Scams like these

[RAM]

Only the DHL China Mandarin scammy speaker left messages in my case.
Thanks to my newish Android phones I can block calls.
A relo gets a million (so to speak) mobile phone missed calls from Vic, not game to answer, no one we know in Vic.

Could be a scam call from Victoria but more likely to be from overseas using fake number ID - very easy to do unfortunately. If you have time, and want to have some fun at their expense, you talk to them for a while & then ask for their number so you can call them back as someone has just come to the front door.....

You won't believe how desperate some of the scammers get. Wanting to hold on instead of you calling them back. Pretending to be hard of hearing is also worthwhile

 

[p--and--t]

The amount of scam email messages I receive has dropped immensely in the last 12 months.

I use Hotmail accounts which have pretty good filters applied by Microsoft and I deliberately don't delete the messages and move them to the junk folder. Then I log on natively to Hotmail and report each of the messages as a fishing message and block the sender.

The two main ones that come in occasionally is some BS about "your paypal account being suspended" or "your iCloud account needs re-verification".

They look very realistic except for the dunderhead including hundreds of other addresses in the CC: list instead of the BCC: list and his own email address is so obviously not from anywhere in the slightest official looking. Total amateurs.

As to the phone, I disconnected the land line and that stopped 3-4 calls per day I was getting. Once or twice a quarter I might get a scam text on the mobile, but that's about it.

 

[wandering_fred]

Given the number of people in Victoria and New South Wales that would reasonably have access to our mobile numbers, we treat any call from 02 or 03 as spam...... (Correctly)
Looks like the use of 04 numbers is becoming more popular.... (in the spam game)

We should be wandering
Fred

 

[QF WP]

My scam emails had disappeared but 2 so far this week by ladies who want me to help them with their lottery win/divorce settlement.But I didn't think I should send them my bank details.

I got the same one yesterday as well. "I am Sheryll Goedert, I won $396.9 Million Million Powerball Jackpot from the Florida Lottery , I am donating $3,500,000 to help the less privilege. Contact us for claim."

Mine have been a constant 5 - 7 a week of the same variety with different twists. My most regular is "(insert celeb name) Latest Investment Has Experts in Awe And Big Banks Terrified", I'm getting crypto ones as well and ignoring the outlandish claims or instant wealth. I prefer hard graft.

 

[Spongbob]

... we treat any call from 02 or 03 as spam...... (Correctly)
Looks like the use of 04 numbers is becoming more popular.... (in the spam game)

In my case it is phone numbers from 08, 07 and 03 that I ignore.

 

[albatross710]

In my case it is phone numbers from 08, 07 and 03 that I ignore.

If telcos had a phone button that after a call you could "Report as Spam" (like email does) then they could be immediately collecting 1,000 of immediate notifications of when a scammer has moved onto a new number.

 

[OATEK]

My mobile phone often shows a message that the incoming call is a "Suspected Spam caller" - easy to flick to message service and see.

I am not getting much spam because optus email is down as much as it is up at present.

 

[albatross710]

My mobile phone often shows a message that the incoming call is a "Suspected Spam caller" - easy to flick to message service and see.

what type of phone is that? is that a phone service or Optus value add?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

"Private numbers" are the worst.
They could be genuine, ie, true pabx, of real bona fide/semi bona fide business, (read: still pest(y), but are surveys/marketing calls)or they could be people/groups able to hide their identity, scams for nefarious purposes.
I think that because I buy on ebay, its quite likely some of the vendors I buy from, might have onsold my mobile phone number.
Some older people I know, now won't answer their home phones at all, relying purely on mobile, and the home phone only used for calling out, and NBN.

 

[OATEK]

what type of phone is that? is that a phone service or Optus value add?

Not sure if its a Pixel/Android function, or the anti-virus software (AVG Free).

 

[RAM]

"Private numbers" are the worst.
They could be genuine, ie, true pabx, of real bona fide/semi bona fide business, (read: still pest(y), but are surveys/marketing calls)or they could be people/groups able to hide their identity, scams for nefarious purposes.
I think that because I buy on ebay, its quite likely some of the vendors I buy from, might have onsold my mobile phone number.
Some older people I know, now won't answer their home phones at all, relying purely on mobile, and the home phone only used for calling out, and NBN.

It is not just 'EBAY vendors' who onsell data.

Years back I was told about how gmail addresses are locked to one permutation so [email protected] , will receive an email addressed to [email protected], or if an all Alpha address then [email protected] etc

So after that each time I signed up for something, I'd create the next permutation & note it down in my pwds book.

Without naming names, so many re-appeared from major Australian companies & multinationals - SO MANY. At a guess I'd say around 1 out of 3. One was a top 4 bank for example. Large retailer, large petrol company. You name it - if they can profit it seems they did.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It is not just 'EBAY vendors' who onsell data.

Years back I was told about how gmail addresses are locked to one permutation so [email protected] , will receive an email addressed to [email protected], or if an all Alpha address then [email protected] etc

So after that each time I signed up for something, I'd create the next permutation & note it down in my pwds book.

Without naming names, so many re-appeared from major Australian companies & multinationals - SO MANY. At a guess I'd say around 1 out of 3. One was a top 4 bank for example. Large retailer, large petrol company. You name it - if they can profit it seems they did.

Ta.
Didn't know that Google/Gmail is also a culprit.

 

[Buzzard]

Maybe I need a less effective spam filter. Other than a scammer from Gumtree that I played along with, I don't seem to get scam emails.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Maybe I need a less effective spam filter. Other than a scammer from Gumtree that I played along with, I don't seem to get scam emails.

Me too ! I don't know what spam filter I have but it must be good ! I hardly get any c r a p

 

[tgh]

Hm.. we must all be "good".. as I also get very little dodgy stuff.

 

[RAM]

Ta.
Didn't know that Google/Gmail is also a culprit.

No - not Google/GMail that I know of.

Simply the ability to create multiple slightly different versions (& track which company you use them for) is what revealed the companies either hacked or on-selling them.

As a big four bank, for example, has never publicly revealed they've been hacked - then that only implies they on-sold the email list....

Given GMail is effectively on-selling our personal information (their business model) but maintain control of identifying info (they place the personalised adverts on behalf of companies/people paying them) - whether they do a facebook as well -remains to be discovered/leaked.

I hope they do not.

 

[Dr Bob]

Have had a couple coming out of Brazil. The first was a job application, right profession but not recruiting & it looked scammy.
The second, this morning, was more exciting. WHO grant of 1,500,000.00EURO for my exceptional COVID planning.
The initial address for both was @policiacivil.pa.gov.br which is the Civil Police of the State of Sao Paulo. My address was nowhere to be found (at least by me). My excitement was quelled when I saw the return address was @outlook so I'll be off to buy another Power Ball ticket.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I miss the guy from the FBI trying to send me money, he hasn't written in a while. Similarly the guy who rings Mrs Pineapple and claims her car has had an accident. Meanwhile my narky phone tells me that my sister in law is a suspected spam caller. Well possibly I guess.

cheers skip

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

No ATO ones, (emails or phone calls)?
Or bit too early?
Or best not mention it?
I once had a scammy sounding one, (phone (private number)) was at work...
I rang back the official 13xx_x number, and yes, that one call was kosher.
So sometimes private numbers can be honest.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I miss the guy from the FBI trying to send me money, he hasn't written in a while. Similarly the guy who rings Mrs Pineapple and claims her car has had an accident. Meanwhile my narky phone tells me that my sister in law is a suspected spam caller. Well possibly I guess.

cheers skip

Re sis in law, they can be, the chatty ones.