Telephone "phishing"

[caddyman]

I think I have been the target for a - for want of a better phrase - telephone phishing scam. I received a phone call this evening, just after 8pm, as we were sitting down to start our games evening. The caller asked for me by name, if mispronounced, and then said he wanted to talk to me about my account with a certain bank.

Sadly for him, I do not have an account with said bank and cut him off then and there. It was pretty annoying, and not a little disturbing as only a handful of people know my land-line number; I rarely use it since while I am up in The Tower I can't hear it ring. Anyone I want to speak to on the phone has my mobile number (or if they don't they can ask me for it). Either way, I am not going to discuss bank details with anybody on the telephone unless I call them.

And of course, banks do not phone you - especially outside banking hours - except by prior arrangement.

I have never heard of telephone phishing before, but it shouldn't really come as a surprise, I guess. If this is going to become more commonplace in the future, take this as a warning and don't talk to any caller about your bank account.

If your bank wants to contact you, they will send you a letter asking you to contact them.

Comments

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

I got some dodgy calls on my mobile from an 070 block - 2 rings and off, and if you rang back it was a hold and transfer. When one of my collegues got similar calls from the same block of numbers, I reported to Ofcom. They thought it appeared dodgy as well, and passed the numbers to their Fraud department. Haven't heard anything since yet.

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

I also got a call from Amex today. Before they asked me for ID verification, they identified the transactions they wanted to talk about, which I knew about. However, if they had been fradulent, then I wouldn't have been happy. They also knew both current and newly issued card numbers so it was definitely them, but I should have really dialed them back.

[romney.livejournal.com]

Beware, as all that info would be available if someone intercepted a paper statement, which might be at any point from when it's printed to being stuck in your letter-box for a passer-by to borrow.

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

Not for a newly issued card that hasn't been used yet, and isn't yet on the statement. I know my statement dates.

They were calling me because the current card had been declined because a new one had been issued - but this was before it had reached us.

[romney.livejournal.com]

I'm often phoned by who I assume are Barclaycard, and I always ask them how I can know that they are who they say they are.

They can't.

The codes and passwords we use to auhthenticate our identity when we contact a Bank are unilateral. They should never be disclosed if someone asks you for them first. As far as I'm aware, no bank uses an arrangement by which they hold the answer to a question we ask of them but then again I can't think of many times when this might be necessary.

One excellent phishing attack (which has never happened to me) would be if you are in a restaraunt or shop and pay by card (which disappears into the back room) then you are told the bank has declined payment and wish to speak to you, and you are passed a phone. No guarantee you are talking to the Bank at all, but it would be easy to believe so and then give away information unwisely (address, PIN codes, etc)

[sack-boy.livejournal.com]

Recently I received a telephone call, or to be more accurate - BT Call Minder recorded a message. It was allegedly from someone called Anita, and she was calling from my bank in Letchworth, she then asked my to call back so that she could talk to be about my account. Apparently it's important that I call back, but "not to worry about it". In addition the message asked that I give them alternative contact numbers.

1) I don't have any accounts with any banks in Letchworth
2) This is the second time I've had the message, verbatim
3) Whenever I've called the number given during business hours it has either been engaged or has been answered by an answerphone (with an electronic voice message, certainly not the "Anita" who originally called
4) My real bank has my work number already, so don't need additional numbers
5) The message said that it was for "Mike", all my bank details are as Michael

The first time I got this call I checked with my real bank and they could not identify the number as being a legitimate number for any branch (including the two in Letchworth.) In the past I have had a couple of calls from the Credit Card people, they have only ever left a message when they spoke to a housemate - never leaving a message on the answerphone - but I've been able to identify the calling number as being legitimate.

Pah!

Hang up on EVERYONE.

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

The only callers who get a pleasant chatty Stephen are my friends. All others get the cold, dismissive (even abusive in some cases) homeowner. I am never co-operative with even the legitimate ones. An Englishman's home is his castle (even if it's just a mountain cabin) and my telephone is for my use and convenience, and not for the use of some invasive, bothersome snotgobbler. So there!

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

Banks might not ring you unannouced, but Credit Card Fraud depts do if they notice unusual activity on your account. They won't talk to you at all until you have gone through their screening process, and if you are reluctant give your DOB, character 2 & 6 of your password or your mothers maiden name to an apparently unknown person then you are pretty stymied.

They then offer you their direct line to ring them back, which of course proves nothing.

The only way forward then is to ring the main Cust Serv number and ask them if Fraud have been trying to get hold of you or not. I think that just as WE have screening info that the bank asks for, the BANK should have screening info that we can ask for. It'd make these things so much simplier.

Yikes!

[paulcurtis.livejournal.com]

I'm including Phishing in a Security presentation I'm going at work, and I believe I shall mention your experience. Thanks!

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

I've had calls checking transactions on my card. What I usually do is tell them I won't discuss it on an incoming call, but if they tell me their name and extension number I'll call them back via the customer services number printed on my card, and then do so. They usually tell me I'm being very sensible.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't have an account with this particular bank, and that's what they said they wanted to talk to me about.

I do have one of their credit cards, but their website makes it clear that they won't phone about that. They can write to me if they need to contact me.