New scam to beware of

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

This morning i had a phone call purporting to be from bt telling me that my internet connection had been compromised…usuall sort of scam call so far.

but he said check my email for an authorisation code

sure enough there was an email from bt with a 4 digit code that he wanted me to give him.

the email had my bt account name within it

anybody know what would have happened if i had given him the code?

[Anonymous]

Don't know about the scam, but it would confirm that the email address is valid and ties it to a person and 'phone number. That's more valuable than the scam as it can be sold on. Best to tell him that you can't receive emails because the internet has been compromised.

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

Andrew…..what a great answer!

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

I guess the account name is easy to guess from the directory listing, not so the account number which is many digits long. I guess that first they get your email address, then look you up in thephonebook, then can send you the scam email.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Sounds suss to me.

Check carefully the sender's email address on the top of the email pro forma. Make sure it is the genuine BT email address and not a made up one that looks almost like it but not quite. Often there will be only one character differerent etc so it looks ok at a quick glance.

I'd suspect that giving them the code would only be the first step. Then they would want your bank or card details…

[Martin DowingParticipant @martindowing58466]

With all similar "enquiries" my SOP is to say "no I am not interested" and bang a phone.

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

The email address they used is “btcomms@info.bt .com “

so probably not correct for a genuine bt address

but my account name isn’t the same as my name

i’m sure he rang and sent the email at the same time

So what would giving him the code do?

i’d thought that the code would let him into my bt account and the email was a confirmation 2nd layer authorisation request

but then what could he do?

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Ian, if you have any doubts, it might be wise to call BT and enquire if they sent such an e-mail, and or if your internet connection has been compromised.

I have had calls in the past claiming they were from BT and that my internet connection had been compromised and that I needed to take action immediately to stop it being disconnected, however, what they obviously didn't know is that I am not with BT. Just to add, I don't click on links in e-mails unless I'm absolutely sure they are genuine and would probably know that I was expecting such a link.

Oh, and make sure any number you call is a genuine one to BT.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 02/12/2020 11:30:44

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Ian Parkin on 02/12/2020 10:53:14:

The email address they used is “btcomms@info.bt .com “

Hover your cursor over that address and see if the real address behind it appears. Chances are it will be different.

And note Point One in the second column here at BT: https://www.bt.com/help/home/scams/

Edited By Hopper on 02/12/2020 11:37:08

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Ian, I'd forward the full email to phishing@bt.com

They will analyse the email headers etc.

For your own interest, there are several email header analysis sites, and instructions on how to extract the actual email headers for your mail client.

Bill

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

I'm guessing it's a scam, as I've had several claiming that my BT internet connection will be terminated in the next 24 – 48 hours if I don't "press 1".

Strange, as my internet account isn't with BT.

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

I had what I think is a scam from Amazon this morning, apparently Amazon are charging me £79 for using Amazon Prime, something I totally refuse to use. This foreign sounding gentleman informs me that he will cancel the payment but he must give me a code and can I please turn my computer on so he can send this code, I tell him my daughter does all my purchasing for me on her computer and she lives twenty miles away so he says he will send the code to my mobile phone, don’t have one mate only the landline we are now talking on, he hung up.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

It's that time of the year; I've had approx' 9 emails this past week, Bitcoin a/c ( I'm filthy rich ! ), McCafee anti virus, Bull guard anti virus, & inc BT a/c ( not with them ) a lot are phishing scams to get you to sign up, all deleted. I work on the principle if they are genuine they will send a letter.

George.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Ian B. – I must have upset HMRC more than you as my warrant has apparently already been issued

May have mentioned this before, but you can block the last number that called you by dialling 1572 then option 1. This adds the last calling number to your personal blacklist. This works on BT and Plusnet telephone lines, and probably many others as well.

Rob

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

I wish the scammers would speak better English, as I struggle to understand them!

Tony

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Had one a couple of days ago from DVLC claiming my account didn't have enough in it to pay my direct debit car tax, proceedings etc. Gave me a link to provide details like Car registration number??? Would have thought that would be obvious EXCEPT, don't have a car registered in my name. Bits of bad English inamongst DOH!

Regards Ian.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Missus has the Samsung S20 it comes on screen & says suspected fraud. She gets around 4 calls a week from various scams & also had many arrest warrants for her with HMRC. My old Galaxy S8 has no such feature but luckily i haven't had any fraud calls over the phone.

Steve.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

..Ian B. – I must have upset HMRC more than you as my warrant has apparently already been issued ..

I must be on the most wanted list.. I've had 2 warrants issued & have 2 lots of Bailiffs that may be called in to collect goods to the value of .. , but there again I could pay them off out of my Bitcoin a/c that infers I'm worth thousands… if I ring a certain # to collect.. NOT !

George

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

Washing machine warranty seems to be latest one . London and General insurance saying warranty has expired.
I asked them for make, model, serial number and date of warranty expiry. They dropped the call at that point

[Anonymous]

Posted by Ian Parkin on 02/12/2020 10:53:14:

The email address they used is “btcomms@info.bt .com “

Is there really a space in BT's (genuine) url?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Peter Greene on 02/12/2020 17:34:15:

Posted by Ian Parkin on 02/12/2020 10:53:14:

The email address they used is “btcomms@info.bt .com “

Is there really a space in BT's (genuine) url?

.

No

… If I understand correctly, spaces cannot be used in any eMail address or URL

MichaelG.

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

I treat them as a bit of amusement. I try to sound like an old fellow who isn't quite sure of what is going on, at 77 I suppose it's not too far from the truth. Usually the computer is upstairs and switched off so a slow climb with much puffing then a long boot up time, oops forgot my glasses and they are down stairs so another lot of huffing and puffing. Next is finding they key they normally want me to press, very sorry can't see it so they try to explain where and what it is. By this time my wife and I are trying not to laugh loud enough to give the game away. Eventually I will get bored talk normally and tell them what they are in no uncertain terms or they break the call. The best I've had is about 25 mins having been passed from one supervisor to another and they can get quite annoyed when they realise that it is them that have been conned. One even phoned back to ask why I had wasted their time, needless to say he was told explicitly what I thought of him and reminded him that they had paid for any phone charges.

It amuses me to string them along and all the time that the lowlifes are talking to me they are not attempting to con someone that is vulnerable.

I find this site quite useful as anyone who has been cold called can leave the number that called and a description of the call plus a flag that indicates, in their opinion, the type of call from annoying through to dangerous.

Martin

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

I just checked my spam box – only one message there. It was from Royal Mail regarding them being unable to deliver a large letter from the Crown Court (or something like that). I don’t know when it arrived, but was dated November 27th.

I had to chuckle – there was (in brackets), after the Royal Mail address, another bit in smaller print which read something like spam-safe or no-reply@scam-safe.com. I can’t be sure, now, as it was already on its way to be permanently deleted…

Its the first time, ever, to receive an email telling me they couldn’t deliver. They usually pop a card through the letter box (and I don’t think they actually have my email addy, either🙂 ).

I wouldn’t respond to an email from a courier, even if I was expecting a parcel. But some must fall for it, I suppose.

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Had several calls recently purporting to be from BT Openreach, no such thing as far as I know, either BT or Openreach, said I was in danger of losing broadband and wanted to make some changes. Put phone down and BT call blocker on for that number.

I don't claim to know it all but you can usually tell if a call is a scam. Working in industry we get many emails supposedly from legitimate sources but grammar and strange phrases is usually a give away.

Even so watching programs like watchdog you begin to wonder what we can trust these days, on the other hand some of the people you do see on these shows, apparently intelligent people, you can't help thinking what on earth were you thinking serves you right. Greed plays a big part in silly decisions.

I'm 78 so not all oldies are a soft touch.

Bill D.

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