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Another Phone Scam

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audiophile
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by audiophile » Sat Jan 04, 2020 2:35 pm

Calvert DeForest wrote:
Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:13 pm
The fact that you hear extra tones after you dial the initial number on multiple phone in multiple locations with multiple carriers definitely suggests that the hack lies in the phone system of the agency or business you're calling. It would also mean you're not the not the only person experiencing this problem. Might be worth a Google search to see if anyone else has reported issues with these numbers.

A great resource I use is 800notes.com. You can report suspicious numbers and also query numbers you've called or answered to see if they've been reported by other posters. Now that more people have become aware of phone scams and either blocked or refused to answer calls from unknown numbers, it's likely that the scammers are finding new ways to reach their marks. I wouldn't put it past them to hack into the phone systems of legitimate companies/organizations and program those systems to "reroute" random incoming calls. Industrious little shits they are!
Possibility, anything is possible.

TT, I never suggested it was human error, it think it is a phone issue. Some wireless phones cache the dialing digits. It you switched it to "pulse" mode dialing pulses would generated on the "base" end, not the transceiver.


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Calvert DeForest
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Calvert DeForest » Thu Jan 09, 2020 10:14 am

audiophile wrote:
Sat Jan 04, 2020 2:35 pm
TT, I never suggested it was human error, it think it is a phone issue. Some wireless phones cache the dialing digits. It you switched it to "pulse" mode dialing pulses would generated on the "base" end, not the transceiver.
The redial function would remember all digits entered on the previous dial, including any extra digits entered for menu prompts, etc. Those digits would be redialed in rapid succession without pause, which could possibly route the call to weird destinations. Also, some phones may only retain the last 11 digits of the previous manual sequence (1 + area code + local number). The initial digits could drop from the redial if more than 11 digits were manually punched the first time around. Some landline-based phones still offer a pulse-dialing option, although I've seen some that don't have it.

Then again, there's always this option:

Image


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Deleted User 4520

Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Deleted User 4520 » Thu Jan 09, 2020 12:26 pm

The REAL scam is how much phones cost. Hell, even a desktop computer or a laptop is cheaper than a phone. Seems something wrong with that.



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Calvert DeForest
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Calvert DeForest » Thu Jan 09, 2020 1:07 pm

TheForce wrote:
Thu Jan 09, 2020 12:26 pm
The REAL scam is how much phones cost. Hell, even a desktop computer or a laptop is cheaper than a phone. Seems something wrong with that.
I don't know....I got my last smartphone for 40 bucks, brand new and without a contract.

Then again, I don't go for marketing trends. I just want something that does the job.


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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Turkeytop » Thu Jan 09, 2020 7:47 pm

I don't care what any of you say, this is a scam. I have ended up with that telephone answer when calling to various numbers, from different telephones, in different cities, in different countries. It can't be coincidence and it isn't a glitch with the buttons or with my finger.

The scammers number exists for one purpose only. To intercept the redirected calls. No one would intentionally call their number.


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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by audiophile » Thu Jan 09, 2020 8:15 pm

I think that supports my case the phone itself is the problem. POTS is considered pretty safe, and it is still used for credit cards.


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Calvert DeForest
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Calvert DeForest » Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:25 am

Turkeytop wrote:
Thu Jan 09, 2020 7:47 pm
I don't care what any of you say, this is a scam. I have ended up with that telephone answer when calling to various numbers, from different telephones, in different cities, in different countries. It can't be coincidence and it isn't a glitch with the buttons or with my finger.

The scammers number exists for one purpose only. To intercept the redirected calls. No one would intentionally call their number.
I don't think anyone is doubting you. Like we've said, the problem could originate at any one of multiple points in the chain. I assume you're calling numbers that have been verified through official sources (i.e. the company's or agency's actual website). Phishing scams are known to send e-mails that look like official correspondence, right down to hijacking a company logo to create a fake letterhead. They'll prompt you to click a link or call a fake number. You think you're contacting the actual company or agency when in fact the number connects you to a scammer. This has happened with my credit union a couple of times, prompting them to issue fraud alerts about phishing e-mails. Not saying this is the case in your situation. It's just another way the scambags run their game.


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Turkeytop
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Turkeytop » Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:37 pm

OK. So a glitch in a telephone can cause it to misdial a wrong number.

But what are the chances that calls made on different telephones, with different phone companies, in different countries, calling to different numbers would all make the very same error and call the very same wrong number? A number that no one would ever call willingly. The only way they could get any callers, is through a phony, redirect scam.


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Calvert DeForest
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Calvert DeForest » Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:19 am

Turkeytop wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:37 pm
OK. So a glitch in a telephone can cause it to misdial a wrong number.

But what are the chances that calls made on different telephones, with different phone companies, in different countries, calling to different numbers would all make the very same error and call the very same wrong number? A number that no one would ever call willingly. The only way they could get any callers, is through a phony, redirect scam.
That was my thought from the get-go. Guess the question is, how many different numbers have you experienced this issue with?


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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Turkeytop » Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:41 pm

It's happened about a half dozen times. Always toll free numbers. Most recently was about a month ago, the call that prompted me to start this thread. I was calling Kohler Industries to get help assembling one of their products. Called the number on the assembly instruction paper that was in the package.

The first time was about a year ago. I was calling the Florida State Capital, at the number on their letterhead.


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SoupySez
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by SoupySez » Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:07 pm

You know, it all sounds like the popup ads you get when when you access some web sites, or when you click on a You Tube video and one or two ads come up right away that they want you to watch first.
A few months ago, my brother sent me a txt giving me his new phone number. It seems that he got one of those calls where Emily tries to help you with your student loans, or Elizabeth tries to tell you that according to their records you stayed at one of their resorts and they want to reward you. Only trouble was, on my brothers caller ID, it was his own phone number that was calling him. He decided enough was enough and changed his number. But he'll probably get it again. They never seem to stop.



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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Turkeytop » Tue Feb 11, 2020 7:39 pm

Turkeytop wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 9:10 pm
I've been encountering this one from time to time, over the past several months.

You call a legitimate, toll free number to contact a business or a government agency and somehow the call gets redirected to some guy wanting to sell you a free Caribbean cruise.

It happened again today. I was calling for customer support for a product I was assembling here at home. Three times my call was redirected to the phony number. On the fourth try, I got through to the right number.

I was calling on a cordless phone and when I pressed TALK, I could here the tones calling the right number. But after the tenth tone, it paused briefly, then carried on with several more tones.

It's always the same.

"Thank you for calling. Please take some time and complete a brief survey. If you wist to take the survey please press one"

It doesn't offer an alternate button to press if you don't wish to do the survey. If you press nothing at all, the call hangs up.

So I tried again. This time, when It asked me to press one for the survey, I pressed the one.

"Thank you for agreeing to complete our survey. This is a one question survey. Are you over 55? If you are over 55 press one."

Once again there was no optional button to push for anyone under 55. I didn't press a button and the call hung up.

Third time I pressed one to take the survey and one for over 55.

"Congratulations. You've answered the question correctly. You are now the winner of a free Caribbean cruise. All you have to pay are your port fees, your brokerage fees, your ---" I hung up.

My next attempt, the call went through properly. I told the lady on the other end that someone has hacked their phone number and is running a scam. After my call was finished and she had answered my questions she put me through to her manager so I could tell him about the scam.

I've been running into this for a few months now. The first time it happened I was in Florida and calling the State Capital in Tallahassee. When the telephone was answered in that weird way, I thought that was just some gimmick the Florida State government was using.
This is real. We had a guy at our Park today to talk about fraud, identity theft, home security and personal security. He told us about several scams that are active, including this one.


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Calvert DeForest
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Calvert DeForest » Wed Feb 12, 2020 9:21 am

SoupySez wrote:
Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:07 pm
You know, it all sounds like the popup ads you get when when you access some web sites, or when you click on a You Tube video and one or two ads come up right away that they want you to watch first.
A few months ago, my brother sent me a txt giving me his new phone number. It seems that he got one of those calls where Emily tries to help you with your student loans, or Elizabeth tries to tell you that according to their records you stayed at one of their resorts and they want to reward you. Only trouble was, on my brothers caller ID, it was his own phone number that was calling him. He decided enough was enough and changed his number. But he'll probably get it again. They never seem to stop.
I encountered the very same thing once. Got a call from my own number, and sure enough, it was a scammer. I've even received scam calls in Chinese. Now I don't answer any number that looks suspicious or that I don't recognize. I used to get a lot of calls from my own area code and prefix, but the last four digits would vary. Scammers use "neighborhood spoofing" to emulate your local area code and prefix. The idea is to make the number look familiar so you'll answer the call. My wife is the only person I know who share's my prefix. If the call isn't from her number, I don't pick up. Naturally, they never leave a message. The bot hangs up as soon as it detects the voice mail greeting.

I did some research and learned that answering these calls is the worst thing you can do. Once the bot detects that the call connects to a real person, it flags the number as "live" in the database, and the calls ramp up. The live number lists are then sold to other scammers, resulting in even more annoying calls. If the call continually reaches voice mail, the bot will eventually mark the number as "dead" and drop it out of the database. Time is money to these scammers. They don't want to waste even a few seconds calling a number that goes nowhere.

The number of scam calls I received has dropped significantly since I stopped answering unknown numbers. I used to get three or four calls a day. Now I get maybe one or two a week. I just let 'em ring. If it's legit, they can leave a message and I'll call back.


Shortwave is the ORIGINAL satellite radio.

Deleted User 24

Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Deleted User 24 » Wed Feb 12, 2020 10:17 am

Unless I am job-hunting or otherwise expecting a call from someone I don't know, I never answer a call from a number I don't recognize. Problem largely solved.



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Calvert DeForest
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Re: Another Phone Scam

Post by Calvert DeForest » Wed Feb 12, 2020 11:17 am

Vic Doucette wrote:
Wed Feb 12, 2020 10:17 am
Unless I am job-hunting or otherwise expecting a call from someone I don't know, I never answer a call from a number I don't recognize. Problem largely solved.
There's a big market for "spam-blocker" apps. Most are a waste of money and don't accomplish anything the consumer can't do on their end with a few common-sense rules. Yes, it's annoying when a bogus call rings my phone for 10-15 seconds, but it's a minor inconvenience I can live with, especially if ignoring it leads to fewer disturbances overall. Spammers and scammers are just part of the digital landscape, and they're constantly looking for new ways to rook people. The best defense is to stay vigilant and well-informed.


Shortwave is the ORIGINAL satellite radio.

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