Scam Phone Calls - They Can be Blocked From Overseas Callers

[Chris Parks]

Yesterday we noticed that our house phone rang once and then stopped as though someone had dialled the wrong number but the missed call should have shown have shown up in the call logs but didn't. Today I managed to answer it during the one ring and got a recorded voice saying that Telstra Audio Text Service had a message saying that a mobile phone had tried to ring but had left a message which was only the phone number of the caller and it was a very odd mobile number. Seeing I had had the phone beside me at the time and no one had called I smelled a rat. We have had about a dozen of these calls in the last few days and my instant reaction was scam but I could not figure out what they could do if we did not have time to answer the phone.

I rang Telstra after I snagged one of the calls and after talking to several operators at different levels finally got put onto the scam dept and yes Telstra does have one. They were at a bit of a loss to explain it and as they don't talk Australian I gave up trying to explain that if it was a scam (their suggestion) how did the scammers expect to profit if we did not have time to answer the phone.

After that went through to the keeper like a Thommo full toss they thought it would be a good idea to block all incoming overseas calls to see what happens, something that I did not realise could be done. I guess if you get sick and tired of OS scammers and people trying it on for whatever reason you can do the same if you have no need to receive OS calls and stop the bastards ringing your phone. I will be interested in how it goes over the next few days but the calls appear to have stopped for now.

[fenderbelly]

i had my overseas calls blocked about 5 years ago

[NCArcher]

Short calls are an autodialler testing for a valid number. If the sequential number it dialled rings, the number is valid and it is added to a list to be sold to telemarketers/scammers. They only ring once or twice so that it isn't answered. If the call is answered the autodialler has to pay for the call.
The same for calls that you answer but nobody says anything and it disconnects straight away. Also testing for a live number.

[rustynail]

Oh ye of little faith. I am getting a free laptop with free delivery in the colour of my choice, just by answering a few questions.
Yeah Right.

[Chesand]

I have been threatened with arrest twice lately if I do not immediately return a call. Apparently a warrant for my arrest has been issued by ATO.
Needless to say, I have not returned the call so am now waiting anxiously for the knock on the door. :D

[Chris Parks]

Short calls are an autodialler testing for a valid number. If the sequential number it dialled rings, the number is valid and it is added to a list to be sold to telemarketers/scammers. They only ring once or twice so that it isn't answered. If the call is answered the autodialler has to pay for the call.
The same for calls that you answer but nobody says anything and it disconnects straight away. Also testing for a live number.

Tony, those calls don't in my experience have a recorded message pretending to be something they are not. The ones I have had do not answer and they all keep ringing for substantial amounts of time. This was one ring then stop, there does not seem any point as there is no time to answer the call. If I get answer these calls I tell them they have reached the police dept and they hang up PDQ.

[crowie]

I had an automated call two days ago which said my IP address had been compromised and I was going to be disconnected it I didn’t call back to connect a new IP address. Naught has happened to my phone or computer so SCAM. These one and two ring call are a nuisance but worse are the one you answered that then say GOODBYE!

[ajw]

We had overseas calls blocked after being inundated with scam calls. It was driving us crazy. Then local scam calls started to increase. We've disconnected the land line entirely now. It's much more peaceful.

cheers,

ajw

[NCArcher]

Tony, those calls don't in my experience have a recorded message pretending to be something they are not. The ones I have had do not answer and they all keep ringing for substantial amounts of time. This was one ring then stop, there does not seem any point as there is no time to answer the call. If I get answer these calls I tell them they have reached the police dept and they hang up PDQ.
There is no message Chris. It's just a computer trying millions of numbers to see which ones ring and so are a valid number. The list of the ones that are valid is sold to a telemarketing company. Telemarketers or scammers can't afford the wasted time to dial numbers that are not connected.

[Wood Collector]

I had one scammer annoying me one day so i told him that i worked for the government and to take me off his call list as i was expecting a very important phone call. He tried to play the i cant do that card but i got a bit grumpy not to the point that french started but to the point that the scamming company never called me back. Every now and then i get some scam from a chinese person that i cant understand so i let them waste their time saying their message which at a guess is recorded as i tell them to get lost and they keep talking.

[Chris Parks]

There is no message Chris. It's just a computer trying millions of numbers to see which ones ring and so are a valid number. The list of the ones that are valid is sold to a telemarketing company. Telemarketers or scammers can't afford the wasted time to dial numbers that are not connected.

Tony, I know what you mean, some of them after a period of silence will transfer you to a person as well. These calls were totally different, one ring and a recorded message on pick up if you got to the phone on time. Anyway they appear to have stopped which suits me just fine.

[justonething]

Impersonating official phone numbers are on the rise. Because VoIP can easy mask the country of origin of the call https://www.theage.com.au/business/small-business/scam-losses-hit-2-8-million-as-police-tax-board-impersonated-20190110-p50qk9.html

[AlexS]

Chris, I believe the sort of call you received is an attempt to have you call back to a premium number, for which you will be charged large dollars. You'd be surprised how many people will call the number back, out of curiosity.

[Chris Parks]

Alex that was my thought but I keep coming back to one ring and no time to answer.

A bit more to this saga. It appears that our answering service has changed the way it works and the whole thing is a Telstra stuff up in that they have never told us that and how it works now. I suspect the one ring calls might be to draw attention to the fact there is a message waiting to be listened to.....maybe.

[forrestmount]

I was told about this scam a few months back

They call and hang up

You call back out of curiosity but the number you are dialling is a pay by the minute service call.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[rrich]

Yesterday I got one purporting that my "Microsoft has expired". It was a deep voice, very little accent, official sounding and they never said which Microsoft product was expiring. I was instructed to call what appeared to a toll free number.

A few points here. Microsoft 'Products' do not expire but rather the 'License' to use may expire. With the new way that they are selling Office 360, the rental license may expire. Here in the US it would take an offshore number to be charged back to the caller. I assume the toll free number was to an aggressive sales group that was trying to scam credit card info.

I don't know if you blokes are getting the Vehicle Warranty expiring scam. Evidently they are selling some sort of an overpriced extended vehicle service contract. In California, the only people that can sell these are California licensed automotive dealerships and the dealership must stand behind the policy if the servicing company fails. Very few dealers will venture into this realm of business. When I get one of these "Your vehicle warranty is expiring" calls, I answer with "Which one?" And then fun and games ensue. "I have 20 trucks." "The VIN numbers are down at the shop" "I can't get there until next week because of the holiday shutdown" "Holiday? The original owner died 6 years ago today" "What brand? Ford, Chevy, GMC, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota" "We let the employee pick the brand that they want"

[AlexS]

I was told about this scam a few months back

They call and hang up

You call back out of curiosity but the number you are dialling is a pay by the minute service call.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

That's exactly how it works.

[malb]

Had an interesting attempt today. Indian accent, no caller ID, adamant that he was calling from Telstra to advise that my internet was about to be disconnected. Interrupted his spiel at this point to ask for the account number of the service being disconnected, he tried to keep the spiel going so I asked again, he responded that the account number did not matter, he was not in the accounts department, he was in the technical department, and my internet was going to be disconnected regardless. He was then politely told he was full of it so he promptly hung up.