Possible Scam email - how to deal with it.

[Deleted User]

... So it's been doing the rounds, in one form or another, for a while now.  Hopefully with so many contributing to this forum, and other publicity, it will gradually become more difficult for the scammers to succeed.  I hope you didn't get too many scam emails - but maybe you were alert enough not to give out any information, J_B.

OutdoorQueen

You can send this one and other similar emails to report@phishing.gov.uk

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-email

JANETSAVING

I would just add that these scams don’t just come by E-mail, but also by text messages.
I think the scammers just randomly generate the mobile numbers and hope someone bites.

I’ve had the ‘ we tried to deliver a parcel, please call’ and ‘you have overpaid your tax and are due a refund’ scams quite a few times.

matelodave

They also come via Whatsapp - "hello Mum, my phone's been damaged/lost etc and I'm having to use a friends. Can you send me £££ so I can get it replaced, get home, pay a bill etc"

Always check the phone number and if its not one you recognise, then its more than likely a scam, so dont even respond. 

In fact, just five minutes ago I had a text from a number I dont recognise "dad, can you let me know if you get this?" as I know the numbers of both my girls there's no way I'll even contemplate replying. Not only that neither of them send me texts - only Whatsapp.

I will confirm with them on a number that I do know that it wasn't either of them, just in case one of them has decided to change their phone for some reason.

JohnB47

I just delete/block messages like this. I've decided that if it's really not a scam, they'll contact me again - they never do. I get random calls to my mobile too, from various parts of the country. I just let them ring and ignore them. No follow up text, so it's a scam or marketing call.

Farway

JohnB47 said:

I just delete/block messages like this. I've decided that if it's really not a scam, they'll contact me again - they never do. I get random calls to my mobile too, from various parts of the country. I just let them ring and ignore them. No follow up text, so it's a scam or marketing call.

Same here, like you, I just ignore them on assumption if important they will know my postal address or landline number

facade

JohnB47 said:

I just delete/block messages like this. I've decided that if it's really not a scam, they'll contact me again - they never do. I get random calls to my mobile too, from various parts of the country. I just let them ring and ignore them. No follow up text, so it's a scam or marketing call.

There are various "who called me" pages on t'interweb e.g. who-calls.me.uk

You type in the number and it identifies it if possible, and you get to read comments from people who actually picked up.

My 'phone spys on me, so when I look in my call history, after a few hours these numbers mark as spam- it must send my call logs to google.

General_Grant

Retired_Saver said:

Yes,  x_raphael_xx, and although I did not fall for it by agreeing to get the gift card, I was stupid enough to reply (unintentionally confirming that it was my old, seldom used email address) and give them my new email address.

Although I may get spam emails as a result I'm glad of the reassuring replies here - I had worried that as a result, somehow, my own email addresses, address books, would be hacked.  It is a helpful, although unwanted, learning curve.

I presume you don't use a password like "password123" or "Pword5"

[Deleted User]

Thankfully I didn't, General_Grant.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

''So, what happens if a hacker gets your email address? If a cybercriminal were to gain access to your email address without also getting hold of your email account password, it's unlikely they could do much damage. But if they also get your password, they can cause you plenty of pain.''

You may want to maybe change your email password.