Talking to a Criminal

indioblack · 02-08-2017 4:44pm #1

I was perusing Boards today when the phone rang.
A man claiming to be a detective constable told me that my Visa card had been used and my details might have been compromised.
He gave his name, badge number, reference number, extension number, [but not his telephone number], a three digit number for me to contact the police with.
He claimed he was from the Visa card fraud department.
I was still making my way through Boards and was distracted enough to wonder if the man was indeed a police officer.
I then began to take an interest in what he was saying. I asked him was he in the police force in London, [he had a London accent and, from his nasal tone, I suspect he was black].
I told him I didn't live in London, knew no one there and asked him again who he worked for - the Met or Visa. He kept asking me what it was that I didn't understand. I replied that I understood none of this.
He then asked me again to phone the three digit number - I could do it whilst continuing the call with him. I said I would end this call and try the number. The call ended and I dialled the three digit number - and sure enough nothing happened.
To my surprise he phoned me back and asked if I'd dialled the number. I told the number didn't work and he put the phone down.
I contacted my bank to inform them of what had happened and they said this was a known scam - they asked if I had given any bank details to the caller. I hadn't.
Looking online, I found that this is a known scam - although it was new to me.
As I've said, I was slightly distracted at the time, not paying full attention to the call and briefly wondered if he was genuine and, more importantly, had something happened to my online banking.
I quickly realized that what he was saying made no sense - but it obliged me to check with my bank.
What kind of moral compass do people like this have? Perhaps it's easier to be sucked into these scams if you're not paying close attention to what people are saying.
Some really unpleasant people out there.

jeanjolie · 02-08-2017 4:47pm

Times are tough, we all have to scrap some money from here, there and everywhere:D

corner of hells · 02-08-2017 4:47pm

If you give me your bank details, I'll sort everything out for you.

McMurphy · 02-08-2017 4:49pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZVSQWPWvKI

02-08-2017 4:50pm

Awww.

Misleading thread title. I was hoping you'd just had lunch with Catherine Nevin or OJ or someone.

maudgonner · 02-08-2017 4:55pm

indioblack wrote: »

What kind of moral compass do people like this have? Perhaps it's easier to be sucked into these scams if you're not paying close attention to what people are saying.
Some really unpleasant people out there.

He's a criminal. In terms of moral compass this guy isn't half as bad as many of them. There's plenty who will terrorise the most vulnerable, abuse people who can't speak up for themselves, beat elderly people to death. TBH I'm a bit shocked that you're so shocked.

indioblack · 02-08-2017 4:56pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Awww.

Misleading thread title. I was hoping you'd just had lunch with Catherine Nevin or OJ or someone.

My sister was here today - she's old school, never owned a computer, never been online - yet she knew all about this particular scam.

indioblack · 02-08-2017 4:57pm

maudgonner wrote: »

He's a criminal. In terms of moral compass this guy isn't half as bad as many of them. There's plenty who will terrorise the most vulnerable, abuse people who can't speak up for themselves, beat elderly people to death. TBH I'm a bit shocked that you're so shocked.

I think it's because I felt a bit stupid for briefly considering that he might actually be who he said he was.

GhostyMcGhost · 02-08-2017 4:58pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Awww.

Misleading thread title. I was hoping you'd just had lunch with Catherine Nevin or OJ or someone.

Or AMA

Fred Swanson · 02-08-2017 6:11pm

This post has been deleted.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 02-08-2017 6:14pm

Are you only now becoming aware of this type of scam? Welcome to the 21st century.

KERSPLAT! · 02-08-2017 6:24pm

Stopped reading at "perusing".

Kimbot · 02-08-2017 6:25pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

An AMA with a criminal would be good reading.

I seriously doubt it tbh, unless it was some sort of serious serial killer type.

nullzero · 02-08-2017 6:41pm

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Stopped reading at "perusing".

"I was perusing".

Must have been overwhelming.

indioblack · 02-08-2017 7:08pm

Nolan Modern Campfire wrote: »

Are you only now becoming aware of this type of scam? Welcome to the 21st century.

I don't recall this particular one. As I've admitted, I wasn't paying full attention - I've been getting a few cold calls lately.
What I should have done is thank the caller for the warning and tell him I would contact my bank. I realized that the call made no sense, yet I wondered why the man wanted me to dial a certain number.

indioblack · 02-08-2017 7:10pm

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Stopped reading at "perusing".

Some words need an airing.

dense · 03-08-2017 7:51am

indioblack wrote: »

I don't recall this particular one. As I've admitted, I wasn't paying full attention - I've been getting a few cold calls lately.
What I should have done is thank the caller for the warning and tell him I would contact my bank. I realized that the call made no sense, yet I wondered why the man wanted me to dial a certain number.

Dialling a number during a call you've received?
What happens to make it a scam? How does that work?

Wile E. Coyote · 03-08-2017 7:56am

dense wrote: »

Dialling a number during a call you've received?
What happens to make it a scam? How does that work?

Maybe he was asking the OP to key in his 3 digit security code?

MysticMonk · 03-08-2017 7:58am

indioblack wrote:

Some words need an airing.

It behooves you to do so.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 03-08-2017 7:59am

So basically you posted all that to tell us some tried to scam you. :rollseyes:

And how do you know he was a criminal, he didn't actually commit any crime and you have no proof he has any criminal convictions???

Wile E. Coyote · 03-08-2017 8:09am

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

So basically you posted all that to tell us some tried to scam you. :rollseyes:

And how do you know he was a criminal, he didn't actually commit any crime and you have no proof he has any criminal convictions???

Would impersonating a police officer not be considered a criminal offence?

indioblack · 03-08-2017 9:37am

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

So basically you posted all that to tell us some tried to scam you. :rollseyes:

And how do you know he was a criminal, he didn't actually commit any crime and you have no proof he has any criminal convictions???

You should have stopped at "peruse".
Fair enough, the thread title is dramatic - but, as far as I am concerned, accurate.
It was the oddness of this unexpected situation that I wanted to post.
I've been welcomed to the 21st century, [you can keep it], and a poster believed I was shocked by this attempted scam. Not so - nor am I so green as to be unaware of this danger.
I was briefly wondering if there was any truth in what the man was saying - as regards his status and the claim he made concerning my bank cards - all this whilst he continued to talk and I attempted to make sense of the information coming down the line.
Of course I should have ended the call at the point where he mentioned the possibility of my cards being compromised, and then contacted my bank - in fact I did this when the phone call ended. But, as I've said, I've had a few of these cold calls recently and I wasn't paying full attention when this call occurred.
The caller was prepared for his scam, he had the patter, the spiel - presumably with the intent of blinding me with information that I soon realized made no sense. I, on the other hand, was simply a person who answered a telephone call.
The moral compass business? He phones a complete stranger, lies to them, with the deliberate intention of causing them, [me in this case], loss.
However it's sliced, this was criminal activity. I don't do it and I doubt you do either.

blastman · 03-08-2017 10:49am

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

Maybe he was asking the OP to key in his 3 digit security code?

This is what they're after, yes...

AlekSmart · 03-08-2017 10:59am

indioblack wrote: »

You should have stopped at "peruse".
Fair enough, the thread title is dramatic - but, as far as I am concerned, accurate.
It was the oddness of this unexpected situation that I wanted to post.
I've been welcomed to the 21st century, [you can keep it], and a poster believed I was shocked by this attempted scam. Not so - nor am I so green as to be unaware of this danger.
I was briefly wondering if there was any truth in what the man was saying - as regards his status and the claim he made concerning my bank cards - all this whilst he continued to talk and I attempted to make sense of the information coming down the line.
Of course I should have ended the call at the point where he mentioned the possibility of my cards being compromised, and then contacted my bank - in fact I did this when the phone call ended. But, as I've said, I've had a few of these cold calls recently and I wasn't paying full attention when this call occurred.
The caller was prepared for his scam, he had the patter, the spiel - presumably with the intent of blinding me with information that I soon realized made no sense. I, on the other hand, was simply a person who answered a telephone call.
The moral compass business? He phones a complete stranger, lies to them, with the deliberate intention of causing them, [me in this case], loss.
However it's sliced, this was criminal activity. I don't do it and I doubt you do either.

Hmmmm...perhaps keep an eye on your Phone Account over the next few days....;)

03-08-2017 11:14am

dense wrote: »

Dialling a number during a call you've received?
What happens to make it a scam? How does that work?

I think the scammer was giving the OP a number to call.

That number didn't work, but sometimes scammers will get you to call some number that costs say 1,000 Nigerian naira per minute (about 2 quid)

indioblack · 03-08-2017 5:00pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I think the scammer was giving the OP a number to call.

That number didn't work, but sometimes scammers will get you to call some number that costs say 1,000 Nigerian naira per minute (about 2 quid)

Good point. As AlekSmart suggested I checked my phone account - nothing odd, [as yet!].
It was a three digit number the man wanted me to dial - while his call to me was still going. Not sure if that would have done anything - I dialled the number after the first call ended. Nothing happened - unsurprisingly. He gave me an extension number too - that was never used.

Fred Swanson · 03-08-2017 5:08pm

This post has been deleted.

indioblack · 03-08-2017 5:17pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That's why the three digit number makes no sense. Frightening if that's what the scam was. Does that explain why the man phoned me back to ask if I'd dialled the number?
As it was I went online and typed my concern on the banks website - you know, the live chat box .

Fred Swanson · 03-08-2017 5:20pm

This post has been deleted.

dense · 03-08-2017 5:23pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

The way the scam works is that they tell you to ring a number. You hang up, pick up and hear a dial tone and you dial the number of the bank. The thing is you are still connected to the original call. They simulate a dial tone so you think you are disconnected from the original call. They will answer as your bank and then they will collect all your personal information from you.

Don't think that works on mobiles.
Once you hang up you're done AFAIK.

indioblack · 03-08-2017 5:23pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I tried 1471 but there was no number.

dense · 03-08-2017 5:27pm

indioblack wrote: »

I tried 1471 but there was no number.

Were you on a mobile?

indioblack · 03-08-2017 5:28pm

dense wrote: »

Were you on a mobile?

No, my landline phone at home.

dense · 03-08-2017 6:49pm

indioblack wrote: »

No, my landline phone at home.

I remember this now

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/03/bt-changes-uk-phone-call-clearing-procedure-stop-fraudsters.html

indioblack · 03-08-2017 8:39pm

dense wrote: »

I remember this now

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/03/bt-changes-uk-phone-call-clearing-procedure-stop-fraudsters.html

This is all new to me - I'd no idea it was such an issue - and for some time according to your link.

annascott · 03-08-2017 8:56pm

Thieves broke into a food bank last week. Within days, the food bank committee got security cameras put up and the thieves broke in again and stole the cameras.
If people can be so low as to steal from a charity food bank, making a few random phone calls in the hope of getting bank account details will not cost them a second thought.

Talking to a Criminal

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