Spam Phone Calls

kermitfrog

hamster wrote: »

Bit suspicious about all these first time posters saying these calls are genuine.

Hamster, you're correct to be suspicious. The fraud works like this -

You get a call purporting to be from the Fraud Department of your bank. They don't usually name the bank because they don't know it - they're waiting for you to mentally fill in the blanks and jump to the assumption that they know something about your financial dealings.

They don't. They're just phishing - if they call enough people they will inevitably hit upon someone who fits the profile.

They will then tell you that there have been some suspicious transactions on your debit card, and would you confirm whether you made these transactions or not.

You will tell them that you didn't make these transactions, and they will then launch into a rehearsed script which will try to persuade you that they will sort out this fraud. It will involve you hanging up your phone and calling the bank's number on the back of your debit card.

This is where the scam gets interesting. When you hang up on the fraudster in order to call your bank, they don't hang up on you. They keep the line open, simulate a dial tone, and wait for you to make the call. They then pick up and pretend to be your bank.

They tell you that they have cancelled your debit card and only need you to key in your PIN number. They then say they will send around a courier to collect the cancelled card. The courier is usually an innocent cab driver who's been told to collect a package and deliver it to another address.

Once the fraudster has your card, with the PIN number you've given them they can start to empty your bank account.

THE WARNING HERE IS -
Be suspicious of anyone who phones you out of the blue about your debit or credit cards (but remember that banks do sometimes legitimately call about suspicious activity)

NEVER give your PIN number over the phone - legitimate callers won't ask for it.

The bank will never send anyone around to collect your card - if they cancel it, they will tell you to cut it in half and securely dispose of it.

WakeUpBoo_2

If you go to the Barclays Fraud Prevention page there is box where you can insert phone numbers. I did that and it came out as genuine so I rang it back. (I can't link it, but google Barclays Fraud Prevention, it's about the 4th result, or search through the main Barclays website).

It does not ask you for any account details, just to confirm your date of birth out of a choice of three, then it asks you to listen to some transactions on your account that they think may be fraudulent. At the end of it you either confirm that the transactions were made by you or you say they weren't and then you get transferred to the Fraud people, I assume.

I would not give even my date of birth without confirming it was a Barclays number first, but once I had done that, it was a very convenient way of confirming that the transactions were not bogus. Incidentally, it was triggered by me trying enter my old postcode instead of my current one when trying to register the card to top up my phone.

It is important to ring Barclays if they phone you on this number as it is Fraud Prevention! Don't ignore it, and as another poster said, ring the main Barclays number instead if you are worried.

boatman

Just as an update to this thread, the number 0845 351 2291 is Barclays fraud dept., I received several calls from this number and several versions of it. If you do a search for 08003891652, the number they ask you to ring, one of the search results is the Barclays fraud page, I won't add a link to this thread.
+44845 3512291, +8453512291, +08453512291.

bod1467

What likely happens is that they ask you to hang up and call them back. You hear a dial tone, dial the number you're happy with and get connected to ... THEM! They didn't hang up - just played a dial tone sound to fool you.

SpammyTheSpammer

What a lot of first time posters who are keen to assure us that we should return these calls.

How lucky we are that they they registered on this site and assured us that we should do exactly what these [STRIKE]scammers[/STRIKE] erm callers tell us to do....

GSXR6

In this case it's is actually a genuine number though.

GSXR6

And the reason reason this particular thread attracts one post wonders is that its one of the top search results if googling the number. As said above, the 01 number for barclays BANK can confirm it.

gb12345

GSXR6 wrote: »

In this case it's is actually a genuine number though.

No one is denying they are genuine numbers, but if someone calls you out of the blue and asks you to call back that number then if you do so using the same phone they called you on then you will not connect to Barclays, you will be back with the same scammer who has kept the line open.

If you're going to call them back then use a different phone so you can be sure you are actually phoning who you think you are.

GSXR6

Totally agree with the standard advice above, the reason I keep coming back to this thread is that I know this particular number is a genuine Barclays Bank fraud line that leaves you an automated message requesting you contact them if there is any unusual transactions etc and I would hate someone to come a cropper after reading some of the rather flippant "its a fake" blah-blah responses.

boatman

Just call the 0800 3891652, do a search for the number, you will find it is Barclays.