Post Office / Parcelforce Scam

[GeoffAlan2]

Forward emails to... report@phishing.gov.uk

They seem to be closing down sites and email accounts that these scum use.

[darkscot]

New scam today - just received a very official looking email to say my car road tax is due and could I pay it now.

A few months ago I received a variation of that scam that I almost fell for. I received an email confirming my road tax had been automatically be renewed and and payment would be taken by direct debit as usual. However, it invited me to go online and update my bank details. Needless to say the link was to a fake website.

I use a premium version of MalwareBytes which automatically blocks access to fake sites if you do fall for the scam.

[IanS]

No matter how much we know about the scams, some fall for them as this story shows: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-56660334

[LC&DR]

I get Scam attempts on my mobile and landline as well, at 07:47 this morning I got a call from 07483816287 which consisted of a recorded female voice telling me that my National Insurance number was about to be de-activated! Needless to say I pressed call ended immediately.

Then at 10:53 I got a call on our landline from 07335928171 telling me something else dreadful was about to happen. It sounded remarkably like the voice in the previous call! These calls are a damn nuisance, and we do subscribe to the telephone preference service, but to no avail. Because it is a recorded message I don't even have the satisfaction of swearing at them.

I have heard that some people keep a referee (or guard's) whistle by the phone to deafen these nuisance callers. Doesn't work with recorded messages though


The numbers which come up on my caller display appear to to be from legitimate numbers but it is fairly obvious they are randomly generated.

[Walkingthedog]

If you don’t say anything the call shuts down because a lot are voice activated.

[teedoubleudee]

Unless I recognise the caller ID I just let the calls go to my message recorder (land line) or voice mail (mobile). Strangely they never leave a message.

[Walkingthedog]

That’s right TWD. Did have a message once, it just said oh sxxt and hung up.

[RAF96]

I have had regular calls from mobiles to my mobile, most hang up when I say hello, but I have had the social security recorded voice.
Oddly one of the numbers was only about twenty or so removed from my own number so I wonder if they send false numbers to the phone caller ID system.
My phone although it is set to show the name of a person attached to a number does not do this with any incoming calls, but if you look at the recent calls lists they are so listed by name. My old phone was much the same, some names would pop up but others only their number. Obviously a wrong setting somewhere in contacts. The car is smart enough to show me their picture as well.

[RogerB]

I like the response “Hello Thames Valley Police”. Can’t remember who said that now, but brilliant. R-

[Walkingthedog]

That was me. Last time I used it the bloke on the other end was so apologetic that I thought he was going to cry.