Another foolish scammer

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

My landline logged a call from a local number on Monday. As I sometimes
do, I rang the number back on Tuesday, but from my mobile phone, but
the voice message suggested they were busy.

They obviously recorded the fact that I had tried to ring them back,
for they rang me on my mobile this morning - again presenting a local
to me phone number, but with a very foreign and difficult to understand
accent.

He immediatly launced into suggesting my Ebay account had been hacked,
had I bought an HP laptop for £50 - I had, bought a new HP recently,
but for a lot more than £50.

Did I want to stop the transaction - playing along I said yes please.
He then asked me to log into my ebay account - at which point I told
him where to go.

Puzzle is - how did they know when ringing my mobile number, what my
local code might have been? What number to spoof? I could have rung
them from anywhere in the UK on my mobile, when I rang them on Tuesday.

[Sysadmin]

Post by Harry Bloomfield, Esq.
My landline logged a call from a local number on Monday. As I sometimes
do, I rang the number back on Tuesday, but from my mobile phone, but the
voice message suggested they were busy.
They obviously recorded the fact that I had tried to ring them back, for
they rang me on my mobile this morning - again presenting a local to me
phone number, but with a very foreign and difficult to understand
accent.
He immediatly launced into suggesting my Ebay account had been hacked,
had I bought an HP laptop for £50 - I had, bought a new HP recently, but
for a lot more than £50.
Did I want to stop the transaction - playing along I said yes please. He
then asked me to log into my ebay account - at which point I told him
where to go.
Puzzle is - how did they know when ringing my mobile number, what my
local code might have been? What number to spoof? I could have rung them
from anywhere in the UK on my mobile, when I rang them on Tuesday.

You sure your identity hasn't been compromised...?

[Fredxx]

Post by Sysadmin

Post by Harry Bloomfield, Esq.
My landline logged a call from a local number on Monday. As I sometimes
do, I rang the number back on Tuesday, but from my mobile phone, but the
voice message suggested they were busy.
They obviously recorded the fact that I had tried to ring them back, for
they rang me on my mobile this morning - again presenting a local to me
phone number, but with a very foreign and difficult to understand
accent.
He immediatly launced into suggesting my Ebay account had been hacked,
had I bought an HP laptop for £50 - I had, bought a new HP recently, but
for a lot more than £50.
Did I want to stop the transaction - playing along I said yes please. He
then asked me to log into my ebay account - at which point I told him
where to go.
Puzzle is - how did they know when ringing my mobile number, what my
local code might have been? What number to spoof? I could have rung them
from anywhere in the UK on my mobile, when I rang them on Tuesday.

You sure your identity hasn't been compromised...?

Or the laptop seller gave away some details? Like name and address?
Possibly phone numbers if they're on the eBay account?

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Or the laptop seller gave away some details? Like name and address? Possibly
phone numbers if they're on the eBay account?

It wasn't bought on Ebay.

[Adrian Caspersz]

Post by Harry Bloomfield, Esq.
He immediatly launced into suggesting my Ebay account had been hacked,
had I bought an HP laptop for £50 - I had, bought a new HP recently, but
for a lot more than £50.
Did I want to stop the transaction - playing along I said yes please. He
then asked me to log into my ebay account - at which point I told him
where to go.

You are training them. Please stop.

(hangup)

[alan_m]

Post by Adrian Caspersz

Post by Harry Bloomfield, Esq.
He immediatly launced into suggesting my Ebay account had been hacked,
had I bought an HP laptop for £50 - I had, bought a new HP recently,
but for a lot more than £50.
Did I want to stop the transaction - playing along I said yes please.
He then asked me to log into my ebay account - at which point I told
him where to go.

You are training them. Please stop.
(hangup)

For the past four weeks I've had two or three phone calls a day from
01202 159xxx where the xxx are different numbers. I've been letting the
answerphone pick up at which point the caller hangs up. I've also added
the numbers to my phones blacklist so the phones doesn't ring if the
same number is used (my separate caller display still records the number).

Today I picked up the call. The caller sounded like a UK native rather
than from an obvious Indian call centre. I asked why my number was being
cold called as it was registered on the TPS. I was told that it was not
a cold call because he was Green Energy adviser and he was not selling
anything!!! I asked politely :) for my number to be removed from his
list and hung up.

On various "who is calling" web sites the calls from these numbers are
identified as being harassing and often silent. People who have answered
the phone have identified them as a solar panel and heat pump scams
involving "government grants".

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by alan_m
Today I picked up the call. The caller sounded like a UK native rather
than from an obvious Indian call centre. I asked why my number was being
cold called as it was registered on the TPS. I was told that it was not
a cold call because he was Green Energy adviser and he was not selling
anything!!! I asked politely :) for my number to be removed from his
list and hung up.
On various "who is calling" web sites the calls from these numbers are
identified as being harassing and often silent. People who have answered
the phone have identified them as a solar panel and heat pump scams
involving "government grants".

From the number of calls I have had relating specifically to
solar panels, it is clear that the database of installations is
being misused.

The most recent wanted to convince me that I was entitled to a
free inspection to ensure that my system was in top condition.

Curious about the details of their operation, I asked them to
send me their information by email, and they said OK, we already
have your email. When I asked how, they hung up.

Chris

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

For the past four weeks I've had two or three phone calls a day from 01202
159xxx where the xxx are different numbers. I've been letting the answerphone
pick up at which point the caller hangs up. I've also added the numbers to my
phones blacklist so the phones doesn't ring if the same number is used (my
separate caller display still records the number).

My landline filter is set so ONLY the known callers get through to ring
the phones. The rest get the chance to leave a message, or get through
with my approval by pressing hash. They never press hash or leave a
message.

[Steve Walker]

Post by Harry Bloomfield, Esq.

Post by alan_m
For the past four weeks I've had two or three phone calls a day from
01202 159xxx where the xxx are different numbers. I've been letting
the answerphone pick up at which point the caller hangs up. I've also
added the numbers to my phones blacklist so the phones doesn't ring if
the same number is used (my separate caller display still records the
number).

My landline filter is set so ONLY the known callers get through to ring
the phones. The rest get the chance to leave a message, or get through
with my approval by pressing hash. They never press hash or leave a
message.

Unfortunately neither do the hospital services around here - working on
the principle that leaving a message, stating who it is for and that the
call is from such-and-such a department at the hospital, is breaking
data security by revealing that the "target" has a medical problem. They
wouldn't even leave a message when I was thought to have cancer and was
waiting for an urgent call in for an exploratory operation!

As my wife has ongoing health problems and is under the GP and a number
of consultants, we have to accept all calls, with or without known
numbers (even withheld numbers).

[Anonymous]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
Today I picked up the call. The caller sounded like a UK native

rather

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
than from an obvious Indian call centre. I asked why my number was

being

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
cold called as it was registered on the TPS. I was told that it was

not

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
a cold call because he was Green Energy adviser and he was not

selling

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
anything!!! I asked politely :) for my number to be removed from his
list and hung up.
On various "who is calling" web sites the calls from these numbers

are

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
identified as being harassing and often silent. People who have

answered

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
the phone have identified them as a solar panel and heat pump scams
involving "government grants".

From the number of calls I have had relating specifically to
solar panels, it is clear that the database of installations is
being misused.
The most recent wanted to convince me that I was entitled to a
free inspection to ensure that my system was in top condition.
Curious about the details of their operation, I asked them to
send me their information by email, and they said OK, we already
have your email. When I asked how, they hung up.
Chris

indian community in the UK are copying their relatives in America.
Taking stolen money
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/17/world/asia/india-call-center-scam.html
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/owner-and-operator-india-based-call-centers-sentenced-prison-scamming-us-victims-out-millions
They use their shops to launder money away from the West.

[Anonymous]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
Today I picked up the call. The caller sounded like a UK native

rather

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
than from an obvious Indian call centre. I asked why my number was

being

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
cold called as it was registered on the TPS. I was told that it was

not

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
a cold call because he was Green Energy adviser and he was not

selling

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
anything!!! I asked politely :) for my number to be removed from his
list and hung up.
On various "who is calling" web sites the calls from these numbers

are

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
identified as being harassing and often silent. People who have

answered

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by alan_m
the phone have identified them as a solar panel and heat pump scams
involving "government grants".

From the number of calls I have had relating specifically to
solar panels, it is clear that the database of installations is
being misused.
The most recent wanted to convince me that I was entitled to a
free inspection to ensure that my system was in top condition.
Curious about the details of their operation, I asked them to
send me their information by email, and they said OK, we already
have your email. When I asked how, they hung up.
Chris