OT: Cunning new scam.

[Tim Watts]

On Thursday 15 August 2013 08:10 Andrew Gabriel wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I always thought it was a stupid feature - possibly useful once, but not do much with DECT phones where you could just wander around and not have to "pick up at another extension".

When I was at uni and called home from a payphone, my mum called back (I had insufficient coins). At the end she did not replace her phone right and the call remained connected for quite some time - a lot longer than 3 minutes. More like 30 minutes. This was 1987 +/-

[Tim Watts]

On Thursday 15 August 2013 08:33 Adrian wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Better - dial 1471 and the scammers would not know (well, they could, but I doubt they have thought of that) and if they pretend to be your CC call centre instead of telling you the last number dialled, you've got them.

Quick simple test.

[The Natural Philosopher]

definitely so. They put howlers on such phones. However that doesn't mean she was still connected to anything: merely off hook.

[Andy Burns]

Probably nothing, but your journey buys the scammer time to make use of all the details they've just gathered, it probably deters you from calling the CC company to cancel the cards, because you "know" it's all going to be sorted once you get to the shop ...

[Huge]

It would never have got that far. You'd have squeeked, they'd have relented and said "OK, we'll send someone round", a scammer collects your cards, game over.

[John Williamson]

"Hang on a moment, I'll call you from the other line. Who should I ask for?"

Only works when you've got a cellphone handy, though. That's assuming that you do actually intend to call back.

[Mark]

I'd have guess that they would try to steal the cards. Without all the security info from the cards I would think it difficult to make a "not-present" purchase or clone the cards.

[Dave Liquorice]

So what is the "direct and immediate threat to life or property"?

I guess "crime is in progress", you turn up at the designated place along with the cops but I very much doubt the scammers will be present.

As some one else has said they have harvested enough information to check they have a "live" card and to use it. You travelling buys them time before you call the CC company again after discovering the place you have been sent to knows nothing.

That's what I do as well, but just very occasionally when someone is calling from a very quiet place you can get caught out.

[Max Quad]

It would be nice if we could transfer them to a premium line. Perhaps you could get a premium line for your home phone, then you'd actually be quids in when people called you.

[F]

I had an 0871 number in the past and gave it to any organisation that used a non-geographic number (other than 0800 etc). A warm glow as my bank paid me to talk to them when they called me...

[F]

That's different. They usually send a 'courier' round to collect the card.

[GB]

Giff Gaff give me an extra minute of talk time free for every minute that someone else calls me.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They didn't have the security code from the back of the card. Nor, obviously, my PIN. Most internet purchases seem to use the Barclays check system - and they didn't have that password either. Basically, all I gave them was my date of birth and mother's maiden name. The latter being no longer valid as a verification.

[Tim+]

Better still, scammer offers to send someone round, you call police and arrange a reception party.

Tim

[John Rumm]

Can you spoof this as a caller with an Asterisk box?

[John Rumm]

...to follow man in the middle back to the scammers hopefully ;-)

[Andy Burns]

The variant of the scam in the newspaper article seems to have asked the fully hooked victims to enter the PIN via DTMF codes!

I find my online purchases rarely trigger that, or rather it diverts to the 3D-secure or VerifiedByVisa page then diverts straight back

I think DOB in addition to name and card number is sufficient to change the VbV password ...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

No. When I phoned up the genuine site to report it all, I gave the old 'maiden name' They then said I'd have to go to a branch with all the usual proofs to be issued with a new card. I'm just off there now.

[Jethro_uk]

It's so the person paying the bill controls the cost. If you relied on the called party clearing the line, you'd start getting (Daily Mail) stories about calling Gran who forgot to hang up, and getting bills for

000s of pounds.

[Jethro_uk]

Nationwide had an announcement recently that they had worked to reduce the number of times VerfiedByVisa was needed. So far it seems they're right. I guess they feel confident enough in mapping peoples buying habits to let regular, or previously used payments go through under a certain limit.