Phone scam?

sonofenoch · 24-06-2021 10:51pm

Got a few calls in recent days from 085/087 numbers I didn't recognize so didn't bother answering ........took a call first thing this morning on an 087 number, automated message English accent telling me apparently my PPS number's been cancelled due to criminal activity ( wtf I been up to now :rolleyes:) I had to press 1 to speak to an agent and face a warrant.....didn't press

Got me thinking where did they get the number? the only place I've randomly given my number and pps to was to register for the vaccine, I wonder are these calls linked to the HSE hack ? ...a quick google search says they've been happening alot of late

24-06-2021 10:54pm

Oh are there scam calls going around? That's been kept quiet.

Fils · 24-06-2021 10:54pm

Just tell them you have an erection.

fun loving criminal · 24-06-2021 10:56pm

Got five calls in the past week telling me about criminal activity with my ppsn. Even a phone call from a non-mobile number, came from a Sligo number. I just hang up.

sonofenoch · 24-06-2021 10:56pm

Fils wrote: »

Just tell them you have an erection.

Well it was first thing in the morning, it's not unusual :cool:

Bobblehats · 24-06-2021 11:53pm

Sham calls. Just call them out for what they are

25-06-2021 12:00am

sonofenoch wrote:

Got me thinking where did they get the number? the only place I've randomly given my number and pps to was to register for the vaccine, I wonder are these calls linked to the HSE hack ? ...a quick google search says they've been happening alot of late

Funnily enough, the only people I know who've gotten these calls are my brother and sister, in their 40s and recently vaccinated. According to radio broadcasts, those who receive these calls tend to be in that age category.

Of course, there are about 700,000 people in that category so I wouldn't read too much into it.

Still, it's a strange one.

Darc19 · 25-06-2021 12:03am

FFS, you get a scam call and think it's connected to the HSE hack even though the vaccine portal is not connected to the HSE (it's why it never went down)

These calls are happening all over the world. It's the modern day Nigerian prince scam.

Numbers are dialled at total random by a software program.

No use getting annoyed or searching to blame someone, just ignore and block.

25-06-2021 12:05am

Massive thread on this already in Consumer Issues.

robindch · 25-06-2021 12:06am

Better policy - if you have the time - is to engage the scammer and disrupt the economic model which keeps the whole kit and kaboodle running.

My record is 87 minutes about five weeks back when I pretended to be a farmer from Ballydehob with a “shtackloada cash in me account after I sold de house lasht yeer.”

Must have driven the guys mental - they were roaring at me by the end of the call.

namloc1980 · 25-06-2021 12:07am

Very annoying in the last few weeks. Must've got 6 or 7 of these calls. Started from 083 numbers but the last one was from a number in Cavan/Monaghan. Blocked each time but comes through on new numbers each time. Must be working though and people are falling for it. Otherwise they wouldn't bother.

Darc19 · 25-06-2021 12:09am

namloc1980 wrote: »

Very annoying in the last few weeks. Must've got 6 or 7 of these calls. Started from 083 numbers but the last one was from a number in Cavan/Monaghan. Blocked each time but comes through on new numbers each time. Must be working though and people are falling for it. Otherwise they wouldn't bother.

I can buy a number for any county in Ireland, any part of the UK, any part of Europe.

I can operate that number from anywhere in the world.

Only solution is to ignore and block. Unfortunately very little anyone can do

sonofenoch · 25-06-2021 12:16am

Darc19 wrote: »

FFS, you get a scam call and think it's connected to the HSE hack even though the vaccine portal is not connected to the HSE (it's why it never went down)

These calls are happening all over the world. It's the modern day Nigerian prince scam.

Numbers are dialled at total random by a software program.

No use getting annoyed or searching to blame someone, just ignore and block.

Ok fair enough don't shoot the messenger ......but where do you register for the vaccine, HSE.ie

25-06-2021 12:18am

sonofenoch wrote: »

Ok fair enough don't shoot the messenger ......but where do you register for the vaccine, HSE.ie

This scam is absolutely rampant in the USA, Australia and UK, for years now.
The numbers are randomly generated.

Riesen_Meal · 25-06-2021 12:19am

Loads of people from the job were getting them today, and a family member was getting them earlier also, that's very strange, is it to do with the HSE hack?

eggy81 · 25-06-2021 12:20am

Fieldog wrote: »

Loads of people from the job were getting them today, and a family member was getting them earlier also, that's very strange, is it to do with the HSE hack?

More than likely

25-06-2021 12:22am

eggy81 wrote: »

More than likely

It's absolutely not, though.

The scammers know absolutely nothing about you. It's up to you not to furnish them with details.

Technically I have your mobile number. I could set an automatic dialler to start at 087 000 0001 and keep going up one digit and through all the mobile prefixes and eventually, your phone would ring. That is how they "have your number".

25-06-2021 12:22am

Darc19 wrote: »

FFS, you get a scam call and think it's connected to the HSE hack even though the vaccine portal is not connected to the HSE (it's why it never went down)

These calls are happening all over the world. It's the modern day Nigerian prince scam.

Numbers are dialled at total random by a software program.

No use getting annoyed or searching to blame someone, just ignore and block.

Ah come now, nobody is saying anything negative about the HSE or maligning the vaccination programme in any way.

Some data has clearly been breached though. I don't know if it's HSE- or Vodafone-related, but when people have been subjected to a barrage of phone calls. they are entitled to wonder why, that's all.

25-06-2021 12:31am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Ah come now, nobody is saying anything negative about the HSE or maligning the vaccination programme in any way.

Some data has clearly been breached though. I don't know if it's HSE- or Vodafone-related, but when people have been subjected to a barrage of phone calls. they are entitled to wonder why, that's all.

It's randomly dialled numbers. They rely on the person who owns the number being duped into giving them their details.

neiphin · 25-06-2021 12:38am

Deleted User wrote: »

It's randomly dialled numbers. They rely on the person who owns the number being duped into giving them their details.

The voice message asked me to dial 1

I wanted to, to mess with them,
But I don’t know what the consequences could be

25-06-2021 12:45am

neiphin wrote: »

The voice message asked me to dial 1

I wanted to, to mess with them,
But I don’t know what the consequences could be

I did. I got to four minutes before the guy realised I was messing with him and hung up on me. They haven't phoned me since! I am genuinely disappointed in that.

honirelandboy · 25-06-2021 1:14am

I usually keep them going to piss them off completely.

I have a Virtual Machine setup on my laptop for them to use.

I just like wasting their time and usually ends with a ton abuse thrown at me.

Purple Mountain · 25-06-2021 1:17am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Funnily enough, the only people I know who've gotten these calls are my brother and sister, in their 40s and recently vaccinated. According to radio broadcasts, those who receive these calls tend to be in that age category.

Of course, there are about 700,000 people in that category so I wouldn't read too much into it.

Still, it's a strange one.

My teenage son's mobile is plagued by them the last few days so nope, it's across the board.

25-06-2021 1:22am

honirelandboy wrote: »

I usually keep them going to piss them off completely.

I have a Virtual Machine setup on my laptop for them to use.

I just like wasting their time and usually ends with a ton abuse thrown at me.

Who's your favourite YouTube scambaiter?
Mine is Kitboga, hands down for the entertainment factor.
Jim Browning obviously, as the grandaddy of scambaiters, but starting to warm to Peirogi. At first he came across as a Kitboga wannabe (and honestly he still does on his calls) but his work with Jim Browning has been fantastic and the guy is actually learning Hindi. So kudos to him.

honirelandboy · 25-06-2021 1:53am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Who's your favourite YouTube scambaiter?
Mine is Kitboga, hands down for the entertainment factor.
Jim Browning obviously, as the grandaddy of scambaiters, but starting to warm to Peirogi. At first he came across as a Kitboga wannabe (and honestly he still does on his calls) but his work with Jim Browning has been fantastic and the guy is actually learning Hindi. So kudos to him.

Kitboga definitely, might just get some Viber credit and start ringing them and start pissing them off and start deleting their files and stuff like he does.

Wouldn't mind taking their files as well.

25-06-2021 1:59am

honirelandboy wrote: »

Kitboga definitely, might just get some Viber credit and start ringing them and start pissing them off and start deleting their files and stuff like he does.

Wouldn't mind taking their files as well.

I don't have the technical skillz necessary to get into scambaiting but I definitely engage with every call I get. Of course I knew this recent script better than the scammer did. I jumped in too quickly and gave the game away. And now the bollixes won't phone me. My favourite part was the first minute when the scammer repeatedly asked me what message I had received and I roundaboutedly wouldn't tell him. They're running multiple scams at once and if you don't tell him which automated message you heard, they don't know which script to use.

paul71 · 25-06-2021 2:03am

Deleted User wrote: »

Who's your favourite YouTube scambaiter?
Mine is Kitboga, hands down for the entertainment factor.
Jim Browning obviously, as the grandaddy of scambaiters, but starting to warm to Peirogi. At first he came across as a Kitboga wannabe (and honestly he still does on his calls) but his work with Jim Browning has been fantastic and the guy is actually learning Hindi. So kudos to him.

Is Jim Browning the one from Northern Ireland?

25-06-2021 2:06am

paul71 wrote: »

Is Jim Browning the one from Northern Ireland?

The very same.

Mollydog123 · 25-06-2021 2:07am

Deleted User wrote: »

It's absolutely not, though.

The scammers know absolutely nothing about you. It's up to you not to furnish them with details.

Technically I have your mobile number. I could set an automatic dialler to start at 087 000 0001 and keep going up one digit and through all the mobile prefixes and eventually, your phone would ring. That is how they "have your number".

Agree. I didn't register with the HSE. My doctor rang me to tell me I could get a vaccine as someone had cancelled. I still got those calls

paul71 · 25-06-2021 2:10am

Deleted User wrote: »

The very same.

Used to watch him a few years back, seems like a clued in guy. Have you seen the AI answer bot that Kitboga is developing? It honestly could work as the long term answer to scam calls. Imagine the scam centres getting 100,000 call backs a day from AI that can keep up the pretence for 10 to 15 minutes each.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-56458267

25-06-2021 2:18am

paul71 wrote: »

Used to watch him a few years back, seems like a clued in guy. Have you seen the AI answer bot that Kitboga is developing? It honestly could work as the long term answer to scam calls. Imagine the scam centres getting 100,000 call backs a day from AI that can keep up the pretence for 10 to 15 minutes each.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-56458267

I saw a video where his AI bot was getting the scammers' US bank accounts faster than he was! It's very impressive.

thesandeman · 25-06-2021 2:35am

murpho999 wrote: »

I got a call today saying my EBay order for iphone for €799 is ready and "dial 1 " to arrange shipment.

I wouldn't blame you for declining an iPhone.

fritzelly · 25-06-2021 3:37am

paul71 wrote: »

Used to watch him a few years back, seems like a clued in guy. Have you seen the AI answer bot that Kitboga is developing? It honestly could work as the long term answer to scam calls. Imagine the scam centres getting 100,000 call backs a day from AI that can keep up the pretence for 10 to 15 minutes each.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-56458267

Was watching him when he was developing and testing it and it kinda worked but wasn't great.
Has it come on some since then?

fritzelly · 25-06-2021 3:42am

Haven't had a single call yet - so disappointed, love stringing them along

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 25-06-2021 3:57am

Very same thing going on over here in North American for a long while now

You get a call from what nearly looks like your own phone number bar the last 3 or 4 digits and sure enough an automated message.

Ignore and block is the only solution

Your phone number isn't compromised, just a random dialler it seems

Optimalprimerib · 25-06-2021 4:56am

Every day, twice a day sometimes saying they have my pps number and I am wanted for suspicious activities. I am usually in work so I hang up.

muddypaws · 25-06-2021 5:59am

fritzelly wrote: »

Haven't had a single call yet - so disappointed, love stringing them along

It's not an actual person though, it's an automated message so you can't string them along.

long_b · 25-06-2021 6:29am

So. .. the bad guys have just decided to start doing this in Ireland now or they suddenly have new capabilites to make it possible now ?

shar01 · 25-06-2021 6:57am

I got six over the course of an hour yesterday. All rang out after 16 seconds.

Given that the story is out there in main stream media, do people actually fall for these type of scams?

TP_CM · 25-06-2021 7:02am

If they had your number hacked they'd likely have your name and would probably phone directly as opposed to getting you to press 1 or whatever. It would be way more effective. For that reason I'm thinking it's more likely they're using an auto-dialler.

Ted_YNWA · 25-06-2021 7:22am

threads merged

Glaceon · 25-06-2021 9:16am

Darc19 wrote: »

No use getting annoyed or searching to blame someone, just ignore and block.

I don't think there's any point in blocking it. The number is randomly spoofed and doesn't even belong to them. So you're most likely blocking some unfortunate person who had nothing to do with it. There's a few reports on here of users getting calls from someone claiming that they missed a call from them.

murpho999 · 25-06-2021 10:37am

thesandeman wrote: »

I wouldn't blame you for declining an iPhone.

No, especially as I have an iPhone 11 and I'm more than happy with it.

Anyhow, I'm not going to derail thread with silly Android/Iphone wars.

Autosport · 25-06-2021 11:02am

2 missed calls from an 083 number and when it rang the third time I answered thinking it might have been the vet but alas no my pps number has been cancelled due to criminal activity

Gradius · 25-06-2021 11:24am

An archive of scammers who had the scam turned back on themselves. Delicious, and very funny reading

https://www.419eater.com/html/letters.htm

Sending a GPS tracked box to a scammer in Africa, and then watching it's journey?

Getting a scammer to hand carve a wooden keyboard so as he could get a "scholarship"?

Getting them to tattoo themselves so as to become members of a church and then get loads of money?

All with pictures and copies of emails. Good stuff.

Badly Drunk Boy · 25-06-2021 11:47am

Autosport wrote: »

2 missed calls from an 083 number and when it rang the third time I answered thinking it might have been the vet but alas no my pps number has been cancelled due to criminal activity

I had two missed calls earlier because I've no signal in my underground bunker office. When I eventually listened to my messages, turns out my PPS is about to be cancelled due to criminal activity. Who knew that buying a few endangered toads on the Dark Web would lead to this?!?

mcmoustache · 25-06-2021 12:09pm

Gradius wrote: »

An archive of scammers who had the scam turned back on themselves. Delicious, and very funny reading

https://www.419eater.com/html/letters.htm

Sending a GPS tracked box to a scammer in Africa, and then watching it's journey?

Getting a scammer to hand carve a wooden keyboard so as he could get a "scholarship"?

Getting them to tattoo themselves so as to become members of a church and then get loads of money?

All with pictures and copies of emails. Good stuff.

Now there's a blast from the past. I think the Dead Parrot sketch that they were tricked into performing should be among those too.

freshpopcorn · 25-06-2021 7:23pm

They left a voicemail Today for the first time.

fritzelly · 28-06-2021 3:00pm

Had the amazon scam one this morning but from 094, not a mobile

Muahahaha · 28-06-2021 4:53pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

Very same thing going on over here in North American for a long while now

You get a call from what nearly looks like your own phone number bar the last 3 or 4 digits and sure enough an automated message.

Ignore and block is the only solution

Your phone number isn't compromised, just a random dialler it seems

yeah had this today, the number was close to my own. It was a robotic voice with an American accent telling me Im in trouble with An Garda Siochana

Phone scam?

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