Scam alert - Chase/Metro fixed savers and ISAs

vacheron

clairec666 said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

This is a level above sending thousands of general purpose scammy emails hoping for 1 or 2 hits. This involves actual personalisation of physical letters and stuffing things in envelopes and sticking stamps on them.

There's a fair expense to the scammers here, stamps and envelopes etc., compared to emails. Although they may have stumbled across some books of stamps that fell off the back of a lorry.

You aren't kidding! I had to post a postcard yesterday with a first class stamp and it cost me £1.70. 

Could barely believe it, I send 2KG shoebox sized parcels all the time which are collected from my door and it's only £3.40!  

Kim_13

Fake stamps? With 2x 2nd they have ‘paid’ more than needed for a 2nd class large, and if Chase had sent this I’m sure they’d have folded it in half before franking it when that would have made it letter size. The scammers must be relying on a large letter looking more ‘professional.’

la531983

Kim_13 said:

Fake stamps? With 2x 2nd they have ‘paid’ more than needed for a 2nd class large

Or they have a batch of stolen 2nd class stamps they are looking to shift.

Theleak250

I can see a lot of older people being taken in. 

PRAISETHESUN

la531983 said:

I would be more worried that my postal address is on a list scammers are using tbf. Have you fallen for one before OP and ended up on their "suckers list"?

I wouldn't be surprised if the address info was randomly generated given it's addressed to "dear valued customer". You would expect a targeted attack from either info a data breach or from being previous scam victim would look more convincing.

flaneurs_lobster

PRAISETHESUN said:

la531983 said:

I would be more worried that my postal address is on a list scammers are using tbf. Have you fallen for one before OP and ended up on their "suckers list"?

I wouldn't be surprised if the address info was randomly generated given it's addressed to "dear valued customer". You would expect a targeted attack from either info a data breach or from being previous scam victim would look more convincing.

Don't think so, the letters seem to be personalised with name (OP has correctly redacted the addressee block but perhaps they could confirm) but yes, many suggestions here as to how the scammers could improve their product.

They also seem (from the few examples reported here) to impersonate a bank that the target has an account with. 

I also give some credence to the suggestion made on the thread about hookey Co-op Bank letters - the scam letters do contain several giveaways as to their true nature which will be spotted by those aware and astute about such things. Those that don't spot them will be more likely to succumb to the next stage of the scam - contacting the scammers and handing over their money. 

The clumsy letter may be a clever form of pre-processing the prospective victims. 

Or it could just be a shonkey letter.

clairec666

flaneurs_lobster said:
I also give some credence to the suggestion made on the thread about hookey Co-op Bank letters - the scam letters do contain several giveaways as to their true nature which will be spotted by those aware and astute about such things. Those that don't spot them will be more likely to succumb to the next stage of the scam - contacting the scammers and handing over their money. 

The clumsy letter may be a clever form of pre-processing the prospective victims. 

Or it could just be a shonkey letter.

It's a known scammers tactic. They want to whittle down their victims to those who are likely to actually hand over the money; they don't want to waste their effort on people who are likely to spot the scam further down the line. By making their initial effort less than perfect, they will hope that most of the people who respond will be elderly, vulnerable, or not very savvy with finances.

lucyandthomas

flaneurs_lobster said:

PRAISETHESUN said:

la531983 said:

I would be more worried that my postal address is on a list scammers are using tbf. Have you fallen for one before OP and ended up on their "suckers list"?

I wouldn't be surprised if the address info was randomly generated given it's addressed to "dear valued customer". You would expect a targeted attack from either info a data breach or from being previous scam victim would look more convincing.

Don't think so, the letters seem to be personalised with name (OP has correctly redacted the addressee block but perhaps they could confirm) but yes, many suggestions here as to how the scammers could improve their product.

They also seem (from the few examples reported here) to impersonate a bank that the target has an account with. 

I also give some credence to the suggestion made on the thread about hookey Co-op Bank letters - the scam letters do contain several giveaways as to their true nature which will be spotted by those aware and astute about such things. Those that don't spot them will be more likely to succumb to the next stage of the scam - contacting the scammers and handing over their money. 

The clumsy letter may be a clever form of pre-processing the prospective victims. 

Or it could just be a shonkey letter.

OP here. The letter showed my name and address, so they have those details and know I bank with Chase.

jimjames

lucyandthomas said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

PRAISETHESUN said:

la531983 said:

I would be more worried that my postal address is on a list scammers are using tbf. Have you fallen for one before OP and ended up on their "suckers list"?

I wouldn't be surprised if the address info was randomly generated given it's addressed to "dear valued customer". You would expect a targeted attack from either info a data breach or from being previous scam victim would look more convincing.

Don't think so, the letters seem to be personalised with name (OP has correctly redacted the addressee block but perhaps they could confirm) but yes, many suggestions here as to how the scammers could improve their product.

They also seem (from the few examples reported here) to impersonate a bank that the target has an account with. 

I also give some credence to the suggestion made on the thread about hookey Co-op Bank letters - the scam letters do contain several giveaways as to their true nature which will be spotted by those aware and astute about such things. Those that don't spot them will be more likely to succumb to the next stage of the scam - contacting the scammers and handing over their money. 

The clumsy letter may be a clever form of pre-processing the prospective victims. 

Or it could just be a shonkey letter.

OP here. The letter showed my name and address, so they have those details and know I bank with Chase.

I guess that depends on whether anyone else received it that doesn't bank with Chase. With email they send out millions and some will land with people who bank with that organisation they are impersonating. I guess this is more targeted as the cost of mass mailing on the off chance someone has an account would be prohibitive.

masonic

jimjames said:

lucyandthomas said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

PRAISETHESUN said:

la531983 said:

I would be more worried that my postal address is on a list scammers are using tbf. Have you fallen for one before OP and ended up on their "suckers list"?

I wouldn't be surprised if the address info was randomly generated given it's addressed to "dear valued customer". You would expect a targeted attack from either info a data breach or from being previous scam victim would look more convincing.

Don't think so, the letters seem to be personalised with name (OP has correctly redacted the addressee block but perhaps they could confirm) but yes, many suggestions here as to how the scammers could improve their product.

They also seem (from the few examples reported here) to impersonate a bank that the target has an account with. 

I also give some credence to the suggestion made on the thread about hookey Co-op Bank letters - the scam letters do contain several giveaways as to their true nature which will be spotted by those aware and astute about such things. Those that don't spot them will be more likely to succumb to the next stage of the scam - contacting the scammers and handing over their money. 

The clumsy letter may be a clever form of pre-processing the prospective victims. 

Or it could just be a shonkey letter.

OP here. The letter showed my name and address, so they have those details and know I bank with Chase.

I guess that depends on whether anyone else received it that doesn't bank with Chase. With email they send out millions and some will land with people who bank with that organisation they are impersonating. I guess this is more targeted as the cost of mass mailing on the off chance someone has an account would be prohibitive.

In terms of market share, Chase wouldn't be a very smart brand to use opportunistically, even the likes of Monzo and Starling have larger customer bases.