Bizarre Bank scam telephone call

I had a bizarre e.mail purporting to come from M&S, which announced that I was one of 4 winners of a monthly draw for M&S customers. Firstly, I am not a regular M&S customer and secondly when I was asked to choose from the list of prizes on offer, I noticed that none of them were goods which M&S stocks! An Iphone, aTV, a dishwasher, etc.!?!?

I contacted M&S who were less than interested - told me just to delete the e.mail. Instead I copied it to the UGov scams site. They thanked me, saying it was a new scam to them.

We've had a lot of calls from our banks 'fraud' dept. Lately.
Asked in the branch when we were last there, no activity on our account.
We just ignore the calls.
Christmas is coming, I suppose that's what is prompting all the new activity.
Hoping to catch a few of us out.

The Bank Security call is driving me crazy at the moment - probably half a dozen calls every day last week. Usually, I don’t answer the landline at all, but was awaiting a call from a company I didn’t want to have my mobile number.
They never give up, do they?

DD has just had an email from Sainsburys bank saying they can no longer give her home insurance and it expired on 6/12/22. She doesn't have home insurance with them and it's not December yet!

Namsnanny
Buy a whistle and use it. Word gets round.
I never get those calls after I started using a whistle a few years ago.

get call guardian phones.
or let all unknown callers go to voicemail.

MerylStreep

Namsnanny
Buy a whistle and use it. Word gets round.
I never get those calls after I started using a whistle a few years ago.

A friend of mine used to say sweetly, ‘Can you just hang on a tick?’ - and go and get the vacuum cleaner, plug it in and have it roar into the phone.
A whistle would be quicker though! And more ear-splitting.

I’ve had several on my land line, don’t bother leading them on as soon as I hear bank, security, accident I just put the phone down.
I get very few on the mobile, that is the number the bank uses usually by text. Almost every transaction has to be authorized by text, a nuisance but secure.

Whistles don't work. There's a high frequency cut off. It'll just sound like an odd noise. Better just to hang up.

Got one yesterday asking me if I recognised a construction company and if I was able to authorise two payments.
I’m treasurer for a church.
Luckily I knew exactly Saha should be going out. I referred him to the vicar- I presumed that he, a lovely Scottish accent, would also have that number!

Aveline

Whistles don't work. There's a high frequency cut off. It'll just sound like an odd noise. Better just to hang up.

And it will be recorded on their dialler as an answered call, meaning they’ll call again. Best not to answer any unrecognised number.

Daddima

Aveline

Whistles don't work. There's a high frequency cut off. It'll just sound like an odd noise. Better just to hang up.

And it will be recorded on their dialler as an answered call, meaning they’ll call again. Best not to answer any unrecognised number.

Unfortunately Daddima many doctor surgeries, dentists, hospitals and other "services" now, for some reason, withhold numbers.

I keep getting emails from obscure senders telling me I’ve received a prize from a well known company such as Primark, Tesco’s etc and to click here. The only clicking I do is the delete button.

The frequency is increasing so I guess the scammers are getting ready for Christmas.

MerylStreep

Namsnanny
Buy a whistle and use it. Word gets round.
I never get those calls after I started using a whistle a few years ago.

Good idea!
I'd totally forgotten the very same advice given by my mum, when I had a spate of dirty unwanted phone calls in the 70's
Thank you.

Namsnanny - whistles simply don't work for reasons previously stated!!

Use a built in phone blocker.

Aveline

Namsnanny - whistles simply don't work for reasons previously stated!!

Thank you!!!🤣

I just tell them to F* Off. It's really quite satisfying.

I am sick of these calls, it is either the fraud line or regarding my account with a bank/building society I do not have an account with. I just hang up.

That whistle thing probably wouldn't work here. Most of my scam calls are robocalls, with a recording asking me to press 1, press 2, etc., or to call them at a number they give me.

I usually don't pick up at all if I don't recognize the number or the name that shows up. If it turns out to be a legitimate call, they will probably leave a voice mail, and I can call them back a minute or two later.

I never answer my land line. I wait until the call has stopped,and ring 1471 to get the number of whoever has called me.
Almost all my friends / acquaintances use my mobile.
The land line exists in case I lose the mobile.
My mobile is pretty good at warning me if an incoming call looks like spam, and I only answer that if I recognise the number!
Anyone who really wants me will try again and/or send a message or email.

Grantanow

I just tell them to F* Off. It's really quite satisfying.

After my own heart 😂

It’s relentless, isn’t it, and even registering with the TPS etc doesn’t seem to make much difference. I’ve just had six junk mail leaflets through the door from the postman, despite registering with the MPS too.

One caller from warmer climes said his name was John and proceeded to recite his script about my allegedly compromised computer. I said I believed he was lying, that his name wasn’t John, he was acting not in my interests but his, and he’d better hope his parents and his god would forgive his dishonesty… and hung up.

He rang back immediately and shrieked “I hate you, you are bad bad woman”. Didn’t call again though.

Just had an email from a certain bank asking me to confirm name, mobile number etc etc.. Thought it looked suspicious when they put 25st December; then realised I don't actually have an account with that bank! Swiftly deleted.