Classified add scams

geordie_joe

Altarf wrote: »

All sorts of deals available these days, so perfectly possible to set up a scam based on it

Ah, so a scam is possible.

Altarf wrote: »

Plenty of scams work on taking lots of small amounts where the person being scammed doesn't realise that have been scammed. But I wouldn't have thought that advertising a pet would have brought in many callers..

I agree with both your sentences, but playing a recording of the ringtone isn't going to earn much. Why not just have a recording saying "You are next in the queue, please hold".

I wouldn't leave a phone ringing for more than 10 seconds before hanging up, but hang on longer when it is answered and I'm told I'm next in the queue.

Tim_Deegan

geordie_joe wrote: »

Ah, so a scam is possible.

If you read my previous post you will see the other side of the scam, which is obviously fraud.

geordie_joe wrote: »

I agree with both your sentences, but playing a recording of the ringtone isn't going to earn much. Why not just have a recording saying "You are next in the queue, please hold".

I wouldn't leave a phone ringing for more than 10 seconds before hanging up, but hang on longer when it is answered and I'm told I'm next in the queue.

Because they will get 100's of calls if the price is good for a pedigree puppy. But most people aren't even going to notice the extra on their phone bill, so probably won't report it.

Altarf

I think the key word I used is possible. But in this pet advert case, I think damn unlikely.

As for taking small amounts, I read an interesting case where a guy in the United States found that with several of the stock broking firms if you set up an online account the paid a very small amount of money (a few cents) into your account to test the details. He then went on to set up hundreds of thousands of accounts to collect the test payments. It took the stock brokers a surprisingly long time to catch on.

Tim_Deegan

Altarf wrote: »

All sorts of deals available these days, so perfectly possible to set up a scam based on it

It was described to me as a premium rate number, which usually means that the owner of the number receives money for incomming calls. Otherwise as you say there wouldn't be any point.

Altarf wrote: »

Plenty of scams work on taking lots of small amounts where the person being scammed doesn't realise that have been scammed. But I wouldn't have thought that advertising a pet would have brought in many callers..

For a pedigree puppy at a low price they would get 100's of calls

Tim_Deegan

Altarf wrote: »

I think the key word I used is possible. But in this pet advert case, I think damn unlikely.

As for taking small amounts, I read an interesting case where a guy in the United States found that with several of the stock broking firms if you set up an online account the paid a very small amount of money (a few cents) into your account to test the details. He then went on to set up hundreds of thousands of accounts to collect the test payments. It took the stock brokers a surprisingly long time to catch on.

So how can you say it is unlikely?

Altarf

Would you go to the bother to set up a scam that resulted in such low results?

geordie_joe

Tim_Deegan wrote: »

If you read my previous post you will see the other side of the scam, which is obviously fraud.

No, I am, and always have been talking about the original scam. Which is advertise an 070 number, have a machine answer it immediately and play the caller the ringtone to keep them on the line.

Tim_Deegan wrote: »

Because they will get 100's of calls if the price is good for a pedigree puppy. But most people aren't even going to notice the extra on their phone bill, so probably won't report it.

But my point was if they wanted to do this scam then playing the ringtone to someone would keep them on the line for the least possible time. You don't ring someone then let it ring for very long before you decide nobody is going to answer.

As I said previously, you'd make more money answering and telling the person to hold.

Tim_Deegan

geordie_joe wrote: »

No, I am, and always have been talking about the original scam. Which is advertise an 070 number, have a machine answer it immediately and play the caller the ringtone to keep them on the line.



But my point was if they wanted to do this scam then playing the ringtone to someone would keep them on the line for the least possible time. You don't ring someone then let it ring for very long before you decide nobody is going to answer.

As I said previously, you'd make more money answering and telling the person to hold.

Maybe some of them do.

I only called one. But I called a few times trying to get an answer, as most people would for a bargain.

Tim_Deegan

Altarf wrote: »

Would you go to the bother to set up a scam that resulted in such low results?

Read post 29

geordie_joe

Altarf wrote: »

As for taking small amounts, I read an interesting case where a guy in the United States found that with several of the stock broking firms if you set up an online account the paid a very small amount of money (a few cents) into your account to test the details. He then went on to set up hundreds of thousands of accounts to collect the test payments. It took the stock brokers a surprisingly long time to catch on.

That myth has been around for decades. It started when banks first started using computers. Some guy reprogrammed the banks computer to take 1 cent out of each customers account and put it into his own.

The theory being the banks could't do anything, because he wasn't taking their money, and the accounts holders couldn't be bothered to press charges for the sake of 1 cent.

It was a myth then and it's a myth now.