>>> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>>>> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>>>> behavior.
>>>
>>> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
>>
>> They are a lower form of life.
>> A form of life that thinks it's fine to come into your house
>> uninvited and crap on the floor.
>
> Even more, they're a form of life that thinks it's fine to come into
> your house and pick your pocket.
I have more problems with the legal scammers. I've had more than
500 phone calls from the company which had my car's extended
warranty over the past 3 years. the warranty was part of the
purchase deal; I did not buy it when I bought the car. These
people call just about every day, sometimes twice a day.
I've had similar problems with ATT and a couple other
businesses.
/BAH
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338974 is a reply to message #338964] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 09:01 |
osmium
Messages: 749
Registered: April 2013
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 3/9/2017 1:08 AM, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
> On 9 Mar 2017 03:25:07 GMT
> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
>
>> It's still a bit of a bother - but not nearly as much as if you
>> answer the phone and actually have to talk to them.
> One thing that puzzles me about all this, I have never had this
> kind of call that seems to plague so many people. If the phone rings it's
> either a real call or a wrong number. I have had a few (less than five) SMS
> scam messages on my mobile but never a phone scammer or even a cold calling
> seller. I have no idea what I'm doing right here, but I intend to keep
> doing it.
>
I get a few cold calls a month and also a few "null" calls, no one
there. There are an awful lot of phone numbers, is it possible you have
a lucky number that the selection process has missed so far? For
example, there may be area codes where the average income is about zero
- why waste time calling these numbers?
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338975 is a reply to message #338960] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 09:21 |
Walter Banks
Messages: 1000
Registered: July 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 2017-03-08 10:28 PM, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
> You're someone who has both Linux and Windows honeypots available
> for them to play in (what a delicious mental image). The people who
> get caught are people who need help setting up a Windows machine when
> they first get it home (and there are lots of otherwise-intelligent
> people, typically older, who fit that description).
I have a W2000 machine within reach (plus a half dozen or so other
computers with various OS's) When I am looking for some comic relief and
have the time the objective is to see how long I cam keep on the line
after I have been clear that here is no sale. Double points each time
they get a new "supervisor".
w..
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338981 is a reply to message #338974] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 11:12 |
Ahem A Rivet's Shot
Messages: 4843
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
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On Thu, 9 Mar 2017 08:01:55 -0600
Osmium <r124c4u102@comcast.net> wrote:
> On 3/9/2017 1:08 AM, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
>> On 9 Mar 2017 03:25:07 GMT
>> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>> It's still a bit of a bother - but not nearly as much as if you
>>> answer the phone and actually have to talk to them.
>> One thing that puzzles me about all this, I have never had this
>> kind of call that seems to plague so many people. If the phone rings
>> it's either a real call or a wrong number. I have had a few (less than
>> five) SMS scam messages on my mobile but never a phone scammer or even
>> a cold calling seller. I have no idea what I'm doing right here, but I
>> intend to keep doing it.
>>
> I get a few cold calls a month and also a few "null" calls, no one
> there. There are an awful lot of phone numbers, is it possible you have
> a lucky number that the selection process has missed so far? For
> example, there may be area codes where the average income is about zero
> - why waste time calling these numbers?
That would be my mobile, my wife's mobile (different operator[1])
and both of my kids' mobiles as well as a number of landlines over the years
including my current two pseudo landlines (VOIP connected) one with a London
area code the other a Dingle one. None of them have ever had scam calls or
cold calls.
[1] Mobile numbers here have a distinctive 'area' code identifying the
operator that originally issued the number (they're transferable between
operators).
--
Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays
C:>WIN | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see
You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338983 is a reply to message #338935] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 12:03 |
Andrew Swallow
Messages: 1705
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
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On 08/03/2017 21:26, Morten Reistad wrote:
> In article <JP6dnUwSJbOyy13FnZ2dnUU78dGdnZ2d@giganews.com>,
> Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
>> On 08/03/2017 17:30, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
>>> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>>>> With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>>>> much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>>>
>>> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
>>> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
>>> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
>>> very few messages.
>>>
>>>> Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>>>> arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>>>> behavior.
>>>
>>> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
>>>
>>
>> The Indian and Nigerian economies, not the British one.
>
> I do have quite good stats from largish (18k subscribers) voip
> installation about where the spam calls originate.
>
> The #1 is .. UK.
>
> By quite a large margin, too.
>
> Then you have Pakistan, Poland, the baltics, Ghana(!) and
> India and Nigeria around 10th place.
>
> This is by the callerids shown. Which may be fake, but not quite
> enough to dethrone the UK.
>
> -- mrr
>
>
>
The people who phone me mostly speak with Indian accents. They soon have
trouble if I hold a conversation with them, so it is not their normal
language.
I do not know about scam phone calls to the rest of Europe.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338984 is a reply to message #338964] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 12:09 |
Andrew Swallow
Messages: 1705
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 09/03/2017 07:08, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
> On 9 Mar 2017 03:25:07 GMT
> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
>
>> It's still a bit of a bother - but not nearly as much as if you
>> answer the phone and actually have to talk to them.
>
> One thing that puzzles me about all this, I have never had this
> kind of call that seems to plague so many people. If the phone rings it's
> either a real call or a wrong number. I have had a few (less than five) SMS
> scam messages on my mobile but never a phone scammer or even a cold calling
> seller. I have no idea what I'm doing right here, but I intend to keep
> doing it.
>
They appear to take the numbers from old telephone directory and website
that sell lists of their subscribers. Either there are lots of people
with the same script or the scammers do not cross check the phone
numbers with the people they called last week.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338985 is a reply to message #338968] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 12:13 |
Andrew Swallow
Messages: 1705
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
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On 09/03/2017 13:18, jmfbahciv wrote:
> Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
>> Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> writes:
>>
>>> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
>>>
>>>> On 2017-03-08, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > I use nomorobo.com. The short ring sounds like a good feature.
>>>> > With nomorobo you get one full ring so if you care you pretty
>>>> > much have to wait for the lack of the start of the second ring.
>>>>
>>>> We use a much simpler solution: if we don't recognize the number
>>>> that comes up on the call display - or if it's blocked - we
>>>> ignore the call. Legitimate callers leave a message. We get
>>>> very few messages.
>>>
>>> I don't see how that's a solution unless you turn the ringer off.
>>>
>>>> > Still, the entire situation is ridiculous. People should be
>>>> > arrested, fined and imprisoned for their anti-social, destructive
>>>> > behavior.
>>>>
>>>> Are you kidding? They're a pillar of The Economy!
>>>
>>> They are a lower form of life.
>>> A form of life that thinks it's fine to come into your house
>>> uninvited and crap on the floor.
>>
>> Even more, they're a form of life that thinks it's fine to come into
>> your house and pick your pocket.
>
> I have more problems with the legal scammers. I've had more than
> 500 phone calls from the company which had my car's extended
> warranty over the past 3 years. the warranty was part of the
> purchase deal; I did not buy it when I bought the car. These
> people call just about every day, sometimes twice a day.
> I've had similar problems with ATT and a couple other
> businesses.
>
> /BAH
>
Over 3 years it is normally cheaper to paid for repairs yourself. The
profit margin on the insurance is enormous. On TVs use the premiums to
save up for a replacement.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338989 is a reply to message #338975] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 12:46 |
Morten Reistad
Messages: 2108
Registered: December 2011
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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In article <o9roe2$1oc6$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
Walter Banks <walter@bytecraft.com> wrote:
> On 2017-03-08 10:28 PM, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
>> You're someone who has both Linux and Windows honeypots available
>> for them to play in (what a delicious mental image). The people who
>> get caught are people who need help setting up a Windows machine when
>> they first get it home (and there are lots of otherwise-intelligent
>> people, typically older, who fit that description).
>
> I have a W2000 machine within reach (plus a half dozen or so other
> computers with various OS's) When I am looking for some comic relief and
> have the time the objective is to see how long I cam keep on the line
> after I have been clear that here is no sale. Double points each time
> they get a new "supervisor".
I once had a boss who was (and is) a really good salesman. He
put a real effort into making turing the calls with the telemarketees
and sell THEM something.
He had a surprisingly high success rate too.
-- mrr
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338990 is a reply to message #338974] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 13:13 |
Charlie Gibbs
Messages: 5313
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 2017-03-09, Osmium <r124c4u102@comcast.net> wrote:
> I get a few cold calls a month and also a few "null" calls, no one
> there.
Is there really no one there, or are you hanging up before someone
comes on the line? In your typical large call centre, an autodialer
calls numbers on a list; when someone answers, the call is then
transferred to the next available agent. This process takes several
seconds, during which the line appears dead.
I first noticed this when I'd hear my wife pick up the phone, say
hello, then after a few seconds say hello again. I quickly came
to realize that if she said hello twice, the next thing I'd hear
her say is "Don't bother me!", followed by hanging up.
Hence my current practice, which is quite effective: if I do pick
up and say hello, and hear nothing within two seconds, I hang up.
But it's easier to just ignore calls if I don't recognize the number
that comes up on the call display, or if the number is blocked.
I also ignore any number which I _do_ recognize but don't want
to talk to (oh hell, it's the telco's marketers again), or which
begin with a toll-free prefix (800, 877, etc. in North America).
I'd rather ignore these calls than pick up and get harassed.
First of all, it's less irritating and saves time. But more
important, it doesn't give telemarketers any clue as to whether
anyone will ever answer, and hopefully they'll eventually give
up and drop my number from their list. If I answer, on the
other hand, my number gets transferred to that second list:
the one containing numbers that are verified as having someone
there. This list sells for more than a wide-open list of numbers,
and I don't want to be on it.
Yes, this does cause me to not pick up the occasional legitimate
call. C'est la vie. A legitimate caller with something valid
to say will leave a message. Most telemarketers won't.
--
/~\ cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid (Charlie Gibbs)
\ / I'm really at ac.dekanfrus if you read it the right way.
X Top-posted messages will probably be ignored. See RFC1855.
/ \ HTML will DEFINITELY be ignored. Join the ASCII ribbon campaign!
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338991 is a reply to message #338983] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 13:18 |
Ahem A Rivet's Shot
Messages: 4843
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On Thu, 9 Mar 2017 17:03:06 +0000
Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote:
> The people who phone me mostly speak with Indian accents. They soon have
> trouble if I hold a conversation with them, so it is not their normal
> language.
The same is true of a lot of the genuine support lines, they
probably use the same call centres.
--
Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays
C:>WIN | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see
You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338992 is a reply to message #338990] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 13:33 |
scott
Messages: 4237
Registered: February 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
> On 2017-03-09, Osmium <r124c4u102@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> I get a few cold calls a month and also a few "null" calls, no one
>> there.
>
> Is there really no one there, or are you hanging up before someone
> comes on the line? In your typical large call centre, an autodialer
> calls numbers on a list; when someone answers, the call is then
> transferred to the next available agent. This process takes several
> seconds, during which the line appears dead.
Athough, because they assume a fairly large hangup-rate, it is often
the case that there is no available agent, so they hang up.
>
> I first noticed this when I'd hear my wife pick up the phone, say
> hello, then after a few seconds say hello again. I quickly came
> to realize that if she said hello twice, the next thing I'd hear
> her say is "Don't bother me!", followed by hanging up.
>
> Hence my current practice, which is quite effective: if I do pick
> up and say hello, and hear nothing within two seconds, I hang up.
The robocaller hardware is waiting for the Hello. If you just
pick up and listen, a legit caller will initiate the conversation
while the robocallers will just hang up.
>
> But it's easier to just ignore calls if I don't recognize the number
callerId is $10/month (with a $20 setup fee) from AT&T. Not worth it.
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338993 is a reply to message #338992] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 14:19 |
Charlie Gibbs
Messages: 5313
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
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On 2017-03-09, Scott Lurndal <scott@slp53.sl.home> wrote:
> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
>
>> On 2017-03-09, Osmium <r124c4u102@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I get a few cold calls a month and also a few "null" calls, no one
>>> there.
>>
>> Is there really no one there, or are you hanging up before someone
>> comes on the line? In your typical large call centre, an autodialer
>> calls numbers on a list; when someone answers, the call is then
>> transferred to the next available agent. This process takes several
>> seconds, during which the line appears dead.
>
> Athough, because they assume a fairly large hangup-rate, it is often
> the case that there is no available agent, so they hang up.
Yes, the delay almost always there. It's a pretty reliable indication
that there's someone on the other end that we don't want to talk to.
>> But it's easier to just ignore calls if I don't recognize the number
>
> callerId is $10/month (with a $20 setup fee) from AT&T. Not worth it.
Wow, they're hosing you. (Or trying to.) I think its part of our
bundle of services works out to about $3 per month. Relative to
what what we're spending on phone service, it's a drop in the bucket -
and well worth it for us.
--
/~\ cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid (Charlie Gibbs)
\ / I'm really at ac.dekanfrus if you read it the right way.
X Top-posted messages will probably be ignored. See RFC1855.
/ \ HTML will DEFINITELY be ignored. Join the ASCII ribbon campaign!
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338994 is a reply to message #338992] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 14:06 |
Ahem A Rivet's Shot
Messages: 4843
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
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On Thu, 09 Mar 2017 18:33:07 GMT
scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) wrote:
> callerId is $10/month (with a $20 setup fee) from AT&T. Not worth it.
That is nothing other than a rip off.
--
Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays
C:>WIN | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see
You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/
|
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338995 is a reply to message #338968] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 14:33 |
Jon Elson
Messages: 646
Registered: April 2013
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
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jmfbahciv wrote:
> I have more problems with the legal scammers. I've had more than
> 500 phone calls from the company which had my car's extended
> warranty over the past 3 years. the warranty was part of the
> purchase deal; I did not buy it when I bought the car. These
> people call just about every day, sometimes twice a day.
> I've had similar problems with ATT and a couple other
> businesses.
Well, check out what happened to the Atkinson brothers, who built one of the
biggest, but most crooked, aftermarket "insurance" scam outfits. I think
they are still in the federal pen. Unfortunately, not for the scams, but
for looting the (publicly traded?) company to build a pair of $100 million
houses with company funds. I think cheatign on income tax, too.
Maybe that will give you some comfort.
with 500 calls, you should be able to sue them in small claims court, or
complain to the Attorney General about it. I sure would.
Jon
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| Re: New phone scams [message #338996 is a reply to message #338992] |
Thu, 09 March 2017 14:37 |
Morten Reistad
Messages: 2108
Registered: December 2011
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
In article <DdhwA.9745$%b1.9604@fx21.iad>,
Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:
> Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> writes:
>> On 2017-03-09, Osmium <r124c4u102@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I get a few cold calls a month and also a few "null" calls, no one
>>> there.
>>
>> Is there really no one there, or are you hanging up before someone
>> comes on the line? In your typical large call centre, an autodialer
>> calls numbers on a list; when someone answers, the call is then
>> transferred to the next available agent. This process takes several
>> seconds, during which the line appears dead.
>
> Athough, because they assume a fairly large hangup-rate, it is often
> the case that there is no available agent, so they hang up.
>
>>
>> I first noticed this when I'd hear my wife pick up the phone, say
>> hello, then after a few seconds say hello again. I quickly came
>> to realize that if she said hello twice, the next thing I'd hear
>> her say is "Don't bother me!", followed by hanging up.
>>
>> Hence my current practice, which is quite effective: if I do pick
>> up and say hello, and hear nothing within two seconds, I hang up.
>
> The robocaller hardware is waiting for the Hello. If you just
> pick up and listen, a legit caller will initiate the conversation
> while the robocallers will just hang up.
>
>>
>> But it's easier to just ignore calls if I don't recognize the number
>
> callerId is $10/month (with a $20 setup fee) from AT&T. Not worth it.
It comes included with almost all voip.
-- mrr
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