Just had a clever scam call, took me a bit longer than normal to spot it, so thought I'd warn others.

 

Call started with a recorded message from DHL saying I had a query about a package, with options to select language, speak to assistant etc.  I selected assistant.

 

A person claiming to be from DHL then said a package had been sent by me to China and had been stopped by customs.

 

I said I'd not sent anything, and he quoted my full name and phone number, but an address in Chiang Mai.  I said it wasn't sent by me.  He gave the address of DHL in Central Chiang Mai, and said the package contained 5 credit cards and 3 passports.

 

I again said not me, so he said I should make a police report as someone is using my details.  He said it was a current problem, then gave a Line account for the police department dealing with the issue, - which is when I realised something was not right.  The Line account has the police emblem on it for added effect, and my wife was still not totally convinced it was a acam, so she made the Line call.

 

The 'policeman' asked for a copy of her ID to be sent to him via Line before he conducted an on line interview.  We told him we would be reporting his account as a scam, and he rang off.

 

The phone number was 3844008719.

 

Not sure how the scam works, unless they just wanted a copy of ID's and passports?  Or maybe further along they would want banking details?  But these scams are getting more convincing.

 

Thanks for the heads up ????????????????

You answer calls from numbers not known ?

Just now, Ralf001 said:

You answer calls from numbers not known ?

Yes - often.  My phone is used for business.  I can get genuine calls from referrals who've been given my number.  I also get calls from real couriers related to deliveries, plus the caller ID for some overseas callers gets scrambled, so it's not a recognised number.

 

Anyone who will call me from a known business saying i have this and that sent to me, i'd ask them to hang up and i'll call back the business that pretended to call me like DHL in this case and find out what is going on and sure enough it was a phishing or a scam...

6 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

You answer calls from numbers not known ?

Always, I've had friends who have had to get new phones or numbers in the past so it's always good to hear from them, plus it's always exciting, you never know what scam is on the horizon.

4 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Anyone who will call me from a known business saying i have this and that sent to me, i'd ask them to hang up and i'll call back the business that pretended to call me like DHL in this case and find out what is going on and sure enough it was a phishing or a scam...

Good one that, yeah that will stop them dead in their tracks!

 

Just make sure to ask for the "Reference Number/tracking number" before you hang up, which you then also can check  online

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Anyone who will call me from a known business saying i have this and that sent to me, i'd ask them to hang up and i'll call back the business that pretended to call me like DHL in this case and find out what is going on and sure enough it was a phishing or a scam...

Good idea.  I'll do that in future, although I may end up in a queue trying to call back a genuine call centre.

 

But still a good strategy, as when I tried the scam number just now, it does not connect.

12 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

Call started with a recorded message

 

At this point I hang up.

 

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

At this point I hang up.

 

Yeah that seems to be increasing a lot lately those recorded kind of phone calls!!

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

At this point I hang up.

 

Yep .... normally I would, but when I heard DHL I thought it was genuine, as I'd just sent documents to UK via DHL.

 

That's how these scams work, phone enough people, and someone will have an account with the right bank, or have used the particular courier service etc.

 

And, in my defence, the message was in Thai, so half my brain was translating the words, which didn't leave a lot of thinking power to spot a scam ????

 

If the call had been in English, I may have spotted it sooner.

37 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

You answer calls from numbers not known ?

Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't get anymore delivery notifications from shops or delivery drivers

27 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

At this point I hang up.

 

Exactly.  It's bad enough getting a recorded message when I call a business, so when a business wants to get in touch with me they'd better do it in person.

13 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't get anymore delivery notifications from shops or delivery drivers

I have no issue.

 

They leave the parcel with security.

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

You answer calls from numbers not known ?

I recently have given my Number to Immigration, because of a problem with my extension of stay. So yes I am going to answer calls from numbers not known. Up 2 U if you don't

 

So you treat all numbers that are unknown to you as spam callers??

Girlfriend got a direct call from someone claiming to be police. Same story about DHL and passports and visas and China, and how this was a big problem for her. Told her that 50,000 THB would "clear things up". When she finally told me about it, I saw it as a clear scam and told her to call that "cop" back so I could speak to him. Not two words came out of my mouth and they hung up, and would not answer again. If I could hunt them down, I would end them.

 

Two days ago, I got the DHL recording call on my phone. Ignored it, as I have sent nothing DHL and expect nothing coming.

 

This is happening a lot and people should be careful.

35 minutes ago, timendres said:

Girlfriend got a direct call from someone claiming to be police. Same story about DHL and passports and visas and China, and how this was a big problem for her. Told her that 50,000 THB would "clear things up". When she finally told me about it, I saw it as a clear scam and told her to call that "cop" back so I could speak to him. Not two words came out of my mouth and they hung up, and would not answer again. If I could hunt them down, I would end them.

 

Two days ago, I got the DHL recording call on my phone. Ignored it, as I have sent nothing DHL and expect nothing coming.

 

This is happening a lot and people should be careful.

So that's the plan - I didn't let them get as far as the 50,000 THB part, but it was still an impressive scam, and it had me unsure for the first 5 minutes.

 

All they need is name and phone number to start the story, and that information is not hard to get for many of us.

 

In our home countries and native language, we may spot the scam sooner, but as ex-pats it may take us longer.

apps like whoscall is simple enough to install and forget and it'll flag known scammers and might even show when legitimate business calls

If you havnt sent , nor expecting a parcel I dont understand why the call needs to proceed any further.

If you have, then simply ask for the parcel number and cross check it on the tracking.If the dont match, end of call.

Any idea how they got your personal details?

 

Had to chuckle at the idea that someone insisted I sent a package to China. Kind of a long shot? I'd rather believe the guys who want to share billions left by a dictator in Africa...

Happened to someone I know in Chiangmai. She just hung up on them.

7 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

If you havnt sent , nor expecting a parcel I dont understand why the call needs to proceed any further.

If you have, then simply ask for the parcel number and cross check it on the tracking.If the dont match, end of call.

Yes, if the call was about something you've sent.  But their story is that someone else is sending illegal items using your ID, so they are asking you to contact the (fake) police to prove you did not send the illegal items.  That's why they requested a copy of the ID card.

 

I see on Google there's been warnings about various DHL/China scams going back 2 years, so I guess they've had time to develop several scanarios.

10 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

If you havnt sent , nor expecting a parcel I dont understand why the call needs to proceed any further.

If you have, then simply ask for the parcel number and cross check it on the tracking.If the dont match, end of call.

it's a genuine concern that others may have had a copy of his passport detail and used it to send contraband abroad, and he would be implicated in the investigation, it's better he confirm his identity plus a deposit to ensure of his innocence now and they'd assure you that everything is above board and totally legal and they're the police 

4 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Any idea how they got your personal details?

 

Had to chuckle at the idea that someone insisted I sent a package to China. Kind of a long shot? I'd rather believe the guys who want to share billions left by a dictator in Africa...

My number is not hard to find .... unfortunately.  I kept my old work mobile number for my new business - so thete's old website links with my name and number.

 

Plus, you have to add your number for most courier services, and so every delivery rider and clerk will be able to access it.

 

I should really change my number, and that would also stop the endless pension transfer cold calls, but it's a big hassle.

 

But at least I never use my number as a password.

2 hours ago, Kinnock said:

That's how these scams work, phone enough people, and someone will have an account with the right bank, or have used the particular courier service etc.

I'm always surprised, reading how many people fall for such scams. But as you correctly state, it's got to be a 'numbers game'. If only 1 out of a thousand fall for it, then the scammers can rip off fortunes.

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

I recently have given my Number to Immigration, because of a problem with my extension of stay. So yes I am going to answer calls from numbers not known. Up 2 U if you don't

 

So you treat all numbers that are unknown to you as spam callers??

My business in the UK often calls clients as part of our customer service. 90% of the time never get an answer. Send a text/sms and normally get a reply or call back within seconds when they know it's in relation to our service. I just don't understand why people are so afraid to answer calls when all it takes is a polite <deleted> off if it's a sales call or likely scam. Easy to add numbers to a block list these days too.

 

2 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Yes, if the call was about something you've sent.  But their story is that someone else is sending illegal items using your ID, so they are asking you to contact the (fake) police to prove you did not send the illegal items.  That's why they requested a copy of the ID card.

This is exactly what they told the girlfriend. That the parcel was sent with her ID, and she would be prosecuted if she did not clear things up. She is not savvy enough to recognize the scam. She knows only that the police here are to be feared.

A scam alledgidly involving DHL and Customs???

I thought I was the only one that had alledgidly suffered!

My girlfriend had similar the other day. DHL called about package containing passport and ATM cards and something about China. But she also received a call from a "policeman" based in Chiang Rai (we are Chiang Mai). She said she was on the phone to him for over an hour. She was stupid enough to give her ID number and part of bank account number. She started to realise something not right so she told him she was going to Chiang Rai the next day to talk to him personally. He told her if she went there she would goto jail 20 years. She told him she was going to file police report in Chiang Mai that day at which time he hung up. Talking to her later she gave me his number and I called it and I got the message "number doesn't exist". She also gave me the 2 DHL numbers and when I tried them I got nothing. No dial tones, no messages, nothing.

 

She went to the police here and they said not to worry. She didn't even get a police report. I called her stupid many times that night. She realised she was but said she was scared. I said thats how they work. She also closed all her bank accounts and opened a new one next day.

 

I got a call from a Thai lady that morning and she said she could not speak english. I said I can't speak Thai and hung up. The strange thing is that the call originated from England.

20 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Exactly.  It's bad enough getting a recorded message when I call a business, so when a business wants to get in touch with me they'd better do it in person.

This was actually quite common in Australia a few years back and maybe still is. Companies used auto dealers to call random numbers. If you answer the number and time is recorded. This may happen several times until they work out a pattern so that a real caller can call you at a time you will most likely answer.