Geocaching Australia

I've known for years to hang up on callers who claim to be from "Windows" and say "Your computer has been reporting errors" or suchlike.
However I just had a possibly new version of this scam.
They first "proved they were OK" by giving me my (correct) name and address and then said the usual line about my computer reporting errors.
I said "I know this is a scam" and hung up.
But I immediately got a call back and they said they knew some calls were scams but theirs was genuine.
Of course I still just hung up.
But I wondered if anyone else has encountered this new form of persistence?

Bunya wrote:I've known for years to hang up on callers who claim to be from "Windows" and say "Your computer has been reporting errors" or suchlike.
However I just had a possibly new version of this scam.
They first "proved they were OK" by giving me my (correct) name and address and then said the usual line about my computer reporting errors.
I said "I know this is a scam" and hung up.
But I immediately got a call back and they said they knew some calls were scams but theirs was genuine.
Of course I still just hung up.
But I wondered if anyone else has encountered this new form of persistence?

Still a scam... NO-ONE monitors your errors and rings you pro-actively , not Microsoft, Apple, Google or your ISP. A former colleague of mine has had a call where they called back

I've been getting a lot of emails lately about court attendance notices as well, don't click on the ZIP file that comes with those as that is another one that might download something nasty to your PC if your protection isn't up to date. And also ones about toll notices. Easily spotted as fake if you hover over the sender address to realise it is from some domain that is not Australian.

Unless you trust the sender do not open ZIP or PDF files.

I didn't realise there was a danger with PDF files !

I had someone ring yesterday with the same accent saying they wanted to know if I had ever been injured. I do like to string them along a bit and he also rang back to persist. I then told him that he had rung the Australian Federal Police. I think he broke the speed of light when hanging up!

Almost all of these scam calls come from sophisticated call centres.
They have machines which dial your number and when they detect a human voice they switch through to a call centre operator with a script to follow..
Now when I answer the phone, if I detect a delay I hang up immediately.
I've never been rung back yet. If it does turn out to be a genuine call they'll just assume something went wrong and ring you back.

I have heard that if you randomly press numbers on your phone before hanging up (at least 20 numbers) the machine thinks it has dialed a fax or data line and deletes your number.

I have been doing this for a few years now, especially on the numbers that identify as 'overseas' and don't seem to get the usual call backs over the next few days.

I saw another warning today on facebook where you get an email from the Australian Federal Police saying you have a traffic infringement notice and giving you a link to click on. Needless to say, don't.

Richary wrote:I saw another warning today on facebook where you get an email from the Australian Federal Police saying you have a traffic infringement notice and giving you a link to click on. Needless to say, don't.

In Canberra the AFP don't run the camera detection devices so the infringement wont come from them anyway, and interstate the AFP don't do traffic at all. So obviously a scam.

Bunya wrote:I've known for years to hang up on callers who claim to be from "Windows" and say "Your computer has been reporting errors" or suchlike.
However I just had a possibly new version of this scam.
They first "proved they were OK" by giving me my (correct) name and address and then said the usual line about my computer reporting errors.
I said "I know this is a scam" and hung up.
But I immediately got a call back and they said they knew some calls were scams but theirs was genuine.
Of course I still just hung up.
But I wondered if anyone else has encountered this new form of persistence?

I believe the correct response is to rise to the challenge and see how long you can keep them on the phone. Obviously this is not sensible if you're otherwise employed in something requiring your attention but, if you have the time, make an appropriate response and then go and weed the next flower bed. Return to the phone and explain that you are having trouble starting your computer; "could this be the problem you are ringing about..?"
The best I've heard of is ninety minutes but this is obviously an area where imagination and creativity reign, so who knows what the limit is.

I haven't had a landline phone for the last seven or eight years. I therefore have missed out on receiving these calls. Thankfully, I have yet to receive such a call on my mobile and that is despite having the same number since August, 1988.

biggles1024 wrote:that is despite having the same number since August, 1988.

How on earth did you manage that? I've had similar numbers but the prefix changed in the analogue to digital change many moons ago.

Any comments on the dangers of PDF files ?

PDF files, apart from being inherently evil, can contain executable code. Opening the file can auto execute the code. Unless I know who the sender is, the email indicates it's a wanted attachment and the file gets scanned before opening, I don't open PDF files.

thanks for that. Didn't realise

Big Matt and Shell wrote:

biggles1024 wrote:that is despite having the same number since August, 1988.

How on earth did you manage that? I've had similar numbers but the prefix changed in the analogue to digital change many moons ago.

Yes they used to start with 018 for Telstra and 015 for Optus. Perhaps Biggles kept the remaining digits when the prefix changed to 04xx?


I have a friend with a business who had the scammers ring him and he was strung along to the point of entering something quite important online (passwords for his server or something) when he had a sudden thought and started asking them questions. They made all sorts of excuses and claimed legitimacy but then couldn't tell him basic details about his account. He hung up on them but said they kept ringing back and did so at least five times before he threatened them with the police.