How can this mobile number scam call work?

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by wylie, 4th Aug, 2020.

Join Australia's most dynamic and respected property investment community
  1. Firefly99

    Firefly99 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    24th Jul, 2020
    Posts:
    1,727
    Location:
    Qld
    What’s the scam behind numbers very similar to yours calling? I get a lot of calls from mobile numbers with just the last digit different to mine. If I answer there is usually no response on the other end or it is someone saying they are returning a missed call from me (and these people don’t ‘sound’ like scammers).
     
  2. Shazz@

    Shazz@ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    24th Jun, 2018
    Posts:
    1,310
    Location:
    NSW
    Yeah me too! Recently, I’ve been getting many calls. Blocking constantly, but they phone calls keep coming. So annoying.
     
    Firefly99 likes this.
  3. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    27,095
    Location:
    Sydney or NSW or Australia
    Getting a bit tired of all the "parcel waiting.... " texts that keep coming through. You'd think ACMA (Telco regulator) would be blocking those numbers & launching actions. :mad:
     
    craigc, Pumpkin and Lizzie like this.
  4. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    13,932
    Location:
    Brisbane
    What action are these parcel waiting texts asking of you?
     
  5. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    9th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    9,618
    Location:
    Planet A
    The usual - if you don't click on the link and tell us all your information, we cannot deliver via a courier company that doesn't exist in Australia
     
    skater likes this.
  6. SatayKing

    SatayKing Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    20th Sep, 2017
    Posts:
    10,726
    Location:
    Extended Sabatical
    Probably using a more powerful system but similar to this.

    Generate random phone numbers - Randommer

    And not only will the text ask you for a small payment to complete the delivery, if people fall for it, they will find themselves subscribed to some gambling site charging heaps per month and the only way to stop the payment will be to cancel the credit/debit card used and get a new one.
     
  7. Optimus

    Optimus Well-Known Member Business Member

    Joined:
    2nd May, 2018
    Posts:
    280
    Location:
    Melbourne
    I've had heaps too, ever since I had a covid test...
     
  8. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    15th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    11,654
    Location:
    Newcastle
    It's better to have heaps than to have piles ;-)
     
    Scott No Mates likes this.
  9. Pumpkin

    Pumpkin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,342
    Location:
    Brisbane
    We need an "Unlike" Button!

    I am beyond tired... As soon as I am retired, I will mute all my SMS. But because we are still doing business now we need to have the sound notifications.
    I have looked at setting notification only for people on my Address Book and then missed important SMS. *&%^_%@^)*@%^ !! :oops:
     
  10. SatayKing

    SatayKing Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    20th Sep, 2017
    Posts:
    10,726
    Location:
    Extended Sabatical
    Think of all those people who have few friends and have little contact. Those SMS's must make them feel wanted at least. :eek:
     
    Scott No Mates likes this.
  11. Mark F

    Mark F Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    29th Jan, 2020
    Posts:
    1,029
    Location:
    Canberra
    I got a new one yesterday - confirm delivery of the first parcel or we will not be able to deliver the second part of the order.

    I have noticed that the scam sms messages I have received have a couple of bits where two or three characters are enclosed in square brackets. I suspect these originally hold the info that allows the fake phone number to be introduced to the system.
     
  12. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    27,095
    Location:
    Sydney or NSW or Australia

    I've got lots:

    And the list goes on...
     
  13. datto

    datto Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23rd Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    6,675
    Location:
    Mt Druuiitt
    I've been sending out "parcel waiting messages" but everyone keeps ignoring me.
     
    craigc, Truly Exotic and willair like this.
  14. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    13,932
    Location:
    Brisbane
    The problem is that when so many are ordering things on line, it is hard to differentiate between a genuine text about delivery or a scam. I always am cautious but have ordered several things online lately, and have had genuine texts about deliveries, so I can understand how easy it would be for anyone (including me) to think the text is genuine.

    I also received an email saying I had a $65 voucher (I could choose from a few retail chains). I didn't click the link but called the insurance company to ask if this was a genuine offer or a scam.

    I was told there was no such offer. I chose to email the insurer just in case. I received an email back, apologising for the wrong information, that it is a genuine offer and this person would email me a link. Even then, I was hesitant, but I do now have a voucher for $65 ready to spend.

    More and more companies want us to receive bills via email, so how on earth do we distinguish between (for example) a genuine electricity bill and a scam. I still go to the electricity website and log in to my account rather than click any links, but some places don't have an online account that you can go directly to.

    No wonder people are losing money to scams.
     
    datto likes this.
  15. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    9th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    9,618
    Location:
    Planet A
    If in doubt, the easiest way to check if an email is from a genuine website/biller is to click "reply" - don't type anything or send - but the process of replying usually shows the email address the message was sent from and then pretty easy to pick up the dodgy ones.

    And never pay from the link on a message

    As for the parcels - I ignore the txts, even if genuine, as the same information is almost always emailed and easier to check against
     
  16. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    13,932
    Location:
    Brisbane
    Agree with all that, but even emails about deliveries can be simply phishing. It's getting trickier by the day to know what is genuine or not. I assume everything is dodgy. :D

    But for older people who are less scam alert or internet savvy, it can be even harder.

    My 92 year old mother-in-law takes her phone bill to the post office to pay it. We pay her medi-alert and mobile bill for her, set up to come automatically from our credit card or she'd be paying those at the post office too I guess. She's no dummy, but doesn't use the internet and gets her fair share of dodgy scam calls. So far she's not been fooled.
     
    Lizzie and datto like this.
  17. Truly Exotic

    Truly Exotic Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21st Aug, 2015
    Posts:
    1,032
    Location:
    16.4944° S, 151.7364° W
    im no where near senior age, but every 20th sms/email scam impresses me as to how sophisticated they have become

    By the time I get to senior age, I am scared as to how vulnerable I'm going to be
     
  18. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    13,932
    Location:
    Brisbane
    I just received a scam call on my mobile from "Peter from Telstra", slight accent, plenty of call centre and other noise in the background. He said for a few days my internet has gone from private to public and anyone can get into my computer (yeah... right). :rolleyes:

    I said I think this is a scam call. He said something like "really? I'm from Telstra and trying to help you". I said "ok, then I'll call Telstra direct, do you have a number?" at which time he said "you can google it, idiot" and hung up on me.

    I would not have called on any number he offered, but was curious to know if he would provide a number if I was foolish enough to go that way.

    I called him back (so he couldn't see my number) and got a "this number is disconnected" message. I then tried the number without hiding my number, and got the same message.

    I'm wondering how they can have a mobile number showing up that is not connected when called back? I assume they are somehow hijacking someone's real number, but it would seem that's not the case.
     
  19. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    9th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    9,618
    Location:
    Planet A
    There's another one that I've received a dozen times in the last few days ... all from different mobile numbers ... a recording stating "you bank account will be frozen due to suspicious activities - press one for assistance"

    Yeah right :rolleyes: ... hang up ... block (again)

    I too wonder how they can hijack random mobile numbers at will
     
  20. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    13,932
    Location:
    Brisbane
    I've been blocking the number each time I get one of these calls. But today I thought I'd call back, and it was a disconnected number, so I didn't bother blocking it.

    I'm curious as to how they can "hijack" a number and then within half a minute that number (when called back) is disconnected.