Spoofing Calls - Let's Be Careful Out There

[scfr]

We got our first true Caller ID spoofing scam call today --- the name & phone number that appeared were from an actual bank. It was on DH's phone. He didn't answer it. A robotic voice mail message was left. He showed me the transcript. We knew it was a scam and were concerned enough that I looked up the bank (and checked with BBB and FDIC web sites), and then called them to report it. The woman I spoke with at the call center told me that they had been receiving non-stop calls like mine for about 40 minutes from people receiving the exact same message. It's a small regional bank. Based on what she told me and the time of day, the scam calls started going out as soon as their regular banking hours ended (and when their fraud department staff went home) ... on the day before a national bank holiday. Coincidence? Maybe. But I doubt it. As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus used to say on Hill Street Blues: "Let's be careful out there." If you have friends or family members who might be likely to fall for such a scam, please warn them.

https://www.fcc.gov/spoofing

[bjl584]

I've been starting to see this as well.
I routinely receive calls from what appears to be legitimate phone numbers.

[ua_guy]

This has been going on for years, and it still gets people, hook, line, and sinker.

The worst is in small communities. People are more likely to answer local numbers from the same or nearby small communities.

If you don't have to answer your phone, don't. Answer only from your programmed contacts, and everyone else goes to voicemail, and you can call them back if it's related to personal business. Remember that no legit entity will ever ask for a password or card number over the phone, card number ONLY if you are making an intentional purchase. Serious communications from the IRS come via US mail.

My parents have been taken at least twice. They are victims because they are often awaiting important calls from doctors and medical facilities, billing entities, and caregivers, as they deal with their own healthcare as well as that of aging friends and family who they help.

[myrdale]

I've been receiving these for a couple of years now.

The car warranty scam is the biggest one.

Recently I have had people calling about buying my house. Maybe they are legitimate but they insist on calling in the evening and know way too much personal information about my house (all publicly available I know).

There is another group that calls wanting money for the sheriff's association. They are slick in that the computer has fast responses to most of the questions I've asked it.

For the car warranty group, I had a fake identity (name, make / model / mileage, address, SSN, etc) that I would feed them.

"Microsoft" has called my mother on a couple of occasions because they have detected virus on her computer. Mom now keeps an air horn next to the phone.

The sheriff's group, after giving the correct series of answers, you would be patched through to an actual person.

In each case I try to keep them going as long as I can, and then end the call by insulting them in ways that would make most of you blush.

On the rarest of occasions, they have made the mistake of leaving a number which works if you call them back on. I have spent an afternoon, making near 60 individual calls back to them (in this case it was a group of about 10 people) and letting them half it one at a time. It took a couple of days, but they actually blocked my number!!

In all cases, remember they are thieves. They are their to steal and scam. Waste their time and never give them anything. And if your bank or the social security administration ever really needs anything from you, ONLY give it to them in person in their office.

[ua_guy]

On the rarest of occasions, they have made the mistake of leaving a number which works if you call them back on. I have spent an afternoon, making near 60 individual calls back to them (in this case it was a group of about 10 people) and letting them half it one at a time. It took a couple of days, but they actually blocked my number!!

Just FYI. Cell and home landline numbers of ordinary people are spoofed every day. Calling them back and insulting the person on the other end may very well be calling someone just like you, who had their number spoofed by a spammer. If you have a direct callback number, by calling them back, you are confirming you are a live number and that data can be used in other ways. It's not a good thing to do, as tempting or as cathartic doing so may feel. Don't answer, and if you accidentally do, just hang up as soon as you know it's a scam.

Being belligerent won't deter them. They're more evil than that.

[myrdale]

Just FYI. Cell and home landline numbers of ordinary people are spoofed every day. Calling them back and insulting the person on the other end may very well be calling someone just like you, who had their number spoofed by a spammer. If you have a direct callback number, by calling them back, you are confirming you are a live number and that data can be used in other ways. It's not a good thing to do, as tempting or as cathartic doing so may feel. Don't answer, and if you accidentally do, just hang up as soon as you know it's a scam.

Being belligerent won't deter them. They're more evil than that.

But it's a hell of a lot of fun.

[Petunia 100]

I've been receiving these for a couple of years now.

The car warranty scam is the biggest one.

Recently I have had people calling about buying my house. Maybe they are legitimate but they insist on calling in the evening and know way too much personal information about my house (all publicly available I know).

There is another group that calls wanting money for the sheriff's association. They are slick in that the computer has fast responses to most of the questions I've asked it.

For the car warranty group, I had a fake identity (name, make / model / mileage, address, SSN, etc) that I would feed them.

"Microsoft" has called my mother on a couple of occasions because they have detected virus on her computer. Mom now keeps an air horn next to the phone.

The sheriff's group, after giving the correct series of answers, you would be patched through to an actual person.

In each case I try to keep them going as long as I can, and then end the call by insulting them in ways that would make most of you blush.

On the rarest of occasions, they have made the mistake of leaving a number which works if you call them back on. I have spent an afternoon, making near 60 individual calls back to them (in this case it was a group of about 10 people) and letting them half it one at a time. It took a couple of days, but they actually blocked my number!!

In all cases, remember they are thieves. They are their to steal and scam. Waste their time and never give them anything. And if your bank or the social security administration ever really needs anything from you, ONLY give it to them in person in their office.

The sheriff's group may not be an actual scam. Sometimes legitimate organizations hire fund-raising groups which actually do fund-raising, but take a large chunk for themselves.

[Petunia 100]

But it's a hell of a lot of fun.

I hear you. My SO and I once spent a weekend composing ridiculous responses to scammy emails. We laughed until our sides ached.

[kork13]

But it's a hell of a lot of fun.

I think my favorite one that I've heard was a guy who conned the scammer into thinking he'd called a crime scene -- the owner of the phone number called had just been murdered, and the "police detective" answers "the victim's" phone demanding information/alibi/etc. of the caller (scammer). Hilarity ensues. You can listen to recordings of this stuff on YouTube & elsewhere... Funny if you have a few minutes to burn.