Scams like these

[p--and--t]

I've been getting 15 calls a day from 'NBN' about to delete me.

That's a relatively newish variation on Microsoft/Telstra/Internet scam.

In the Microsoft scam they claim from MS and have detected something wrong with your computer and will help you fix it for a "fee" - all cough but sounds pretty authentic. Best way out of it is to sound amazed and "say but I have a Macintosh" - a suitable reply isn't in their script so they hang up.

In the Telstra scam they claim to be from Telstra and there is something wrong with the router and they can help. Best way to stop them is to say "how can that be, I don't use Telstra".

In the internet scam (a Telstra variant) they claim to be from your internet provider and calling to fix a router or access problem. I immediately say "sure, just read my account number back to me from your screen first" - then there's just a click as they hang up.

In the internet scam I had one very persistent thick female with an Indian accent following her script, same woman every day for a few weeks. I tried the account number, I tried threatening with calling the authorities. I tried blocking the incoming number, but they changed it. After a few weeks of her calling every day, sometimes multiple times becoming totally exasperated I made some indecent comments about her and her mother that I am sure contravene the telecommunications act. Crossed fingers - no calls for a couple months now.

 

[woodborer]

Here's a question for any knowledgeable communication people out there, why was spoofing allowed/authorised in the first place? Or why wasn't a standard brought in that could at least identify and monetise spoofing?

It's because, in general, calls are made over multiple phone networks. As it stands, if there are multiple carriers involved, there is no way of the networks validating who the originating caller was.

 

[GarrettM]

I took a call the other day (I've mostly been ignoring any landline calls on my mobile for ages) just to see if it would be a scam.

I'm not 100% sure it was, but they wanted to know if I'd received a letter from Alinta (gas provider) about some service or other.
I said I had not, we do not have gas connected, and I wasn't interested. And the woman - I presume she was Indian - simply hung up without another word.

So scam? Or just bad phone manner? I did wonder after if the recording algorithm had got enough of my voice to now make a decent fist of using it for more nefarious purposes.

 

[get me outta here]

Potential scam in my book.

 

[Denali]

Storm Whistle

Might not get them to stop phoning you but will bring you some satisfaction

 

[Flying mermaid]

I basically assume every unsolicited call is a scam until proven otherwise. We no longer have a land line only our mobiles and I don’t answer phone calls where the number isn’t in my contact list. If they don’t leave a message then they don’t get a call back.

 

[Bindibuys]

I basically assume every unsolicited call is a scam until proven otherwise. We no longer have a land line only our mobiles and I don’t answer phone calls where the number isn’t in my contact list. If they don’t leave a message then they don’t get a call back.

Ditto, except I do have a landline, I just dont answer it unless I recognise the number.

 

[p--and--t]

Disconnected the landline. Around 20 incoming calls per week. 100% Scam calls. Friends only ever called the mobile.

 

[VPS]

I have switched the sound off on my landline so don't even hear it ring but just check for messages. I'm about to move and no land line so that's one more off their list

 

[wazza888]

Champagne for all and would like to share my winnings. I need your a/c details ...... only joking.

 

[VPS]

So I didn't read it to the end and cut out half of it because it had too many links and I couldn't be bothered taking them out Hello, I am an astronomer. First of all, please pardon me to send this email to you without your permission. This message could be the most important one you will ever receive in your life. If you read this email thoroughly and understand it, I am sure that you might find the precious truth like a priceless treasure. My hope is that you are a thoughtful person who reads this letter to the end and understands what I intend to share. It is generally accepted by most astrophysicists that our Universe began with the Big Bang.(i) The creation of the universe from the Big Bang was not well known until recently. Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle offered the premise is that there had to be a first cause (“A Prime Mover”) for an ultimate explanation of the existence and nature of the universe. Similarly, Thomas Aquinas, a famous theologian in the Middle ages, claimed that if we trace back to the beginning of the Universe, there must have been a First Efficient Cause, and he identifies this as the Creator God.(ii) If we interpret their arguments from a modern astrophysical point of view, the source that created the universe by the Big Bang is the Creator God. Furthermore, if the Creator God exists, and if God reveals the truth through religious scriptures, the creation story in the scripture could be in accord with the findings of modern astrophysics in the big picture. I have investigated this issue in various religions, and I have discovered the following. The scripture of Buddhism explains that Karma is the origin of the universe. In the beginning, there was the power of Karma of living beings in the universe. By the power of Karma, the wind started to blow in the sky and created the wind wheel. After that, the water wheel and the earth wheel were made. Here, Mount Sumeru is on the earth wheel. The four continents, nine mountains, and eight oceans were made around Mount Sumeru. People live in the southern Jambu-dvīpa continent among the other four continents. Mount Sumeru is located in the center of the universe, its half is underwater, and the other half above the water. The sun, moon, and stars revolve around Mountain Sumeru. The narrative concerning the creation of the universe within the Buddhist scriptures mentions wind, water, land, mountains, and oceans on the Earth. This narrative account of creation is irreconcilable with what modern science has revealed to us. Further, in the Hindu teachings, the creation story of the universe closely parallels what Buddhism teaches. Confucianism says Tai Chi is the origin of everything in the universe. There is no specific reference about the creation of the universe in Islam’s Koran. Thus, we come to see that the creation stories in these religious scriptures are very different from the creation process revealed through modern astrophysics. Furthermore, these stories seem like mythical accounts that people wrote through their imaginations to explain the origins of the universe. Now, let's turn our attention to the Bible. I have come to see that the creation story in Genesis chapters 1&2 of the Bible matches amazingly with the findings of modern astrophysics. The creation story of the universe is written in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This verse declares that God created the universe. The creation story continues in the Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” So, God began creating the universe by making light on the first day. This verse accords with the first event of the Big Bang. According to the Big Bang, our universe started a full of light (such as relativistic particles). This event matched with the first day of creation recorded in Genesis. Moreover, another remarkable event occurs in the second day of creation, it is written in the Bible, “And God made the expanse.” (Genesis 1:7) Here, the expanse God created refers to space. This event is also closely related with the creation process of the Big Bang. After the creation of light from the Big Bang, our universe underwent an inflationary epoch that resulted in about a 10(50) increase of the size of space that forms the base of the sky we see today. The creation of expanse in the Bible refers to this event precisely. It is a marvelous thing that the description of the Big Bang and Inflation theory was already recorded in the Genesis which God revealed to Moses 3500 years ago. After the Big Bang, the Bible says that God created the earth, sun and various living beings on the planet. Lastly, God made human beings in his image.(iii) The creation story recorded in the Bible is a clear evidence that the Bible is a special revelation from the Creator God. God reveals Himself and God’s will for His creatures (including human beings) throughout the Bible in a variety of ways. The Bible foretold that the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). We can learn the knowledge of God from the Bible. The Bible is known as the world's best-selling book. Records say that the Bible has been translated into 670 languages by 2017. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.”

 

[OATEK]

Another long missive:

Greetings My Beloved,

I greet you with the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is true that this letter may come to you as a surprise. Nevertheless, I humbly ask you to give me your attention and hear me well.

My name is Mrs. Marilda Bernhard from Germany. I was brought up from a motherless baby’s home in my country and was married to my late husband Dr. Bruno Bernhard who worked with our Embassy here in South Africa for a period of 8years before he died. We were married for 25 years without a child before he died in a fatal car accident. Since his death I decided not to remarry due to my religious belief .I am 59 years old, and am suffering from a long time cancer of the breast which also affected my brain from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that i may not live for the next two months this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage

When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$5.6M (Five Million Six Hundred Thousand United State Dollars) with a Bank here in South Africa. Presently this money is still in the custody of the Bank in South Africa. Recently, my Doctor told me that I would not last for the next two months due to cancer illness.

Having known my condition I decided to donate this money to Churches, organizations or good person that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein.

I want you to use this money for Churches, Charity organizations, orphanages, widows and other people that are in need. l took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money . Moreover, my husband relatives are not close to me since I develop a Cancer problem and it had been their wish to see me dead in order to inherit his wealth since we have no Child. These people are not worthy of this inheritance. This is why I am taking this decision.

I don't need any telephone communication in this regard because of my ill-health. As soon as I receive your reply I will give you the contact of the Bank in South Africa where this money is deposited. I will also issue a letter of authorization to the bank that will prove you the present beneficiary of this money. I also want you to always put me in prayer.

Any delay in your reply may give me room to look for another good person for this same purpose. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

Hoping to receive your response soonest at my private email address at
(removed)


Thanks and Remain blessed

Yours Sister in The Lord,

Mrs. Marilda Bernhard

 

[Hvr]

This show is worth watching to see how scams are adversely affecting Australians:

Investment scams cost Australians nearly 19 million this year alone

Financial scams are on the rise with a growing number of Australians falling victim. These people reveal just how easy it is to get caught in the trap.

www.sbs.com.au

Why are an increasing number of Australians being caught in financial scams? Financial Scams, Tuesday, June 24 at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.

 

[prozac]

WARNING...WARNING...WARNING
NOTE: All links in the image below are not active.

IF YOU RECEIVE THIS EMAIL DO NOT CLICK "Download and Install Updates"

Received the email below today that looks for all intents and purposes to be from Telstra. Even when you roll over the links "Privacy" Our Customer Terms, and "Contact Us" at the bottom, you are presented with genuine Telstra links.

However, I determined this is a scam email, so I thought I should share it with you. It emanates from a Russian source.
Please let your friends know this is doing the rounds.

After examining the source file I sent this to Telstra to alert them. Their response is quoted below.

Hi prozac,

Thanks for reporting this issue. What you received was a fraudulent email in the style of a Telstra message which actually contained a malicious attachment.

Do not click on any of the links in the message, nor open the files that may be attached.

We'd strongly recommend deleting the email straight away, if you haven’t done so already.

If you have actually opened the link and the malicious file, we strongly encourage you to immediately review your system security, in particular:

1. Ensure your system is up to date with operating system patches
2. Ensure you have an installed and working anti-malware application especially if you’re using Microsoft Windows
3. Ensure that your anti-malware application is fully up to date with any updates the vendor provides
4. You may want to perform a manual update of your anti-malware software, as well as a manual scan of your system to ensure everything is secure.

The email that you received was in no way generated by Telstra.

You can find out more about this type of scam, as well as other scams, at:

Telstra - Help - Cyber Scams

You can see some other recent scams which Telstra has been monitoring by visiting:

Active Scams

With kind regards,

S.A.M
Telstra Cyber Security

 

[Hvr]

Another bitcoin scandal.

Key points:

• ACCC says Australians are losing more money to cryptocurrency investment scams
• Canberra couple warns they were drawn into a sophisticated scheme over more than a year
• The couple were able to withdraw thousands of dollars, but lost tens of thousands more

This family's future 'collapsed' with a single WhatsApp message

A couple whose dream Bitcoin investment turned into a nightmare say they have lost almost everything, as the ACCC notes cryptocurrency investment scams are on the rise.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Major]

Good day,
Today I bring to you a beneficial proposal which I want you to assist me with.
I am Mrs. Elaine Wynn, a divorcée and an American billionaire businesswoman, philanthropist and art collector. I have recently been diagnosed with Colorectal cancer and a rare heart disease, which has defiled all medical treatment. The intention of this email is to employ the expertise of a Charity minded individual, who can identify a viable and guarantee reasonable distribution of my wealth to the needy. I cannot rely on family and closest relatives any more, as they did not show responsible behavior when I entrusted part of my wealth to them to distribute to charitable organizations but instead they used the money for their personal needs. If interested to assist me, do forward me with your information’s [NAME, COUNTRY, OCCUPATION, AGE, MARITAL STATUS] I will provide you with more details on my next email.

Thanks and stay blessed

Mrs. Elaine Wynn
E-mail:xx_xx_

 

[p--and--t]

defiled all medical treatment

LOL

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Good day,
Today I bring to you a beneficial proposal which I want you to assist me with.
I am Mrs. Elaine Wynn, a divorcée and an American billionaire businesswoman, philanthropist and art collector. I have recently been diagnosed with Colorectal cancer and a rare heart disease, which has defiled all medical treatment. The intention of this email is to employ the expertise of a Charity minded individual, who can identify a viable and guarantee reasonable distribution of my wealth to the needy. I cannot rely on family and closest relatives any more, as they did not show responsible behavior when I entrusted part of my wealth to them to distribute to charitable organizations but instead they used the money for their personal needs. If interested to assist me, do forward me with your information’s [NAME, COUNTRY, OCCUPATION, AGE, MARITAL STATUS] I will provide you with more details on my next email.

Thanks and stay blessed

Mrs. Elaine Wynn
E-mail:xx_xx_

Very erudite and very well educated, well spelt, punctuation is also of appropriate...
Must be a bird educated in a very good high standard school.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Re The (Australian NBN) scam.
I was able to get that one was from an 037 MEL phone landline.
After that one where I listened to the Aust lady recording spiel...
Then it after that, all calls went to calls from "Private Number"..
Was saying to the lady (recording) several tines, Namaskar thinking it would put me to the technical handler/technician without me pressing #1.
But they want us to press #1.

 

[get me outta here]

I called my provider and they said there’s no problem as I wasn’t using Telstra wires. But that NBN just does a blanket call out.

Here's a question for any knowledgeable communication people out there, why was spoofing allowed/authorised in the first place? Or why wasn't a standard brought in that could at least identify and monetise spoofing?

I realise there may have been a very limited legitimate use for spoofing for some government agencies when it was first proposed, but surely it would have been forseeable that this technology was going to be mis-used?