Author Topic: Consumer news and scams  (Read 230413 times)

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Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #525 on: August 01, 2019, 02:11:29 pm »
Hi Melerii. Yesterday, the telephone call was from 01495214450.

Our evidence appears to confirm our 01492 theory

Offline Ian

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #526 on: August 01, 2019, 02:26:47 pm »
On an associated note I've renewed the ban on all registration applications for any Russian email addresses and I'm also considering making new applicants apply via a secure email address. In recent days we've been inundated with SPAM applications to the forum.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.


Offline Ian

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #527 on: August 01, 2019, 03:44:15 pm »
Just to keep everyone in the loop, last week we had a plethora of spam applications to join the forum.  As a short term measure I disabled registration completely, but today when I switched it back on there was an immediate flurry of new and false registration applications.

What had happened was the hackers had discovered how to answer the two security question we use to identify genuine Llandudno folk and had been using them in an automated bot attack on the forum.

I've now changed the questions and - for very obvious reasons - if you discover those questions, please never reveal them in the forum itself.  If you lose your password and/or user name then you can email me directly so I can reset your account. 

Sorry about this but it's something of a never ending battle to keep ahead of spammers and their ilk.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2019, 12:08:11 pm by Ian »
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #528 on: August 01, 2019, 04:47:31 pm »
 $thanx$   Keep up the good work.

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #529 on: August 01, 2019, 06:56:46 pm »
Warning from Cheshire Police.

“If you receive an automated telephone call claiming that your broadband connection is about to be cut off or money is about to be taken out of your bank account, hang up the phone. DO NOT follow the caller’s instructions of pressing ‘1’ on your keypad. It is a scam operated by people trying to steal your money.”

Offline DVT

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #530 on: August 01, 2019, 10:06:11 pm »
Been getting lots of these calls recently - the phone codes generally start with 012 but some are 013 and range from Cornwall to the Scottish Isles - places starting with A, B or C ... seems they're working their way through the alphabetical directory!!!  If we don't recognise the number showing on the phone then we don't answer - if the caller is genuine they can usually find me by other methods!

Offline Meleri

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #531 on: August 02, 2019, 04:12:27 pm »
Further to the 12 calls we had on Wednesday we also had 8 Thursday & 2 so far today. The ones today had codes 00126 & 07378  &shake&

Offline Hugo

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #532 on: August 02, 2019, 04:34:48 pm »
Since my laptop crashed and it's been updated I have been inundated with loads of unwanted  e-mails from everywhere.     What is worse is that there is no way I can unsubscribe to any of them nor can I see a way of putting them to Spam.
The only thing I can do is delete each one individually and it's driving me crazy

Offline Ian

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #533 on: August 02, 2019, 05:08:38 pm »
Have you got access to the email server? If it was using IMAP, then you will get all the mail sitting on the server as it will believe your machine is a brand new one.  If you can get onto the server you can usually filter from there, so nothing will reach your inbox.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline DVT

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #534 on: August 05, 2019, 10:07:51 am »
I have just spent the last 15 minutes in discussion with a lady in India.  She rang me on my house phone so it showed up the number she was ringing from - the code was that of a town in north of England.  I asked where was she ringing from and after some questioning she said she was in India.

She started by saying she was ringing reference my BT interest connection - but my internet supplier is not BT - and that my computer is sending out all sorts of error messages.  She would be closing my connection for 29 days (?).

Unusually, she did not hang up when I said it was a scam, so I carried on the argument with her.  She was quite adamant that there was a problem, but could not understand why my phone was showing a UK phone code.  Eventually,  she said that because she was working for BT then they would be using UK phone codes but she could not tell me what UK number she was ringing from, or even which town.

Googling the number produced nothing - they do seem to change numbers all the time nowadays so as to avoid the number showing up as a scam, I guess.

I said it was a scam call but she said she would tell me the licence number so that I knew it was genuine - how would I know?

She wanted to know the licence number of my computer so she could confirm it was correct!  I asked her to tell me the number she had but she refused (and I wouldn't have known how to find my number anyway).

As I had spare time I continued the discussion with her, almost 15 minutes before she eventually gave up.

So, if I'm not here for the next 29 days you know why!!!

Offline Hugo

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #535 on: August 05, 2019, 03:26:16 pm »
Have you got access to the email server? If it was using IMAP, then you will get all the mail sitting on the server as it will believe your machine is a brand new one.  If you can get onto the server you can usually filter from there, so nothing will reach your inbox.


Thanks Ian, I'll have a look into that and see what happens         $good$

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #536 on: August 06, 2019, 02:41:12 pm »
The Barclays, Natwest and Halifax bank text scam doing the rounds - how to protect yourself
Victims have received suspicious messages claiming to be from some of the UK's biggest banks    ref  DP

Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, is now warning the public over the prevalence of such scams.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/barclays-natwest-halifax-bank-text-16687073

Offline Dave

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #537 on: August 09, 2019, 06:12:28 pm »
Grrr! I hate being duped!!! I have renewed my car tax online several times and never with a problem so I guess I was a bit relaxed about doing so again today. I just googled road tax renewal and as you can see the options are listed on the screensaver shot below. I stupidly clicked on the first option which isn't the DVLA but looks like them when you go to their website. OK, cost just 50p to find out that you have road tax, but your credit card will be debited £5.99 a month there afterwards. It's a really clever little con because you think you are paying 50p credit card cost on renewal which of course is no longer legal. The minute you click on it the payment is taken when what I was actually clicking it for was to see what the 50p charge was for. Anyway, I immediately realised my mistake and blocked the payments.
Thought I'd share to save you the same trouble!

Offline Ian

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #538 on: August 09, 2019, 07:48:48 pm »
A nasty one, and Google has to share some of the responsibility for putting it at the top of the results.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #539 on: August 10, 2019, 02:40:13 pm »
That's annoying for you Dave and thanks for posting that scam on here.

It's probably my fault as I'm not very good on the computer but over the years I have ordered a lot of stuff from Amazon UK without any problem
Now though, even when I carefully check everything before placing my order,  I later receive an acknowledgement e mail thanking me for becoming a Member of Prime
I have never requested or will ever want Prime so each time I have to e-mail them and point out that I didn't want or requested Prime and to cancel my subscription
They always do cancel it and refund the 99p that they have deducted from my account in the first place but it's so annoying that I have to do it every time