Scams like these

[Julesmac]

So I'm a bit curious as to how they get your phone number - is it on home phones or mobiles? I guess home ones they can look up white pages and work their way through; we used to get them years ago but would be lucky to get one call a month at home. And never shonky, dammit.

 

[Jurahn]

So I'm a bit curious as to how they get your phone number - is it on home phones or mobiles? I guess home ones they can look up white pages and work their way through; we used to get them years ago but would be lucky to get one call a month at home. And never shonky, dammit.

I never get them on my mobile (touch wood), but we keep getting them from time to time on our home phone, which is a VOIP number we've had for about 5 years. When we first joined up to our ISP and got the number, i'd asked for it to be unlisted, which was a free option with them. A couple of weeks later, I got a cold call from a company selling window shutters and wondered how on earth they got our number (which they wouldn't tell me, of course). Checked the online White Pages and was horrified to find our number was listed, so immediately rang our ISP who were very apologetic and had the listing removed immediately. However, 5 years on, we STILL get marketing and scam calls on that number - despite the fact that it was only listed online for a couple of weeks, was never in the printed copy of White Pages (I checked the next one that came out!), the only people who have the number are my parents and Mr Jurahn's parents and I listed it on the Do Not Call register as soon as I received that sales call. It seems once the number is harvested and "sold on", it keeps doing the rounds for all eternity.

 

[whatmeworry]

So I'm a bit curious as to how they get your phone number - is it on home phones or mobiles? I guess home ones they can look up white pages and work their way through; we used to get them years ago but would be lucky to get one call a month at home. And never shonky, dammit.

I never get them on my mobile (touch wood), but we keep getting them from time to time on our home phone, which is a VOIP number we've had for about 5 years. When we first joined up to our ISP and got the number, i'd asked for it to be unlisted, which was a free option with them. A couple of weeks later, I got a cold call from a company selling window shutters and wondered how on earth they got our number (which they wouldn't tell me, of course). Checked the online White Pages and was horrified to find our number was listed, so immediately rang our ISP who were very apologetic and had the listing removed immediately. However, 5 years on, we STILL get marketing and scam calls on that number - despite the fact that it was only listed online for a couple of weeks, was never in the printed copy of White Pages (I checked the next one that came out!), the only people who have the number are my parents and Mr Jurahn's parents and I listed it on the Do Not Call register as soon as I received that sales call. It seems once the number is harvested and "sold on", it keeps doing the rounds for all eternity.

Basically once online, your details have been saved/archived probably multiple times and even after deleting someone will still have a copy.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

((hOOkup or did they use h00kup?))
Pity that there is no way to really add them straight to Yahoo/Gmails's rubbish heap and that we don't have to see them (the emails that is).
If they go to the Junk folder, someone will still have to physically go there and permanently delete them.

 

[RAM]

I'm just a lucky guy I guess. This time I've been selected to receive a free iPhone6 from Optus.

Eric could not contain himself with the luck I had in being selected.

As usual (bit busy currently) I asked where he was calling from.
Optus came the reply.
No, where abouts are you?
Macquarie Park.
Never heard of it where's that?
You can google it if you like sir.
Oh, I just wondered how you get to work. Do you use the new light rail?
Yes sir. Its really very good.
Oh, sorry someone's at the door. Call me back in a couple of hours.....

BTW - there is no new or old light rail transport to Macquarie Park.

 

[RAM]

So I'm a bit curious as to how they get your phone number - is it on home phones or mobiles? I guess home ones they can look up white pages and work their way through; we used to get them years ago but would be lucky to get one call a month at home. And never shonky, dammit.

For a small fee that can be fixed....

In what I think is almost like a scam - for those who have landlines - have you noticed you don't get a new white pages every year, every2nd year or even every 5th year?

Many years back (in NSW at least) it was changed to where you have to ring a certain phone number and request one each year.

All the people I've queried about this did not know that was why they were not getting them anymore.

 

[Pushka]

102.3 fm Radio is currently scamming a Nigerian. His first contact with them was through 'Beverly' - aka Kate, who has died and left him an inheritance. Apparently he wanted to marry Beverly as he loved her. Beverly's estate is being managed by Vera - aka Kate, who is somewhat hysterical and has tried sending him a Western Union payment of $2000 but he hasn't received it yet.

 

[wandering_fred]

There seems to have been an upsurge in the number of "people" who want to have a Skype contact with me.
None of whom would be likely approved of by Mrs WF from their small photos

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[whatmeworry]

There seems to have been an upsurge in the number of "people" who want to have a Skype contact with me.
None of whom would be likely approved of by Mrs WF from their small photos

Happy wandering

Fred

Same here. Gives me the s!@ts.

 

[Mal]

Received the following spam today. Contained a word document which was malicious (haven't analysed it fully yet, but shouldn't be run).

ATTENTION: ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

Dear Sir/Madam,

Overdue Alert

Our records show that your current balance with us is �2795.50 of which �2795.50 is still overdue.

Your urgent attention and earliest remittance of this amount would be appreciated.

We value your business and we would like to resolves any issues as quickly as possible. I am personally available on (02) 85xx X or bruce@x

Sincerely,

X X - Accounts Receivable

X NSW 2233 P. X F. X E. bruce@X

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

They can use robot diallers to check a mark.
Have had several silent calls which I suspect are robot diallers.
Eg call every 0499 001 xx_ to 0499 001 zzz.
Shredding all bills helps too.
Saw a guy once go through every yellow top bin down a road, with a pullalong trolley.
Wasn't picking tin cans or bottles.
Reading papers he was. I had no rights to stop him.

 

[whatmeworry]

They can use robot diallers to check a mark.
Have had several silent calls which I suspect are robot diallers.
Eg call every 0499 001 xx_ to 0499 001 zzz.
Shredding all bills helps too.
Saw a guy once go through every yellow top bin down a road, with a pullalong trolley.
Wasn't picking tin cans or bottles.
Reading papers he was. I had no rights to stop him.

That's one thing people don't realise when they throw out documents. Once outside in the bin people can take your sensitive documents without it usually being considered theft. IIRC a blind (maybe mute and or deaf) person runs a successful corporate shredding business.

 

[Julesmac]

I read once that one of the Mafia's biggest businesses was office cleaning - ie commercial espionage!

You should use a shredder at home for any items which have your name and address on it, and especially important for any personal info - pick a cheapie up from Officeworks. I have, ever since watching 'Argo' where the nasty bad guys had a huge room full of workers putting together shredded documents after they overran the Canadian embassy. Then they had the pictures of the good guys who were trying to flee the country. Which also means you should use a shredder which cuts into tiny diamond shapes rather than one which just cuts paper into ribbons

 

[Major]

I keep a small shredder next to my desk at home and all paperwork with name, address or any personal details is fed into it. Even documents that are no longer required to be kept are put through the shredder, no matter how old they are.

 

[drron]

I keep a small shredder next to my desk at home and all paperwork with name, address or any personal details is fed into it. Even documents that are no longer required to be kept are put through the shredder, no matter how old they are.

As do we.Even envelopes with my name on as virtually all are from companies or organisations with barcodes.

 

[RAM]

I keep a small shredder next to my desk at home and all paperwork with name, address or any personal details is fed into it. Even documents that are no longer required to be kept are put through the shredder, no matter how old they are.

I go with old technology after hearing (and seeing) a private investigator sticking back together very well ripped up letters and invoices. Each page was made up of at least 100-150 pieces and he had reassembled them out of the rubbish thrown out by a doctor's surgery.

So I tear out the ID items from letters/invoices/statements such as name, address, account number etc and put those small pieces into our home compost. The remaining template pages get put out into the recycling bin in daylight the morning the collection is due - not the night before.

Occasionally neighbours have asked to use our bin as their's are full (odd how not collapsing cardboard boxes will fill a bin).

Guess what the last one dumped into the very top of ours?

Bank statements, tax returns & ATO acknowledgment/refund pages as well as Council rates for the last year.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Output from one of the cross cut shredders is very hard to put back together.

What really annoys me are unsolicited credit card offers sent to my home address with name and address already printed on the application. Should be outlawed.

 

[whatmeworry]

Occasionally neighbours have asked to use our bin as their's are full (odd how not collapsing cardboard boxes will fill a bin).

Squashing bottles and putting the cap back on helps.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Just had a phone call to our home phone, the fellow sounded as though it was an indian call centre, he asked me straight up " to confirm that I had an accident in the last two years " !!! No " good morning " or pre-amble !!! He didn't get past that first sentence so I don't know exactly what the scam was going to be

 

[Buzzard]

I save a lot of my paperwork for the winter and dispose of it via the combustion heater.