Scam calls

[brianthainess]

Hi, Just on our way back from Trat immigration, where I got my marriage extension final stamp today, (they did ring my wife yesterday a day early to say everything was ready), but Ironically a couple of hours later after leaving today, Mrs. B. gets a call "hallo this is the police" she immediately hung up. Shame it didn't happen in the IO really as she could have handed the phone to an IO officer.

Anyway it was a New Zealand pre-fix, how do they call from a NZ number? 

+6436078281. Is there a number to report these scams numbers to? Thanks all.

[Georgealbert]

32 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Hi, Just on our way back from Trat immigration, where I got my marriage extension final stamp today, (they did ring my wife yesterday a day early to say everything was ready), but Ironically a couple of hours later after leaving today, Mrs. B. gets a call "hallo this is the police" she immediately hung up. Shame it didn't happen in the IO really as she could have handed the phone to an IO officer.

Anyway it was a New Zealand pre-fix, how do they call from a NZ number? 

+6436078281. Is there a number to report these scams numbers to? Thanks all.

Can I ask if it was a call on the phone network, or app, maybe WhatsApp?

 

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and the Police Cyber Taskforce are the agencies tasked to try to stop and eradicate these calls.
 

You can report incidents via a hotline or online reporting tools. Hotline 1441 and online at www.thaipoliceonline.com

 

No sure if your get much of a response.

[KhunBENQ]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

+6436078281. Is there a number to report these scams numbers to? Thanks all.

There are ways to manipulate the callers origin. So not necessarily means anything. Could be as close as Cambodia.

The scams are known and from time to time you find warnings from Thai officials.

Not worth to report I think.

Add the number to the blocklist on your phone. About all you can do and still expect that they have a multitude of caller IDs.

 

I myself had caller IDs +698 in the display which are from well know call center gangs.

 

I am more annoyed by unsolicited calls from Thai mobile numbers with some screeching recorded announcement (advertising).

[KhunBENQ]

A warning from NBTC of last year. Even the "Thailand" prefix "+66" is a scam.

Nothing about +643 but the criminals may have found a new way.

 

[NanLaew]

A few months back, I listened to an enlightening bit of a BBC Radio 5 show where a security expert was discussing the phone fraudsters in the UK. He said that spoofing caller ID is very common and easy for the fraudsters. He then did a phone call with the radio presenter who, when the expert called the presenter's number, it was the customer service number of a bank that they had picked for this live example. It took the expert about two minutes to set up.

 

The 'police' scam is common enough here. This is the fourth time I have heard of such. In Malaysia, my friends wife has been a victim twice. The first time was via phone and something to do with the police and a court case. The second time, it was via Facebook Messenger where someone saying they were from lazada (apparently had all her lazada account info, order history and the like) managed to bilk her out of a chunk of money for something that either didn't really exist or never happened.

[Gaccha]

It's very simple: never answer the phone unless you were expecting a call at that time.

 

About 4 months back, I got around 4 calls a day from "Malaysia". I didn't believe for a minute that they were actually from Malaysia. Around half the numbers were identified as scam numbers by the caller id I use.

 

Each and every number was different and each and every number I blocked and reported. I could also block via the first few digits. Since the number of calls did not calm down, I simply blocked all international calls for 3 or 4 days. I then turned back on and I've received no more scam calls.

[spidermike007]

I try to have some fun with these fools. I just simply tell them that they need to get a job, and trying to steal other people's money is not working for a living. I also ask them who their mother is, and why she was such an extraordinary failure at raising her child. That  usually makes them go away. 

[wadman]

Number 1 question to ask the caller is who they are looking for. If they don't know your name, it's just a random scam call. 

[ChipButty]

47 minutes ago, wadman said:

Number 1 question to ask the caller is who they are looking for. If they don't know your name, it's just a random scam call. 

The more professional call centers have already got that information 

[ChipButty]

They will never stop it there is many phone apps out there, they get and more sophisticated that they can change the location call from anywhere in the world and make it look like a local call when you are more likely to answer when you see a local number rather than Katmandu. 

Shut the phone apps down maybe a start, 

 

Recently I've been getting messages via Whatsapp 

[wadman]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

The more professional call centers have already got that information 

 

Depends on how widely your phone number is known. I have a virtual Canadian phone number. The only ones I have shared that number with are some banks, a lawyer or 2, a few family members, 1 agent, and 1 management company. 

 

I have received scam calls on that number. Me asking the caller who they are looking for have always stopped them dead in their tracks. 

 

The only callers that know my name are callers from my banks trying to sell me a product, but those are spam (rather than scam) callers. 

 

 

[Mike Lister]

If the number is not in my phone book, the call gets bounced, period.

[Pumpuynarak]

7 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

If the number is not in my phone book, the call gets bounced, period.

 

Yep i do the same, trouble is when its a delivery driver calling so if i'm expecting a delivery i'll answer numbers not in my phone book.

[brianthainess]

14 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Can I ask if it was a call on the phone network, or app, maybe WhatsApp?

It was on True network.

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

They will never stop it there is many phone apps out there, they get and more sophisticated that they can change the location call from anywhere in the world and make it look like a local call when you are more likely to answer when you see a local number rather than Katmandu. 

Shut the phone apps down maybe a start, 

 

Recently I've been getting messages via Whatsapp 

That's the reason I don't have any apps on my phone.

I remember trying to register with Wise, and then I started getting scam calls, also when I rang a bank in the UK, and it was the banks number that showed. The thing is they always speak in Thai so when I say I'm a Falang they immediately hang up. lol

[brianthainess]

44 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

If the number is not in my phone book, the call gets bounced, period.

My wife runs a small business and her number is on the shop, so she gets calls from customers, but luckily she is smart enough not to get scammed. Yet.

[Mike Lister]

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

My wife runs a small business and her number is on the shop, so she gets calls from customers, but luckily she is smart enough not to get scammed. Yet.

My wife does the same, her number is out there, all over the place. She reckons she gets several scam calls a week but has become adept at figuring out which is which and how to deal with them. Sometimes it's the dialing code, Bangkok numbers quite often. If the call gets as far as the other person speaking, she reckons it takes her about 5 seconds to know. 

[Gaccha]

Just in case anybody doesn't know, and I am getting this feeling from comments on this thread, the scammers are running these scams on a massive scale.

 

There are "scam factories" across in Burma with several hundred or even thousand people working there. They are often themselves the victim of human trafficking.

 

If they call, they might make it a visual call to make it more convincing. They literally have stage production units, actors and extras as well as directors and props on hand for when you answer the phone.

 

So if they ring to tell you that you need to pay some penalty for a crime, somebody acting as a police officer, often an ex-Thai police officer, will talk to you in the scam call, and you can even see fake criminals get fake arrested by fake offices in the fake police station background.

 

It is much more than just some guy giving you a phone call.

[brianthainess]

I know this must sound crazy, but at the time I thought it was strange coincident that we had just been to immigration and it is my wife's phone number they have. 😱

Where have the emojis disappeared to yet again? 

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I know this must sound crazy, but at the time I thought it was strange coincident that we had just been to immigration and it is my wife's phone number they have.

I notice you typed that you don't like apps so perhaps this not relevant.

 

My gf uses app called "WHOSCALL" 

Has a little video of how it works. 

[steven100]

I just don't answer any international numbers ....  as for local numbers,  I usually don't answer these also, except when it's Foodpanda or Shopee delivery. 

[brianthainess]

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I notice you typed that you don't like apps so perhaps this not relevant.

 

My gf uses app called "WHOSCALL" 

Has a little video of how it works. 

My wife uses Line or as Thais pronounce it Lie.  But this came through on her normal True number.

[ChipButty]

These days I've got no friends which suits me fine only 2 people call me, one I live and the other my daughter in the UK, we use WhatsApp of fb 

[Bobthegimp]

8 hours ago, wadman said:

 

Depends on how widely your phone number is known. I have a virtual Canadian phone number. The only ones I have shared that number with are some banks, a lawyer or 2, a few family members, 1 agent, and 1 management company. 

 

I have received scam calls on that number. Me asking the caller who they are looking for have always stopped them dead in their tracks. 

 

The only callers that know my name are callers from my banks trying to sell me a product, but those are spam (rather than scam) callers. 

 

 

 

I had a call last week on my Canadian phone from an Indian who claimed there were suspicious charges to my credit card. It came from a Canadian 1-800 number, so I talked to the guy for a few minutes (out of curiosity) because I lock my cards via my account to avoid such fraud.  He asked for the first 4 numbers to my credit card and I laughed.  Who gives out that information to a stranger that calls them?   I told him the cards were locked and wished him well.  An old geezer could easily be tricked by the slick approach of the scammer. 

 

"The Beekepper" is a silly movie about telephone scammers. 

[brianthainess]

The best delaying tactic I have ever seen, is "Tinytim" Speaking to a scammer' on YouTube, Effing hilarious. The Indian guy gets really really annoyed.  If you want a laugh watch it. ROTFL

[richard_smith237]

16 hours ago, Gaccha said:

It's very simple: never answer the phone unless you were expecting a call at that time.

 

The issue of course is that it 'could be' an important call that you weren't expecting. 

 

Thus, I answer and work out if its a scammer, in most cases it is.. 

 

However, I've had two 'cold' calls from recruiters in the last few years - I suspected scam in both cases, with one, it became clear very quickly that the call was genuine (it lead to a good job).

 

With another, the lady who called was of Eastern European origins (by accent) and I definitely suspected a scam, I was actually rather rude and ended up a apologising as I realised the the call was genuine.

 

 

Ultimately, if people don't know my name its a 100% scam...  If they do, they have my details from somewhere.

I had some interesting calls... i.e. in the Middle East where being rude to the wrong people comes with consequences, I had a call from the 'Ministry of the Interior'.. that was a little worrying, but they didnt know my name, so I asked for their Name, contact, position etc and told them I'd contact them back from official channels.

 

The scammers are everywhere, every country - they are a blight on society and wish the police, both domestic and international would do a lot lot more do deal with this vermin. 

 

 

[wadman]

2 hours ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

I had a call last week on my Canadian phone from an Indian who claimed there were suspicious charges to my credit card. It came from a Canadian 1-800 number, so I talked to the guy for a few minutes (out of curiosity) because I lock my cards via my account to avoid such fraud.  He asked for the first 4 numbers to my credit card and I laughed.  Who gives out that information to a stranger that calls them?   I told him the cards were locked and wished him well.  An old geezer could easily be tricked by the slick approach of the scammer. 

 

"The Beekepper" is a silly movie about telephone scammers. 

 

A few times I got the following call:

 

Caller claims they are the rcmp. They have seized a rental car that was used to transport drugs from Canada to San Antonio. The US police found the car abandoned in San Antonio, and traced it to me. Allegedly because the car was a rental, and it was my credit card used to rent the car. 

 

Caller says it's probably not me who rented the car, but it doesn't matter because it's my credit card used to rent it, so as far as the police is concerned, they are looking for me. Caller says he has an arrest warrant with my name on it, and unless I take care of it, I will get arrested at the next opportunity. And to take care of it... you guessed it!... he needs my bank information. 

 

So I asked him whose name is on the arrest warrant. He couldn't answer obviously, just kept repeating that he has an arrest warrant. And I kept asking him whose name is on it. Eventually he hung up. 

[wadman]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

The issue of course is that it 'could be' an important call that you weren't expecting. 

 

Thus, I answer and work out if its a scammer, in most cases it is.. 

 

Yes, not answering calls from unknown numbers isn't the answer for me either. It could be a genuine call. 

 

Just remember that you cannot be scammed by simply answering a call. It's only if your are dumb enough to give out banking (or other personal) information, that's when the scams happen. 

[Tropicalevo]

In the last few days I have been receiving at least three scam calls a day in quick succession. From +60 numbers.

I know them to be scams as they are on a phone where no one has the number.

I use an app so that I can stay in contact with my business partner if there is a problem. She is the only person with access to that phone.

[bbko]

On 1/18/2024 at 11:57 PM, spidermike007 said:

I try to have some fun with these fools.

Same here. if I have the time to listen to their fake sales pitch, after their 1-2 minute presentation, I'll string them along as long as possible with a series of "OKs, Yes, Mm uhs, Wait (in Thai)) or long pauses, they end up hanging up on me, 555.