OT: a new scam

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

Maybe they think you are 'special'. I don't get them.

Likewise.

Nor have I, but there have been concerted but failed attempts logged.

I have always run Windows.

[Martin Brown]

They don't, but I wanted to check the PIN on a Santander bank card without taking it off to a bank machine. However, it wouldn't play.

I had expected that all PIN sentry machines for chip & PIN could read all bank cards but that seems not to be the case. I haven't experimented to see what combinations will work. Just observed this specific failure.

[Theo]

That's because Santander don't use card readers, so their cards don't have the EMV CAP 'app' loaded onto them. When the card reader tries to select the 'app', the request is refused. This is why it says 'wrong card'.

In particular, by not doing so it prevents unnecessary PIN-extortion attacks (hit somebody with a $5 wrench* until they reveal the correct PIN, which is easier to do behind closed doors with a card reader than when standing at an ATM)

Theo

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well thats a good indicator that is more how you behave than what technology you use that counts. I did catch a couple of viruses on Windows 98, which was the last real windows I used in anger outside of a VM

[Tim Streater]

See also here:

a picture of the Barclays device, inter alia.

[Martin Brown]

Likewise with my bank you use a chip & PIN to ID at the counter and that allows them to do it paperless or you can have a receipt as well and/or you can use the bank machine to pay in smaller (under £1k?) cheques.

[Vir Campestris]

When I'm sure it's a scammer I just say "Hang on a minute" and put the phone on the table.

I wish to maximise their wasted time.

Andy

[Dave Plowman (News]

Quite. There are two stages of authentication when setting up a new payment with Pinsentry. And that's after you've logged into your account.

[Dave Plowman (News]

I don't think this is the case anymore. It was one of the original scams which BT sorted. The incoming subscriber can no longer hold the line open, for more than a few seconds.

[Dave Plowman (News]

I'd say, today, a cheque would be pretty easy to forge.

Rule one with any call of any sort wanting personal data. Ignore it. If concerned, contact your bank in your usual way.

It can be quite fun with some of those scammers. Ask them to identify themselves by giving simple details about you that they would have on file. They always mumble about data protection or whatever.

[Dave Plowman (News]

But to get anything from a Pinsentry,you have to insert your card and PIN.

[SteveW]

Which would be a pain for someone, especially elderly or disabled and slow moving, who takes a call in one room and needs to move to another room to sit down or get more information. Not dropping the line for a while was a very useful feature.

[Martin Brown]

I do that to the "we are Microsoft scammers your computer is messing up the internet". I promise to go and get Fred who knows about computers and leave the phone on the desk with the line open.

I figure that is a service to people who might be taken in.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Then you know what to get them for Xmas. A DECT phone.

Wonder how many still have wired extensions - and only wired phones? Tiny number, I'd say.

[Jonathan]

We still get cheques for our holiday letting business and the post office has a woderful system for paying them in. You do need a paying in slip, which I have.

Jonathan

[Andy Burns]

I wonder how many people ever knew they could hang-up on an incoming call, walk to another room, and pickup a different phone to continue the call? Or the timed-break recall method to get a ringback and actually cleardown the line?

[Andrew]

99.99% would simply leave the original phone off the hook, move to another room and pick up the phone there, (and shout at someone else to replace the 1st phone handset).

[John Rumm]

No it still works - but it will only hold the call open for a few mins IIRC

(I just tried calling my own number and it was certainly happy to let me hang up for 30 secs or more and then resume the call).

[Andy Burns]

Called party cleardown timer should be 10 seconds now (assuming BT)

[charles]

I haqve wired extensions, but with a DECT phone on each line. All are fed through a PAX. Older DECT phone signals wouldn't travel well through our walls.