A novel twist on an old scam
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
September 29, 2016 9:36am CST
Over the years I have received many scam telephone calls, as I suspect everyone else has. One in particular was to claim to be calling from Microsoft and state that a problem has been detected on your computer. The hope was to persuade the computer owner to give them access to the computer.
Today I received a telephone call from someone claiming to work in the security department at British Telecom, which is the company responsible for all telephone lines etcetera. He them proceeded to inform me that my line and therefore my IP address had been hacked and was being used elsewhere.
Despite his continued attempt to get me to check my computer for confirmation, I stressed that what he was suggesting was absolute nonsense. Once it became clear that I was not about to comply, his final quote was “Okay, just hang up but we will block your line”. My response was to laugh and hang up the telephone.
This seems quite a clever scam because far too many people would not understand that a telephone line cannot be hacked in order to clone an IP address.
12 people like this
13 responses
@LadyDuck (502169)
• Italy
29 Sep 16
You are right, I suppose that many would be scared and follow the instruction not to have their line "blocked". I only got the classic "Microsoft" call, I have a great pleasure talking with those scammers and making them believe that I am going to follow what the ask, until the moment I say "well, I have played enough" and I hang up.
4 people like this
This is surely hilarious, so he worked for Windows, if this happens I would reply that I work for Linux.
@rebelann (117199)
• El Paso, Texas
30 Sep 16
I've been lucky so far, I haven't gotten calls like that ..... then again, if I don't know the number calling me I don't answer.
It could also be that because I use a prepaid cell service they have no way to link my number with a name.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
12 Oct 16
They are not a shy bunch are they in their attempt to scam us, that we will block your line would have scared some people.
1 person likes this
@Hanyouyomi (2186)
• Dallas, Texas
15 Oct 16
Seems to me like British telecoms are a lot more clever than American telecoms, or maybe I'd put up with the same crap if I actually answered the phone...
1 person likes this
@Hanyouyomi (2186)
• Dallas, Texas
15 Oct 16
@Asylum They weren't British? Don't tell me they were American, despite the fact that I expect American telecoms to pull that crap. And of course you didn't comply. No one smart enough to crap like this would comply to such obvious bait.
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
30 Sep 16
Goodness, I wonder how many people have fallen for it or something like it??
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17712)
• South Africa
30 Sep 16
I had one of them on Tuesday to which I told them they have the wrong number - he then said but on this line we are finding error on your computer - so I asked him how can a local South African landline have any bearing on a wifi connection? Such scammers! I wish they would all get a cramp they waste my time!!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
30 Sep 16
My computer used to run over my phone line, but doesn't anymore. So even I would not fall for this one.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (22199)
• United States
29 Sep 16
The past two days I got a scam call about car warranty protection. I told the guy I don't have a car or license to drive a car. He hung up and he called again today. I finally reported them.
1 person likes this
Very clever of you to hang up. Well done.