Spam phone calls after ordering accessories from Ali Express

[wandle MG4 trophy]

I’m registered with the TPS which limits the number of Spam phone calls I receive. Recently I have taken about 8 Spam calls coming from different numbers and claiming to be from the Financial Conduct Authority. All address me by my full name.

The calls started after I ordered car accessories from Ali Express. When the parcels arrived I noticed my full name, address and phone number were printed on the address labels on the outside of the packages.

Maybe coincidence but I suspect that somewhere in the Ali chain (Ali Express, the supplier, Chinese delivery company, UK delivery company etc) someone is copying names and phone numbers and selling them to scammers.

 

[Gadget Geek]

TPS is as much use as a chocolate tea pot. Invest in a call blocker, the best £40 I ever spent when I had a land line. I now use an old mobile phone as the home phone with a PAYG sim which gives me 100 minutes free every month. Funnily enough, the spam calls have stopped.

 

[awbugritt]

We have caller ID. If we don't recognise the number it gets ignored, so our spam calls are virtually non existent.

 

[Gomev]

We have caller ID. If we don't recognise the number it gets ignored, so our spam calls are virtually non existent.

What do you do if you get a legitimate call from a number you don't recognise ? For example your banks fraud department checking if a payment is legit, or the lottery people ringing to say you are now a multi millionaire.

 

[Alb]

I find that any legitimate caller leaves a message if the subject is of any importance.

 

[Eclectic]

Answer the phone but don’t speak. After a couple of seconds auto diallers hang up. Genuine people wait and then you get a tentative, “hello?” ?

 

[Gadget Geek]

Before the call blocker, I used to get calls from "London" (Mumbai) telling me my internet was about to be cut off because I'd been hacked. So I used to play along just to waste their time as they tried to get me to install a remote control program.

When things didn't go as they expected they asked if I could see the controls on the desktop. "No, just my Linux home page" and waited for the penny to drop.

 

[Rolfe]

I can't be bothered with that, I just put the phone down on them. Last time I said "oh come on, the entire planet knows this is a scam" first.

 

[Gadget Geek]

I heard about someone who had so many scam calls that he reistered his number as a premium tariff number. All his friends and services used his mobile number and he made thousands on scam calls. Now that's poetic justice.

 

[Rolfe]

Well done that man!

 

[m4rmite]

I've not ordered anything from aliexpress but still had a few spam calls this week.
I just add them to the spam contact as that is set to block

 

[awbugritt]

What do you do if you get a legitimate call from a number you don't recognise ? For example your banks fraud department checking if a payment is legit, or the lottery people ringing to say you are now a multi millionaire.

I take the view if it's important they'll leave a message .

 

[Deleted member 823]

Lots of great videos on YouTube of people hacking the scammers, getting into their CCTV for example, and pranking them. Well deserved if you ask me!

 

[awbugritt]

This I must see. Quite agree with you ?

 

[Deleted member 823]

This I must see. Quite agree with you ?

Check this out:

 

[Shrink Proof]

What do you do if you get a legitimate call from a number you don't recognise ? For example your banks fraud department checking if a payment is legit, or the lottery people ringing to say you are now a multi millionaire.

These people are electronic lice, and deserve all they get. So...

For the "lottery" people I ask where I can meet them as I want to bring friends and relatives to take lots of pictures for maximum publicity...

For the "bank" people I say that I'm following the bank's recommendations to counter fraud, ask for their name and then hang up. I then ring the bank's fraud reporting line asking if Hugh Jarse, or whoever it is, uses the phone number on my display and actually works there.

For all others I put on the sleaziest, creepiest voice imaginable (and believe me, I have a VERY good imagination) and ask "what are you wearing? I'm not wearing anything right now..." and take it from there.

Also, use reverse phone look-up sites. Here's an example.

 

[awbugritt]

Check this out:

Brilliant, but isn't it a shame that's the sort of thing that has to be done as the authorities seem to be so ineffectual.

 

[evcog]

Over 2 years ago I stopped using my landline as every call was spam. Its now totally disconnected from the socket. I only use my mobile for daily calls and all my friends and family have that number.

I wouldn't be too quick to blame aliexpress or any other retailer as most scams are now done with computer dialling ( randomly dialing numbers until someone answers).

You can still get spam calls on mobiles but very few in comparison to landlines. You will never be called by TAX officers, the government, unsolicited calls from banks, deposed Princes of other nations, or computer technicians who claim they have seen suspicious activity on your system. The main rule is set up 2 stage verification with banks were you can.

I must agree with others by saying that its not worth the effort to try and waste their time just put the phone down. Or let it ring until the answer phone kicks in if you have one.

Over 2 years ago I stopped using my landline as every call was spam. Its now totally disconnected from the socket. I only use my mobile for daily calls and all my friends and family have that number.

I wouldn't be too quick to blame aliexpress or any other retailer as most scams are now done with computer dialling ( randomly dialing numbers until someone answers).

You can still get spam calls on mobiles but very few in comparison to landlines. You will never be called by TAX officers, the government, unsolicited calls from banks, deposed Princes of other nations, or computer technicians who claim they have seen suspicious activity on your system. The main rule is set up 2 stage verification with banks were you can.

I must agree with others by saying that its not worth the effort to try and waste their time just put the phone down. Or let it ring until the answer phone kicks in if you have one.

I use Mr Number app to catch and block spam and scam calls.

I used to play along with the scammers for my own entertainment. It was a bit of fun getting them scratching their heads and going around in circles pretending to be computer illiterate, and while they were wasting time with me, they weren't scamming someone else.

My parting shot used to be to ask them if their parents knew they stole money from vunreble people and how proud they must be.

 

[m4rmite]

I don't think I've had a landline for the last 15 years.
It's so much easier to block the crap on a mobile

 

[awbugritt]

Over 2 years ago I stopped using my landline as every call was spam. Its now totally disconnected from the socket. I only use my mobile for daily calls and all my friends and family have that number.

I wouldn't be too quick to blame aliexpress or any other retailer as most scams are now done with computer dialling ( randomly dialing numbers until someone answers).

You can still get spam calls on mobiles but very few in comparison to landlines. You will never be called by TAX officers, the government, unsolicited calls from banks, deposed Princes of other nations, or computer technicians who claim they have seen suspicious activity on your system. The main rule is set up 2 stage verification with banks were you can.

I must agree with others by saying that its not worth the effort to try and waste their time just put the phone down. Or let it ring until the answer phone kicks in if you have one.

One jolly wheeze is to say you're going to fetch the householder then p*** off!