Be warned, there's some nasties out there !

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by Ron Goldstein, Feb 27, 2009.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Deep dive

    same as all the old sayings
    blue sky thinking
    think outside the box
    lessons learned
    dah de dah

    as i said before trust no one and you cant go far wrong
     
  2. Blutto

    Blutto Banned

    I had a call from my bank not long ago. He started off trying to confirm my identity with a number of questions. "Are you OK with that?" he said (or something similar). My response was a conditional yes, as I hadn't established his identity and was unlikely to be able to do so. After a couple of questions I called an end to the conversation. I was quite sure that it was the bank, but I was amazed that despite all the warnings given out regarding not disclosing personal information, they were requesting exactly that.
    I followed it up with a letter to the bank, but needless to say the idiot that responded didn't even understand that there was even an issue.
     
  3. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Believe it or not I once had a Sinclair ZX81 and actually programmed it to produce random dots on a TV screen, and I still have a Panasonic Toughbook ( ex British Gas, made of Titanium ) from 1993 which still fires up and has the wonderful Wordperfect WP program, and Windows ME. It weighs a ton, the battery gave up, and the internal little battery, and the MS Dos manuals I have are also rather hefty.

    "Computer Active" magazine, hard copy, arrived in the post today. It says there is a new number "you can phone to check whether a message from your bank is genuine."

    However, nasties can "spoof" the number given to convince a caller that the real bank is connected, when it isn't.

    The magazine usually says use WiFi this and WiFi that but it has recently suggested that connecting to the internet via a wire or ethernet connection means you can pull the plug instantly if you feel something is a bit dodgy.

    I have always used an ethernet connection, so I must be doing something right.
     
  4. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    trust no one
     
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Flicking through my multiple spam/junk folders.
    It never bloody ends, does it?..

    Unless... I really have got unclaimed Bitcoin wallets, multiple stakes in Nigerian oilfields, and, of course, that invitation to join the illuminati (about time, TBH).

    Take a few minutes to report the swine.
    Get 'em at least logged somewhere. Cause them the tiniest inconvenience.
    I like to think Ron would've approved.
     
    CL1, Tolbooth, Grasmere and 3 others like this.
  6. Blutto

    Blutto Banned

    Only takes two clicks to disconnect my internet on Windows 10, much quicker than scrabbling around the back to pull the ethernet out.
     
  7. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Soppy yellow duckling ( felt ) sits around the back alongside external hard drive, ports on Mac Mini in front, easy reach. Lots of ports, keyboard and mouse wired. WiFi below desk not connected to any device of ours, presume neighbours watch Dark Web on it. Trust no one, as Clive says above, at 401 ( can't find hash key).

    IMG_9734.JPG
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2022
    CL1 likes this.
  8. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    A strange phone call. I answered and a chirpy voice said that they were from BT and were following up our conversation of yesterday regarding upgrading my internet connection. I said, truthfully, that I had no knowledge of it and asked to whom they wished to speak. They did not have a name only the number. I said that there was some mistake and hung up. I looked up the number from which the call came and found it was from Hull. I know that through some historic anomally BT do not operate (not a pun) in Hull, which has long had its own telecommunications.

    I wonder who it really was and what they really wanted.

    Mike
     
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  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    The Fishwife & I compete to ask them rapid questions & see how quickly they hang up.
    Even some start going "Oh, there's a problem with the line, sorry I can't hear you" etc, and one memorable "I'm sorry, our building is on fire".
    Almost funny.

    Darker side is that I now almost never answer the landline. More calls from such knobs than real people these days.
    Presumably a more fruitful vector for scumbags than the old email route. Usually very well-spoken pro sounding calls.
    "We spoke yesterday about your accident/insurance/fault" must get enough soft hits to work.

    Reasonable start:
    Give them nothing at all.
    Ask them for your full name.
    Ask them for their company.
    Any bluster: get stuffed.

    Telephone preference service not bad
    Telephone Preference Service
    At the very least, means you know almost any cold call is ignoring that system, so dodgy from point one.
     
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  10. Grasmere

    Grasmere Well-Known Member

    I just put the handset down with the line still open so they are talking to themselves or make a high pitched noise down the phone. Works every time, they soon hang up!
     
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  11. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Phone calls

    Hello
    Wait for human voice
    If human
    Remove phone from ear and place on table. Cover both ears then give a sharp blast of the thunderer down the mouthpiece
    Replace phone
     
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  12. Tolbooth

    Tolbooth Patron Patron

    Back in the good old days when we worked in an office, we were getting a spate of calls from ambulance-chasing shyster lawyers (A-CSL). After several weeks of "No thanks. Please don't call again" I tried a different tack..

    A-CSL: Hello, I'm calling about your recent accident
    Me: Oh yes?
    A-CSL: How are you getting on? OK ?
    Me: Yes, thanks. Bit of difficult at first But adapting well to the wheelchair now
    A-CSL: Oh.....that's good then
    Me: It's a bit of a bugger loosing the arms as well though
    A-CSL: (silence)....I'll just get my supervisor...
    Phone goes dead

    Don't think we had anymore after that
     
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  13. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Our old postman now drives the van around the villages, encountering dogs, although few cattle around here. Nobody wants our round so we get post for Number 16 ( not our number ) for an entirely different street with three names and not for our street which has two. I do so wish the Post Office had never been privatised.

    We had a message last year from some bird who wanted me to press buttons to be repaid something. It was just plain silly.

    We've had someone saying HMRC are about to sue us, and I said I would enjoy that, since the revenue never answer the phone. Also someone who claimed he was from BT to which I said no you aren't and told him to take a running jump, or words to that effect. He wasn't, he wanted me to check our computer.
     
  14. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    Problem is one is worried about ignoring a genuine call. Some years ago I had a recorded message purporting to be from my bank to say they suspected a fraudulent use of my debit card. I ignored it and of course it was genuine. Someone had got the card details and bought two expensive dresses and hired a limo. Similarly friends of mine received a call to tell them that they had won a trip to Kiev (honestly) to see a big football match, stay in a good hotel all expenses paid plus spending money. Since they had not entered a competion or prize draw they ignored it. Again it turned out to be genuine. Entry to the draw came with something they had purchased.

    I never get junk emails these days. Only one item in my junk folder in the last six months, and that should not have been there.

    Mike
     
  15. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Lots of variants of this about at the mo.
    Obviously, don't click, or call the number they want you to. It's fishing for your Amazon, bank, or whatever details.
    The formatting is very good, lacking in spellinge mistakes etc.
    Slightly odd syntax could easily come from the PayPal monster too.
    However, the Fishwife's name is not Mark Walker.

    Sigh.
    Wankers abound.
    Be careful out there.
    Screenshot_20221103-122336.png
     
  16. Packhow75

    Packhow75 Senior Member

    In respect "my recent accident", I tend to respond along the lines of

    "Yes, a car pulled out in-front of me without warning, I was unable to stop in time and my tank flattened the back end of their car"

    This usually gets my call transferred to a supervisor before they mysteriously hang up.
     
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  17. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    In the ‘Seller note to customer’ I notice
    ‘£500. 00’ rather than ‘£500.00’. Not conclusive but perhaps just enough to suggest a scam?
     
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  18. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Trouble is, I'm increasingly getting stuff from real companies that's riddled with spelling errors and typos too.
    My water company emails now always discussed with Fishwife for such.
    Sets the teeth on edge somewhat.
    A quick proofreading seems to be a dying art.
     
    papiermache likes this.
  19. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    Oh how true. The proofreaders (if such exist) probably can’t be arsed to do their job properly while most readers either don’t notice errors or aren’t bothered, Harrumph. :banghead:
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  20. Deacs

    Deacs Well i am from Cumbria.

    Just had a text saying,
    Hi dad this is my temporary number as I've just dropped my phone down the toilet so save this number from now xx.

    So I look up at my 2 daughter's and ask so which numpty as dropped your phone down the toilet.

    When I told them about the text we did have a good laugh.
     
    4jonboy likes this.

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