The real scam about why so many folks are being scammed

mr-b

Hi

There is lots of coverage of various scams in the media and in online discussions. For the media, (including social media) it's the "gift" that keeps giving, with an endless supply of "aren't ppl awful" stories and some real heartache ones, that provokes lots of reaction. But even if one takes the stories with an educational value, it's completely impossible to keep up with all the variations. At worst, the media spreading these stories could be accused of scaremongering.

But if one analyses most of the scams, they start the same way, and that points to the *real* scam. And that is that they start with an unsolicited phone call or message (email/text/instant msg etc.) from an unknown or disguised source.

Of course there are solutions to these e.g.nuisance call blockers which intercept calls from unknown numbers with a virtual "secretary", or email/SMS messaging spam filters.

But the issue is that many folks, especially the elderly, do not have easy access to these call screening features. It's only recently that service providers are enabling them, but they are not enabled by default and not very well publicised. Folks also might think that receiving lots of spam messages is perfectly normal and that it's just something you have to put up with.

Folks waste lots of time reporting these scam messages to Action Fraud (or social media) when it's known that AF don't even deal with many *actual* frauds. Ofcom only requires service providers to act when receiving spam reports, when that act can just be an acknowledgment and nothing more.

Mobile phones usually ship by default with basic messaging apps without any spam filtering. Many service providers' email services have extremely poor spam filters.

So IMO this is the real scam i.e. tech device/service providers are shipping kit or services without the most basic of call/messaging protection enabled *by default*.

An analogy could be that you buy a new house and all sorts of strangers come in your front door. The media like to tell everyone about all these characters and what terrible things they do, when the real problem is that the front door is missing the lock!

So why is it that mobile manufacturers, phone and internet service providers are getting away with not protecting their customers?
And why isn't the media being more responsible and advising folks on how to protect themselves at source, rather than spreading more scaremongering stories?

Brie

Had a call this morning and am curious to know how they know who I am when I don't share my info.  Obviously they have got it from somewhere at some time and it's likely been sold on and on.

mr-b

Did you answer the call? If so, then it's likely that you will be put on a "live responder" list and your details will increase in value if they are sold on i.e. expect more calls!

Phone numbers and email addresses are basically public info. Trying to "protect" them leads to a false sense of security.

Some like to think they are wasting scammers' time by answering calls and leading them down some merry path, or for their own amusement, but the truth is they are still feeding the beast. If no one answered unknown calls, the robocalling scam call industry would die.

Albermarle

But if one analyses most of the scams, they start the same way, and that points to the *real* scam. And that is that they start with an unsolicited phone call or message (email/text/instant msg etc.) from an unknown or disguised source.

Quite a lot of scams that crop up in these forums and you read/hear about, come from people responding to adverts on Facebook, or similar. Usually something connected to Crypto.

mr-b

Sure, Marketplace, Gumtree et al have their fair share of "courier will bring cash" etc. type scams via ads, but those are not the type of financial fraud scams covered by the media e.g. pensioner losing life savings etc. which rely on the good old trusty telephone. The global deregulation of telecoms has a lot to answer for, despite the cost of services plummeting.

cannugec5

If I don’t answer unknown or withheld callers I might miss an important call from the doctor, dentist or other important person. 

However I do have call guardian enabled so it screens out most, but not all of the spam. 

mr-b

cannugec5 said:

If I don’t answer unknown or withheld callers I might miss an important call from the doctor, dentist or other important person. 

That is whole point of nuisance call blockers, they let real callers through.

As I said before, they are just not being publicised.

It seems the media is quite happy to prop up this state of affairs.

Okell

cannugec5 said:

If I don’t answer unknown or withheld callers I might miss an important call from the doctor, dentist or other important person..

But wouldn't they just leave a message/voicemail?

mr-b

Okell said:

cannugec5 said:

If I don’t answer unknown or withheld callers I might miss an important call from the doctor, dentist or other important person..

But wouldn't they just leave a message/voicemail?

The frequent 'whataboutery' protest levelled against nuisance call blockers or answering machines is that the NHS/council etc. won't leave messages that are of a confidential nature. But the entire point of nuisance call blockers is that they allow "real" callers through, screening out robocallers, even if they are calling from a withheld number. So the phone will ring as normal, and there's no specific need to leave a message. Either way I've never heard of someone dying because the NHS refused to leave a message. It appears to be just more scaremongering.

Vectis

mr-b said:

Okell said:

cannugec5 said:

If I don’t answer unknown or withheld callers I might miss an important call from the doctor, dentist or other important person..

But wouldn't they just leave a message/voicemail?

...the NHS/council etc. won't leave messages that are of a confidential nature...

Well, the NHS do leave messages. They tell you that they've been attempting to contact you and that you need to call them back. They don't reveal anything confidential.

I've had voice messages and also text messages recently because I've been unable to take a call or missed it.

GrubbyGirl_2

What surprises me is how many people still fall for the same old scams that are well publicised.  I watched Scam Interceptors this week and they managed to stop a couple of scams where they spoke to the people being scammed who said they watched the programme all the time yet they were still falling for it.

This is a brilliant invention by O2 and the reason why all scam numbers need to be reported.

https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/o2-unveils-daisy-the-ai-granny-wasting-scammers-time/