Vehi cle Tax Scam

[Stuart Munro 1Participant @stuartmunro1]

Nigel,

Call blocking seemed a great idea but recently fraudsters have started falsifying the number – technology here is beyond me but apparently it is possible to make a different number appear on the recipients phone.

Some institutions – HMRC, Banks – are making a big play in stating that they will never ask for information if they call you; perhaps this is the rout out of this mire. If we educate everyone to the fact that when someone calls you (as opposed to you calling them) and asks for information then it is a hoax. Eventually hoaxers will not get enough positive results to make it worth their while.

But alas, they will then simply move onto the next scam!

Stuart

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I really did have the bank ring me up about a dubious transaction, being cautious I gave the lady a hard time which she was prepared for and probably hoping for, she was bona fide and cancelled the transaction so all was good.

Mike

[Anonymous]

Posted by Stuart Munro 1 on 06/04/2021 08:16:48:

Call blocking seemed a great idea but recently fraudsters have started falsifying the number – technology here is beyond me but apparently it is possible to make a different number appear on the recipients phone.

Is faking the calling number really that recent in the UK? Seems hard to believe. It's been going on here (Canada) for some years for scam and junk calls making call blocking just about impossible. There were recent government initiatives making caller-id faking illegal (somewhat) but predictably it hasn't made an iota of difference.

Typically they fake the number using the callee's own local code so it looks like it's coming from someone local. Presumably they think the person is more likely to answer to that.

[ I continue to believe that the telephone company's computer knows the actual source of the call – at least as far as the originating country is concerned. Since virtually all of them are from outside the country (local laws make it risky from within Canada) it affords a means of fighting back if only I were allowed to choose which countries I'm willing to accept calls from. That should be my right since I pay for the service. ]

[Stuart Munro 1Participant @stuartmunro1]

Posted by Peter Greene on 06/04/2021 17:15:10:

Posted by Stuart Munro 1 on 06/04/2021 08:16:48:

Call blocking seemed a great idea but recently fraudsters have started falsifying the number – technology here is beyond me but apparently it is possible to make a different number appear on the recipients phone.

Is faking the calling number really that recent in the UK? Seems hard to believe. It's been going on here (Canada) for some years for scam and junk calls making call blocking just about impossible. There were recent government initiatives making caller-id faking illegal (somewhat) but predictably it hasn't made an iota of difference.

Typically they fake the number using the callee's own local code so it looks like it's coming from someone local. Presumably they think the person is more likely to answer to that.

[ I continue to believe that the telephone company's computer knows the actual source of the call – at least as far as the originating country is concerned. Since virtually all of them are from outside the country (local laws make it risky from within Canada) it affords a means of fighting back if only I were allowed to choose which countries I'm willing to accept calls from. That should be my right since I pay for the service. ]

Its probably been around a while but clearly is a major issue with call blocking. I agree that the phone companies could probably do more – perhaps they need an incentive, which would likely require government action. What else can we do? Video call but then someone will falsify the video!

Stuart

[Anonymous]

Posted by Stuart Munro 1 on 07/04/2021 12:14:24:

I agree that the phone companies could probably do more – perhaps they need an incentive,

Given that, to the phone company, a-call-is-a-call-is-a-call on which they make money, be it it spam, scam or legitimate, they actually have a disincentive to take any action.

[Author]

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