Nice try (but failed).

I quite often get calls from "Bank Security" telling that some unusual transactions have taken place often a payment of several hundred pounds to Amazon and some payment abroad or for a rail ticket to Scotland. Because of fishing for voice recognition I now hang up immediately.

A while back I pressed 2 to talk to an adviser and he didn't seem to know which bank account the money had come from so he asked for my name so he could check. I told him my name was Delilah McBumm (it isn't) and he said "Yes here we are Mrs McBumm now remind me which bank you are with".

Indigo8

I quite often get calls from "Bank Security" telling that some unusual transactions have taken place often a payment of several hundred pounds to Amazon and some payment abroad or for a rail ticket to Scotland. Because of fishing for voice recognition I now hang up immediately.

A while back I pressed 2 to talk to an adviser and he didn't seem to know which bank account the money had come from so he asked for my name so he could check. I told him my name was Delilah McBumm (it isn't) and he said "Yes here we are Mrs McBumm now remind me which bank you are with".

Priceless!

Excellent Indigo. I think that we should all be Delilah McBumm when speaking to phone scammers from now on.

Indigo8
I receive these scams too I just tell them to p off, sorry if I sound rude but I get so angry, these scammers will need to get up earlier than me to trick me and I NEVER reply to anyone asking for payment

I get a bit wary now when one of these scammers phone up - darn "people" are so persistent.

The second I hear that it's (apparently) the security people at my bank I think "Hear we go again - it's another thief" and the phone gets slammed down.

I do feel concerned about the voice recognition thing - as I always say one word when I pick up the phone (hoping it's a "real" call - rather than another thief) - ie "Hello" in greeting. I hope that's not enough for them to copy my voice off - would think just that one word is not enough for them to clone my voice off.

Not many people make landline calls these days - so it seems to be about 50/50 whether it's a "real" call or a thief. It seems to boil down to about one-third "real" call for me, one-third a vague older person that has rung my number by mistake and one-third thieves.

I would never press a number to talk to anyone on these calls as you end up talking to a scammer who can be very persuasive. Best to just hang up and don’t engage. The ones that really annoy me are the ‘ I am your local energy adviser’ how many blooming energy advisers can there be in one area!!

I would not have rung the number or engaged with the scammer. With AI and voice recognition anything is possible.

Like many people we have several bank accounts, for different purposes with different banks, so my first question, if I bother to respond at all, is 'Which bank account are you referring to?' ditto with credit card calls. This leaves them flustering.

I then say, 'Well if you cannot identify the bank, you must be scammers.' and put the phone down.

CariadAgain

I get a bit wary now when one of these scammers phone up - darn "people" are so persistent.

The second I hear that it's (apparently) the security people at my bank I think "Hear we go again - it's another thief" and the phone gets slammed down.

I do feel concerned about the voice recognition thing - as I always say one word when I pick up the phone (hoping it's a "real" call - rather than another thief) - ie "Hello" in greeting. I hope that's not enough for them to copy my voice off - would think just that one word is not enough for them to clone my voice off.

Not many people make landline calls these days - so it seems to be about 50/50 whether it's a "real" call or a thief. It seems to boil down to about one-third "real" call for me, one-third a vague older person that has rung my number by mistake and one-third thieves.

This is the voice thing scam you have to be aware of.

www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-say-yes-scam/

Thanks Petra. A salutary reminder indeed. I do personally know about the "yes" thing - hence the only word they ever get out of me is the initial "hello".

It is so disillusioning to have so many of these scammers around - as opposed to normal people. Almost feels like the only way to be totally sure of protection is to stay indoors, never accept FB friend requests, always be wary if a man is chatting a lot to you (once one gets to the "My looks have gone - darn it!" age and so it's probably not because they fancy you these days...).

Yesterday saw what I think was an "in person" thing - ie a man in around my agegroup and the conversation included the fact he is a lodger in someone's house (in my agegroup? ie 60 plus!) and he's asking about my social life/friends/etc (ie to see whether I came over as "isolated"). I think I put him off a bit when I started saying about the number of times I've "known" something I've not been told (ie my intuition told me). I do actually have quite a long list of what my "intuition" has told me over recent decades - and yet no-one else has ever got more than one or two (if that) tales of that happening to them.......unless they're all keeping very quiet about it...

I think he started to get the picture what I'd just clicked to about him.....and I remembered this is an area of the country where a lot of men don't have a house....but, funnily enough, do develop a "relationship" with a woman who does own a house.......hmmmm....

No wonder I get so fed-up of people trying to use me to steal or bum off....

I had a call where they had my card details, presumably from a company that had been hacked.

They did a test transaction online which generated a text to me with an authentication code. At the same time I was phoned by the "security department" telling me that there had been a fraudulent transaction and gave me the amount and payee. They were convincing I was falling for it until they got to the "transfer your money to a safe account" part of the script.

Lessons:
Never save your card details on a retailer's website for faster payment.

If they know the first half of your card number then they can decode the bank name.

The number on a 2 factor authentication text is a PIN as sensitive as the one on your card. Only a scanner will as you to read it back to them

And of course always call back on the bank's main fraud number rather than deal with the caller.

Cariadagain There have always been scammers, cheats and petty criminals among us and they have always adjusted their trade to their age and their culture and technology.
Two hundred years ago Donizetti wrote an opera, The Elixir of Love, all about a quack doctor selling fake potions that he claims will make people love the purchaser.

Nowadays the doctor would be making scam hone calls or sending scam emails and texts.

Indigo8

I quite often get calls from "Bank Security" telling that some unusual transactions have taken place often a payment of several hundred pounds to Amazon and some payment abroad or for a rail ticket to Scotland. Because of fishing for voice recognition I now hang up immediately.

A while back I pressed 2 to talk to an adviser and he didn't seem to know which bank account the money had come from so he asked for my name so he could check. I told him my name was Delilah McBumm (it isn't) and he said "Yes here we are Mrs McBumm now remind me which bank you are with".

Best laugh of the day!

I was chatting to someone about talking to these scammers and I would now avoid it completely as they can use AI to clone your voice which can be a major issue if you use your voice to access your banking, as many people do now. So don't engage at all.

No bank or building society in the uk would contact you like this. It’s all scammers never even phone them or reply. Stay safe on line.

M0nica

Cariadagain There have always been scammers, cheats and petty criminals among us and they have always adjusted their trade to their age and their culture and technology.
Two hundred years ago Donizetti wrote an opera, The Elixir of Love, all about a quack doctor selling fake potions that he claims will make people love the purchaser.

Nowadays the doctor would be making scam hone calls or sending scam emails and texts.

True dat.....there have always been both normal people and con merchants throughout history.

Our ancestors did have the advantage over us though of they were unlikely to "attack" in our own homes. No phones or Internet for them to abuse against us. So they were basically only able to get at us in our own homes by knocking on the door or if we were a normal person born into a family of scammers.

Sorry, but in the past, tricksters, quacks and scamsters often talked their way into peoples lives, their homes - just as they still do today.

AI is% clever stuff. The "voice" of a well-known supermarket mobile phone provider was, for several years, a long-standing friend of mine, providing her with a fair bit of income.
Suddenly they stopped paying her without notice and told her it was no longer using her voice. Well it sounded exactly like her and she was advised by a solicitor to take them to court for non-payment. Her claim was thrown out as they could prove they were using AI .

I am beginning to get a complex as I have never, ever, had a scam phone call or email!!!!

I had one the other day purporting to be from Virgin Media.

He said "How are you maam, hope you are having a fine day?"

I said that I was, thank you. And he hung up instantly. I wonder why he didn't pursue the conversation? He wouldn't have got anywhere with me but it seemed odd to start the call and then hang up.

My DH just tells them he hasn't got anything so no house no bank account no computer no laptop and no phone even though he is talking to them on it.

He says the phone is his friend's phone and then they hang up.

ninamoore

No bank or building society in the uk would contact you like this. It’s all scammers never even phone them or reply. Stay safe on line.

I often press 1 when receiving these calls to waste their time, then eventually tell them I know they are scammers when they can't answer my questions about the so called compromised account, but I hadn't heard about the cloning your voice thing. I'll have to try to disguise my voice in future!

dragonfly46

I would not have rung the number or engaged with the scammer. With AI and voice recognition anything is possible.

Exactly me neither