Scam emails, phone calls, etc.

[vinteuil]

serial - mightily relieved you seem to have seen off your scammer. A trip to your local Lloyds does indeed seem a wise course of action. Hope no harm done and that it all works out all right...

[french frank]

Yes, great relief. You've almost certainly done enough to be clear of any liability from the bank's point of view. I know there are some ATMs that get targeted by scammers who can somehow access card details when people draw out money.

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes, great relief. You've almost certainly done enough to be clear of any liability from the bank's point of view. I know there are some ATMs that get targeted by scammers who can somehow access card details when people draw out money.

This is indeed what I was thinking, ff. I have taken the trouble to Google check a site which publicises dodgy phone numbers. After typing in the phone number this "investigator" had given me, the site came up with one number discovered to be from scammers, and it was exactly the same as mine, except for one digit - an 8 in place of a 5. That would seem conclusive - perhaps they realised they'd been rumbled and managed to arrange a replacement by changing that one digit.

A huge thanks to all who have been so generous with your advice. Let's see what tomorrow's visit brings - I'll let everyone know.

[oddoneout]

Recently I saw or read about a telephone number that people could phone if they they had received a suspicious call claiming to be from their bank. I couldn't remember the details while SA was going through his experience, but I've tracked it down now - and made a note of it this time!
It's called Call 159, and the idea is that it will put you through directly to someone at your bank. Martin Lewis has recommended it. It isn't yet a universal number, so it will be a chargeable call for some - but that would be the case for the 0345 numbers on the back of cards as well, if you don't have an inclusive tariff.

https://stopscamsuk.org.uk/159

[Serial_Apologist]

Recently I saw or read about a telephone number that people could phone if they they had received a suspicious call claiming to be from their bank. I couldn't remember the details while SA was going through his experience, but I've tracked it down now - and made a note of it this time!
It's called Call 159, and the idea is that it will put you through directly to someone at your bank. Martin Lewis has recommended it. It isn't yet a universal number, so it will be a chargeable call for some - but that would be the case for the 0345 numbers on the back of cards as well, if you don't have an inclusive tariff.
https://stopscamsuk.org.uk/159

Yes, I saw that 159 number along the way, not realising it could have been the best of all enquiry options.

[Petrushka]

I've said it before but I'll say it again. If I don't recognise the number it doesn't get answered. Simple as that. I recommend this to all as a way of avoiding trouble.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Two days ago, I received an email supposedly from British Gas, telling me it was time for me to send them a meter reading so that they could send me an accurate bill. Even though they had my correct name and a convincing email address, it seemed strange that they wanted details they already had from my smart meter.
Then yesterday I received a second email from BG, but this one was completely different, including my address and account number, with no request for information. Clearly this one was genuine, and I was reassured that I’d been right to ignore the previous one.

[LMcD]

Two days ago, I received an email supposedly from British Gas, telling me it was time for me to send them a meter reading so that they could send me an accurate bill. Even though they had my correct name and a convincing email address, it seemed strange that they wanted details they already had from my smart meter.
Then yesterday I received a second email from BG, but this one was completely different, including my address and account number, with no request for information. Clearly this one was genuine, and I was reassured that I’d been right to ignore the previous one.

I had a similar email from British Gas which, it turned out, they sent because my smart electricity meter was sending them readings but my not-so-smart gas meter wasn't! This problem, which appears to be widespread and persistent, remains unresolved for me and, I gather, nearly 3 million others i

I was rather amused to learn, this morning, from a pop-up on the website of a local newspaper that, according to their records, my diesel-powered vehicle entitles me to £4000+ compensation following the emissions scandal. I don't actually have a vehicle of any description, but might consider buying one (for prompt resale, of course) if they increase the offer sufficiently to make it worth my while .

Like Petrushka, I don't answer calls from numbers that I don't recognize. The only drawback to this policy is that I sometimes ignore calls if somebody from the care home calls from her mobile rather than from the phone in the manager's office.

[smittims]

I've had calls purporting to be BG, and thanks, Alpie, good advice there. Another principle I always adopt with cold calls is never, ever , tell them anything or admit anything about yourself or your property. They will try all sorts of ways to get info out of you . I always deflect it by asking them to explain their business ; that usually catches them on the wrong foot and they often go away.

[LMcD]

I've had calls purporting to be BG, and thanks, Alpie, good advice there. Another principle I always adopt with cold calls is never, ever , tell them anything or admit anything about yourself or your property. They will try all sorts of ways to get info out of you . I always deflect it by asking them to explain their business ; that usually catches them on the wrong foot and they often go away.

I'm told they invariably ring off if you tell them you're a council tenant. Thanks to the TPS, I now get very few cold calls, and anybody who gets through quickly rings off when I enquire - politely of course, - as to the colour of his (or her) underwear.

[oddoneout]

I'm told they invariably ring off if you tell them you're a council tenant. Thanks to the TPS, I now get very few cold calls, and anybody who gets through quickly rings off when I enquire - politely of course, - as to the colour of his (or her) underwear.

I'm signed up to the TPS and it did make a big difference to the nuisance calls - although there are some which it doesn't cover and for a while the fraudsters made much use of the loopholes. I don't know that so many landline calls are used for scams now anyway - "everyone" uses mobile(assumed smart of course)phones. However one tiresome tactic that cropped up about 18 months ago when I had a spate of contravened calls was to tell me that the TPS registration only lasted for a year and that they could phone me as mine had/must have lapsed. A couple of the people who tried that tactic became very unpleasant when I said - politely - that that was incorrect, the registration was still live and they were therefore not permitted to call my number.

[french frank]

Two emails this morning, one from Morrisons saying they'd send me a 'Mystery Box' if I completed a survey, the other from ASDA saying that as a valued customer (eh?) they'd send me a Philips airfryer if I completed a survey. Hover over the survey button, and one had .com/redirect.php? and the other .net/redir.php3?. Both known scams, I see.

That redir(ect) item seemed to be the key to a spoof address. In any case, I never accept free gifts from strangers. Timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs

[Pianorak]

Aldi Reward kindly invited me yesterday to Claim [1] Tupperware 36-set reward. - No survey to be completed - Phew, what a relief.

[Old Grumpy]

Two emails this morning, one from Morrisons saying they'd send me a 'Mystery Box' if I completed a survey, the other from ASDA saying that as a valued customer (eh?) they'd send me a Philips airfryer if I completed a survey. Hover over the survey button, and one had .com/redirect.php? and the other .net/redir.php3?. Both known scams, I see.

That redir(ect) item seemed to be the key to a spoof address. In any case, I never accept free gifts from strangers. Timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs

Useful information thanks, FF!

[Serial_Apologist]

Two emails this morning, one from Morrisons saying they'd send me a 'Mystery Box' if I completed a survey, the other from ASDA saying that as a valued customer (eh?) they'd send me a Philips airfryer if I completed a survey. Hover over the survey button, and one had .com/redirect.php? and the other .net/redir.php3?. Both known scams, I see.

That redir(ect) item seemed to be the key to a spoof address. In any case, I never accept free gifts from strangers. Timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs

Extraordinarily, I did receive one call - from Bromley council, inviting me to participate in a shopping pattern questionnaire which, she said, would take about half an hour to complete. I've never had such a request from Southwark, the actual council in which I live; how they concluded I ever shop in Bromley (which I do at Sainsbury's, about once a fortnight) is a mystery given that I don't have a Nectar card. There was an interesting programme about loyalty cards last week, asking if they are "worth it". The answer is "yes" for many if not all shoppers, but very much "yes" for the companies operating them, who can make huge profits farming out purchasing patterns information to certain data analysis businesses paid by retail companies other than ones frequented by the user.