Scam call but not sure what the scam might be.

It's almost certainly a scam whereby the "police" claim you have been defrauded of money by a sophisticated gang of scammers (ironically). After some preamble they give you the phone number of an undercover unit which issues instructions to an elaborate plan whereby you can help them capture the scammers and get your money back at the same time.

This can involve meeting the so called undercover officers in car parks at the dead of night and god knows what else.

I read about an elderly gentleman who was completely fooled by it. He was sworn to secrecy by the supposed undercover cops and didn't even tell his wife. He secretly withdraw a huge amount of cash from his bank and met the "officers" at night in the middle of nowhere. I really can't remember the exact details but it was all very complicated.

Scammers use "borrowed numbers" to make these calls so the bathroom company in Tavistock is probably quite genuine and unaware that their number has been hacked.

I assume they just used the name Mrs Ikbar to reel you in or they may have ultimately persuaded you that you would be helping her. Not sure on that one.

my spidery scam instincts were also aroused a few days ago.

Call after call on different numbers, to my only phone, a mobile. I copied the numbers onto the internet and they were not from any businesses I had dealt with, deletions and blocked all numbers. Then they tried `number witheld` and I ignored that, it rang on number witheld at least 3 times that morning. I went onto settings and blocked `witheld numbers`

Later a message, said to be from my bank saying to ring xxx number wrt an attempted purchase. I looked up my bank number in my personal notebook. Rang them, spoke to fraud department and yes it was a scammer for all calls. Card was cancelled and I now have my new card

Be safe and listen to those instincts, which is what action fraud had told us to do. The upshot is that now I will only answer known contact numbers and will use cash for supermarket and local shopping

My ds, who works in banking, online cyber stuff, said he was almost caught out some months ago

Blooming awful devious scammers

Yes and they are getting more frequent and more clever. We need more monitoring and prosecutions. Fraud is a growing and serious problem. Last year only 1 in 700 cases were even charged. There just aren't enough police to do this work, and some (including lawyers) are involved in the very serious cases.

Avon and Somerset police have a dedicated fraud team, I think a permanent 3 people. Many counties have no-one in their police force who will deal specifically with scams and fraud

I told the fraud person in my bank that this scam aversion was a joint effort, me and the bank. I would have been well and truly hit if I had been half asleep. The bank would have blocked my cc but meantime the scammers might have obtained access to other accounts

Really a good way is to have easy access accounts elsewhere ie with a building society or a small online uk bank. They are hot on security and have no cards. Putting all eggs into one bank basket is not a good idea

I am getting increasingly concerned that I will miss an important email or telephone call due to the fact that I delete any emails where I do not recognise the sender, and ignore any phone calls on my mobile which come up (no identity) along with nine times out of ten totally ignore my landline 😱

‘David’ has called me this morning from the telephone preference service wanting my bank details to refund an overpayment of £200.
They never give up do they?

I don't get a lot of calls but always answer number withheld ones as they are usually docs or hospital.

I’m the same Thoro - I tend to answer my calls, then if they turn out to be scams or rubbish, I simply block the number.

I just find it odd that he continued even after he was told that "Mrs Ikbar" was not here and that I did not know her. Its not like I am going to get involved in secret meetings in car parks etc etc or put myself out for someone I do not know. Although he did attempt to draw me out by asking my name and phone number.

I would like to block all numbers and only answer to my "White list". However as other posters have replied I do get home visits (just had one for covid boost) and the HCP will ring on their mobile to say when they are coming.

From time to time I have to send a Paypal payment link/money request to one of my customers. I always tell them that if they are nervous of clicking on links in emails to go direct to their own Paypal account where they will find the money request at the top of their home accounts page. Then they know its genuine because it has my business name on it.

I bought a whistle about 5 years ago used it for a week and haven't a scam call since 😂

That old whistle thing doesnt work. Phone signals
cut out at a certain frequency. Anyone listening will just think you're not speaking .

When I was getting a lot of similar calls BL I started to say that I was the housekeeper and Mrs T wasn’t at home.
That deterred them not one iota and they wanted to ask me the same questions they’d have asked ‘my employer’.
I suspect they have to make X calls a day and it really doesn’t matter who answers.

It may have been someone looking for this lady possibly an abuser and she has run away from him. I never give out any information on the phone either. If they are ringing me then they should know my number, my name etc which I will not confirm to any Tom, Dick or Harry.

Also try not to say ‘yes’. Apparently scammers can use this recording to further scam you.

Has that not been disproved, Whethertomorrow?

Did you check the number on whosringing.co.uk ? There may be some more information there. It’s a community supported service. It’s helped me a few times. We must take extra care nowadays, scammers are getting rather clever at duping people.