Watch out for a new scam

There is a new one every minute. My advice is never trust anyone who rings/texts/emails, even if it sounds or looks bona fide. Get the actual contact details - the number of your bank is on the back of your credit card - and call to see if it is for real, with banks is unlikely because they don’t ring customers.
Even if uniformed police knock at your, or any other uniformed personnel or someone wearing a lanyard or quickly flashing ID at the door, ask them to wait outside until you can call to see if they are who they say they are.

AI deepfake voice simulation, they can now simulate accents from samples.

Scammers are definitely getting smarter at sounding legit. I’d say if anyone gets a call like that, best thing is to just hang up and call your bank on the official number yourself. Never hurts to double check before giving out any info

Jaxjacky

AI deepfake voice simulation, they can now simulate accents from samples.

I have never yet had a scam phone call from someone with urgent news about my bank account, who knew either my name or the name of my bank (their employer).

Not too long ago a man with a very assertive voice called me on the landline and claimed to be an officer from a local police station. He said he was trying to connect with Mrs "Asian Name". I told him he had the wrong number. He then went on to say Mrs Asian Name had been the victim of crime and it was urgent he get in touch with her. I recognised the name as the wife of the owner of a nearby property who had applied for planning permission to extend.

I asked for his full name, rank and badge number. I told him I would ring the station and if they could verify his ID I would call him back on the number he was ringing from. He immediately rang off. The number he was calling from turned out to be a website which sells bathroom fittings so no connection to the police.

I dont know what the scam was. I assume he had been given the wrong information/phone number. My landline number is private and does not appear in the directory. Mrs Asian Name is a rather pushy neighbour who contacted me a while back wanting to park a vehicle on my drive. Thats how I recognise her name. I decided not to pass the information on that someone was looking for her as I dont with to get involved.

butterandjam

Jaxjacky

AI deepfake voice simulation, they can now simulate accents from samples.

I have never yet had a scam phone call from someone with urgent news about my bank account, who knew either my name or the name of my bank (their employer).

They you’ve been lucky, as they can steal your account number, password and open accounts in your name, your bank name is minor.

He was a robot

It was a robot

I recently saw or heard footage of a scam where the fraudster had a decidedly ‘educated British’ accent, so it’s no use going by that.
The language or spelling, OTOH…. I’ve recently seen a lot of ads for what the R4 prog called the ‘knitted cardigan’ scam.

Companies purporting to be UK based, called e.g. ‘Lily and Rose of London’, and giving off a ‘classy’ aura, but then all the jumpers are described as ‘cozy’!

It's truly terrifying! It's bad enough going outside and now it doesn't even feel safe at home. Even buying a jumper on-line is fraught with pitfalls! "Stop the World, I want to get off" 😶

to just hang up and call your bank on the official number

Tried that last week. The bank didn’t have an option which was relevant and after choosing 1, was on hold until I gave up (15 minutes). The banks don’t care enough to employ staff to deal with this problem/scam.