Community Newsletter: Q&A: Are they phishing over the telephone now?!
- 4/25/08 4:05 PM
My 2 Cents
by Mstar100 - 4/25/08 5:21 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Just wanted to throw this out there.
Sometimes your finacial institution may contact you over the phone if there is a legit problem with an account. Be sceptical for sure, but be aware that it does happen. Recently, while using my debit card to purchase gas from the pump, I accidentally canceled the first transaction and had to run my card a second time. Almost immediately my bank (Bank of America) placed a hold on my account for suspicious activity. They did contact me over the phone and, since I did not answer because I didn't recognize the number calling, they left me a voicemail.
At the time, I did not believe it to be a phishing scam because:
A) They identified me by name and the last four digits of my debit card
B) Identified themselves by company name.
None the less, I did not call back to the number that was provided in the voicemail, but rather, contacted the listed customer service number on their website. At that point I was informed about the hold on the account and what the reason for the hold was. (This was verified by my wife who attempted to purchase gas for her vehicle using the same account only to have her card declined.) Once I contacted my bank and informed them that in fact it was me using the card for that particular transaction, everything was straightened out.
My advice to anyone who receives a call to this nature:
Keep an eye on your account activity and be certain that you know who your talking to. If you receive a vauge message, doubt it seriously, but if you think it may be legit, contact the institution through verified channels.
They are not only phishing over the telephone
by clearlyf - 4/25/08 6:03 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm fairly certain that they're phishing using snail mail. I've received color brochures (2) in the mail, advising me to go to various websites, to sign up for "free" or "new" features and the website address that the brochure provides is of course subtly wrong. Then there's the classic "survey" attempt at social engineering where you can receive a "free" iphone/ipod/gift card/cash prize if you'll just provide the survey site with information you really don't want a stranger to have.
Some Phishers are extremely good at social engineering
by inetdog - 4/25/08 6:10 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Some will broadcast a PhishHook that is not at all credible, like many that have been described here. And if they target enough people, they will get someone to take the bait.
But the best ones add the small details to help overcome our natural reluctance and catch us unawares.
Examples:
If you get an automated phone call which asks you to enter your account number, almost everyone will hang up. The things that they say to convey a sense of urgency may be better or worse, but they come out and ask you directly eventually and your warnings are tripped.
If you get an automated phone call which says that they are calling about your credit card number ending in 3581, and ask you to confirm, you are hooked and the next thing that comes up when you enter "no" is "It seems that there is a problem in our records. Please enter your full card number...". They already have gotten you to respond, and the next response is easier.
If you get an automated phone call which says that they are calling about a credit card problem and ask you to enter the digits of your address to make sure they reached the right person, you may do that. Now we go to the "The last four digits of your card number are 3581, confirm?" At this point, when they ask you for your full card number you have already given two answers which were not threats and it is easier to continue. To some extent you are lulled into a sense of security because the "knew" your address. You overlook that all they did was not tell you you had entered the wrong address!
It is a dangerous world out there, and one way to reduce your risk is to pause after each question is asked and re-evaluate the whole call before you answer. But we are creatures of routine, and will more likely do unreasonable things if we are put at ease first.
In other news, men landed on the moon!
by bblackmoor - 4/25/08 6:49 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I find it incredibly annoying when people give stupid new names to things which have been around for decades. "Vishing"? Please.
Me too..
by audioxcel - 4/25/08 7:04 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Ive been getting that kind of calls since 4 weeks ago, and sadly it seems that everyday i get more of that calls.
About 4 or 5 weeks ago we start to get calls from a number that the phone recongnizes as a "Private Number" so we dont have any way to know who called, the funny thing is that they hang up when we answer the call, i mean we just catch the phone and say hello?, and they hang up.
These was happening almost 3 times a day, so it was anoying.
But then a week we receive no calls, we think: "Finally, They give up on us!" (a big mistake).
But then a friday, we receive a strange call, saying that it was callin from BBVA (a bank), and that they where upgrading the life insurance that is included in the credit card the give us, to 40,000 dollars, i start to get confused because we do not have any card in BBVA, we used to, but we cancell it. So i talk to the guy that was in the phone and just said him that i dont own any BBVA card, and that im not interested in getting one because im happy with my HSBC card, and the guy just said: "One moment please", and then a girl pick up the phone and said that she was from HSBC (yeah, shure, both guys from rival banks in the same room and the same phone) and that she needed some info of my credit card to give me the 40,000 insurance, i hang up.
I checked the phone and it said "Private Number", so i just forgot it.
But then exaclty a week ago, i receive another call, saying that he was from a TV station and that i was the 3rd place of a lotto and that i was the winner of 250,000, but that i have to answer i question, i answer it and then he say, ok wait a moment while we enter your name in the official list. Then he ask me to write some info, that i have to be present at 15:00 in a local bank, in the no 1 line and talk to the manager, they will ask me for a code to deliver me the prize, but before giving me that code he needed me to buy 500 in cellphone cards, to help the breast cancer cause, i tell him that i was short in money and so, and he say, whats the minumun you can buy?, i said 200, then he said in how much time?, i say how much time? what?, and he answered yes, i will gve you 30 minutes to go, buy the cards and give me the code number, at this point i knew this was scam, cuz i called the TV station and they said that there was no lotto or prize, and that i have to report that call to the feds, so i just hang up.
Recommendations:
1.- Use your head, dont give any vital or private information, even if they already have part of it (they know the first 4 digits of my credit card)
2.- Ask all you need to know, sometimes this will make them hang up, but sometimes youll be dealing with pros, so ask as much as you can!
3.- Talk your experience with friends, family in forums, chats and everything you can get, this will let the others to know this scam and prevent them to bite it.
4.- If you have names (even if they are fakes) or telephone numbers, report them to the police or feds, the will help you.
Hope this helps!
Not Always Phishing
by bugsme - 4/25/08 7:21 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have had phone messages asking me to logon to a (phony-look-like) bank site because my account had been compromised. Using whois I checked the registration info which indicated it was not legitimate. I e-mailed the registrar about the fraud, and saw it was gone the following day. One bad guy down, zillions to go.
However, just recently I received a message from someone claiming to be from my Credit Card company's fraud department regarding some activity on my account. I have gotten similar calls in the past when I've charged high, electronic items and usually knew right away what it was about since the call would be on my machine when I'd get home after shopping.
This time, I couldn't figure out why they'd be calling, but the call contained some information which led me to believe it was legit. I checked the number they left and it seemed to tie to the credit card company. But, I still was reluctant to call the number they left, so I did the safe thing--I called the number on the back of my credit card. After I put in my A/C number, I was immediately connected to the fraud department. They verified who I was by asking me questions I was even surprised they knew the answers to, but afterward, they asked me if I had made an internet purchase from a company whose name I did not recognize. I said I didn't think so, but sometimes names on the CC differ from the name of the website. They told me it was for a purchase that day. I knew then that I hadn't made the purchase. They said that's what they thought and that since my CC number had been compromised, they needed to close the account and issue me a new card.
The whole thing was a slight inconvenience (I need to notify companies who charge that card for monthly services), but it would have been worse if I were out of town without my CC.
So, given my experience, if you get a call from someone claiming to be your bank, credit card company, mortgage co, etc. go ahead and call them back if you think it might be legitimate, but only call the numbers you know to be legitimate as listed on the back of the cc or on their statements. Also, I would NEVER respond to an e-mail regarding my bank or CC company. I would only go directly to the site by typing their name in the browser (not clicking any links) and login to their site from their.
By the way, I got my new card in a few days followed by a snail mail with information to logon to my account to review that my information was correct.
Surveys do it also
by graficsinc - 4/25/08 7:37 PM In reply to: Not Always Phishing by bugsmeI refuse to take over the phone surveys.
They ask at the end how many in the household went to college.
My age group.
What nationality am I.
Do I own or rent.
What is the households yearly income.
How much from investments.
How many teenagers live here.
How many bread winners.
All of that helps in targeting a household to be robbed or phished at later date.
During the elections it was the worst. Similar thing happens when you "Register to Win" that sports car at the local raffle. That information gets sold many times and is seen by many eyes.
Hi Judie Yes they are very busy phishing on the telephone
by odle5 - 4/25/08 8:46 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Judie,
Oh yes, there are many who are phishing on the telephone. We get about six phone calls a week from people who are outright trying their best to get our private information. The caller says they are security from our local bank or our local stores and that they have server errors and need us to update our information that has been lost.
After one called my elderly father and told him that they were a law firm (the phishers used a real law office's name but not their real phone number) trying to collect $3,000 owed on a JC Penney credit card. These phishers even had a "secretary" who would put my father "on hold to speak directly with the lawyer". My parents have not used a credit card in over 15 years, so I told my father to let me call JC Penney ourselves and let me find out if someone had stolen his identity. Penney's informed my father that they have no account for him and that he owed nothing. I called the police to report the phone number and they informed me that they believe that these phishers are using computers to relay the calls from overseas and these people are destroying the credit of thousands of people everyday. Our phone phishers caller ID usually show up with a Florida phone number, but when you try to find out who they are through the phone company, they have no record of the phone number at all.
I have gotten the phone calls that you are discussing over a hundred times and every time the caller id shows up with a different phone number. I get the same messages that you are talking about on my voice mail. I use "select caller block" to block the phone number, but they keep calling back with another fake phone number. I have reported it to the local phone company and they say there is nothing they can do to stop them. I am extremely frustrated with the phone company and with the Do Not Call registry. I even re-signed up and I still get calls from telemarketers almost every day. Just how can anyone prosecute the caller if they are using a computer to call from overseas? So I do the next best thing and just call screen through caller ID, the phishers and telemarketers get sent to voice mail and then I block the phone number they used to call me.
Also, I got a new phisher today, claiming they were from Blue Cross/Blue Shield and needed my social security number because they had "a server error." I do not have Blue Cross/Blue Shield so I knew exactly what to do...hang up and block that number.
Recently, I had a phisher call me and claim to be from a local hospital and that my son had been hurt at school and they needed my information or the doctors could not help him. Luckily, my son was home with me that day or I might have fallen for that one. Just thought you all might want to know that these people are truly ruthless.
Remember to keep your identity safe: never click a link in an email unless it is from someone you know. Turn on your "check phishing" in your browser and never enter information until the check is complete. Never give out any information over the phone and do not respond to offers in the mail unless you are comfortable with the company. And never return a call unless you are certain it is a company that you do business with.
These phishers are always vague and will never say exactly what company they are with. A company, website, store, insurance company or bank that you do business with will have all of your vital information and they will never ask you to give them account numbers, social security numbers or passwords. Good luck everybody!
Are they phishing over the telephone now?!
by netsiu - 4/25/08 8:56 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Maybe. But the one I keep getting is a legit credit card clearing house looking to make a sale. I told them to stop calling, take me off your list, I'm listed with Nat. do not call. Still get them on answering mach. Reported to Nat. do not call. Still get calls.
Makes me as happy as the spam that keeps hitting my Fax machine.
ANSWER TO PHISHING OVER THE PHONE
by casper393 - 4/25/08 9:03 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Yes. You could call it that. It's the new innovative way of telemarketing. This way they don't have to worry about being hung up on and will only come on the line if you say yes to their questions OR if you call them back.
BUT there is a WONDERFUL way to get this stopped. Here is the link to the government website that helps you put an end to these "phishing" calls. It's the National Do Not Call Registry and it is free. Don't go paying for this service with some other hoakey provider. This service is free. Once you register it takes 30 days to get it going but from then on if you get calls from ANY telemarketing at all just make sure you write down their phone number and if possible the name of the company, go back to the Do Not Call website and report them. They sure wont call you again after that. It's worked like a charm for me so far. Of course I am sure some calls will get through and if they are a live person I actually let them know I am registered and the immediately apologize and remove me from their calling list.
Good luck all!
Here's that link:
https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
p[hishing
by klumpy103 - 4/25/08 10:29 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In a very real sense 'phishing' over the phone came BEFORE e-mail 'phishing'. frudsters have always tried subtle means to get secure personal details from their victims. so this kind of thing is not new.
no legitimate bank or credit card will EVER ask for your card no. address etc. quite simply; because they don't need to. they will already have this information. if you're asked for these details hangup the phone and call your bank/credit card company using their own customer service number which is usually found on your statements.
a few points to note:
1. this kind of phishing has become quite sophisticated now due to the amount of personal info we send out online. so it's not impossible these fraudsters already have some basic info. BE CAUTIOUS online.
2. some of these frauds may even have 'departments' that you may get passed on to while on the phone. don't be fooled by this. you will almost certainly be asked for your personal details AGAIN by this new 'department'.
3. if you are in doubt (as you probably are by now) ask them to contact you through the ordinary post. any legit company has a legal obligation to do this. If they ask for your address laugh at them then hang up .
your second message about the warranty sounds like a sales pitch. these are usually just random cold calls and bear no relation to when your warranty expires. after all a certain percentage of all of us on here have a warranty that expires 'soon'. give these calls a miss as well.
YES! Vishing, ID theft and meth!
by georgefman - 4/25/08 10:33 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We actually had two serious vishing attempts and a visit from a federal agent. We do not know if these events were linked or coincidental. .
First: We moved to a new state and got a new landline phone number. The day our new phone service activated, we started receiving alarming recorded voice messages to call back about serious financial problems. Mostly, the caller ID showed "NCO financial services". The calls came from too many numbers and area codes to block the numbers, and the erratic times and nasty messages had us chasing our tails.
Response: We did not call back to tell them to stop because the bad guys could get our names from our outgoing caller id. They could get a name-to-number verification; and we had no idea if some of the numbers could have been $1000 a minute off-shore scams!
We decided to stop reacting and try to take back the initiative. We called our phone company and changed our number to an un-listed, non-published number; cost was about $5. When we alerted our bank, they explained that reputable financial institutions always identify themselves when contacting account holders. We also put our new number on the do not call registry.
Next problem, I started getting vishing calls on my cell phone. Fortunately, the recording provided an option to speak to a human being. He literally screamed at me and demanded to know who I was and if I had any debt. Nicely, I asked for his name and the company he was working for. Then I told him that my cell number was already on the do-not-call list, that he had no right to any of my information, and I would report his name and number to the Justice Dept if he or his company called me again.
The cell number and new landline number were in different area codes, and I have no proof that the incidents were linked. All this in the middle of underwriting our new mortgage!
Just when we thought we had a handle on the vishing attempts, we had a personal visit from a federal agent. He told us my name and SSN might have been compromised because they discovered it on a seized laptop found during a raid on a drug house.
He warned us that the new currency is information and the meth dealers can easily sell our info - with possibly less effort than robberies etc. He said we should monitor our credit, shred anything with our name on it, always ID anyone asking for our info, and get a locking mailbox.
FYI, according to this Federal Agent, meth is highly addictive and is being cooked in almost every neighborhood. The meth users tend to be violent and often make explosive mistakes when they are cooking up their concoctions. It smells awful: something like cat urine and ammonia. When it explodes, it tends to be catastrophic. Do not assume your sub-division is free of this menace. Be safe.
The bank will provide you your cc number
by comunica - 4/25/08 10:51 PM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If the call is from a REAL bank they will provide you with the last 4 digits of your credit card. Everytime that my bank sees something out of the ordinary they call me and provide my with that last 4 digits of my card. When i call if a person answers the phone asks me several questions before releasing any information and if it is the computer i it asks me for several info before give me the details. So if you receive a call from "your bank" and they ask for your personal info is a hoax and hang up.
They've been doing it for years!
by geek2me - 4/26/08 6:52 AM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In Canada, mostly from Quebec, they set up a small call center, make as many calls as they can before they get shut down; move to another building, set up a call center and so on, mostly preying on senior citizens, but now, with voip, they can "reach out" and touch the world. If it sounds phishy, it probably smells that way , too!
All the time
by redwall_hp - 4/26/08 6:58 AM In reply to: Are they phishing over the telephone now?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I get the exact same two calls all the time. They call at least once a day, and they've been doing it for months. Always have just hung up since they sound so scam-like. I've pretty much stopped answering the phone because of them.
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