just had one of those dodgy overseas phone calls saying their engineer has spotted a virus trying to corrupt my computer
and if I switch it on they will sort it… DONT DO IT… this is when fhey can get in then charge you hundred’s to sort it
tried calling them back on the number they used and surprise surprise not recognised. 
This is a result of the hacking earlier this year…
Seems to me, Talk Talk were more concerened about profits than their customers security.
m.a.n rules:
tried calling them back on the number they used
Here’s hoping that’s not gonna cost you X amount either. Always google the number first 
Ring ring ring…"This is your internet supplier, you have some suspicious activity on your internet connection… "
blah blah blah install this (Teamviewer) blah blah…
10 minutes later ."I’m sorry it does not normally take this long…
Blah blah blah…
“Woah I said…my computer had blue screened installing that!!!
I’d better not lose my work… two hours I’ve been working on that.”
Blah blah blah… (makes tea while :cough: computer reboots all the time complaining about not warning me about losing my work)
25 minutes later
Blah blah… “Woah its bluescreened again, what have you done!!! I’ll sue if you have broken it!!!”
“Hello…hello…”
I never touched the pc whch runs linux anyway, just let him talk bollox for half an hour.
Or just state in a strange voice “no computer here”…
yourhavingalarf:
This is a result of the hacking earlier this year…
I doubt it, they’re probably just calling numbers at random/from the phone directory.
The scammers have probably realised people have got wise to them “calling from Microsoft” and are just picking popular ISPs to claim to be from.
In my case the usual modus operandi is they ring the phone and it goes dead, 5-10mins later they ring back and start the spiel. However my answerphone usually intercepts the calls with the recorded message “hello you have reached the unlisted number of the telephone and Internet fraud prevention unit, please hold the line while your call is being traced”…
This lad and plenty of other’s actually ring these fake tech support scammers ,they like the scammers use VOIP and spoof their number, many scam baiters will also use a VPN to hide their real ip address, as they often will pretend to be calling from another country , just like most scammers do,They also will always run a Virtual Machines, so that the scammers cannot cause loss of data, infect the PC with malware, install keyloggers ect
Some of these you tubers take it seriously and will pass on details to the authorities , whilst others are happy to just waste the scammers time and insult them in their native hindi language ,Watching these videos you would have to be computer illiterate not to realise that they were trying to scam you
Few months ago I opted in to the Telephone Preference Service and haven’t had a call since. It’s illegal for them to call you after you register and you’re urged to report anyone who does.
I think you will find the TPS will not stop international calls.
It is not just Talk Talk either. There are scammers from all the broadband providers.
Best advice is tell them you do not have a computer then phone your provider and ask if there is any problem. The answer will almost always be no.
tommy t:
, whilst others are happy to just waste the scammers time
This…longest I’ve managed to keep one going is 55 minutes. 
Incidentally this really should be in Bullys, but leaving it here for just now as reminder to be aware
of these scammers. 
Terry T:
Few months ago I opted in to the Telephone Preference Service and haven’t had a call since. It’s illegal for them to call you after you register and you’re urged to report anyone who does.
lol if only the tps actually worked, because it doesn’t work, and doesn’t stop cold callers who spoof their numbers via VOIP or callers from overseas
Colingl:
tommy t:
, whilst others are happy to just waste the scammers timeThis…longest I’ve managed to keep one going is 55 minutes.
Incidentally this really should be in Bullys, but leaving it here for just now as reminder to be aware
of these scammers.
They have probably called my number in the past ,but as i don’t answer unknown or withheld numbers id didn’t get to waste their time, Now i have my new build PC i may just set up a Virtual Machine on it, for such instances ,lol and upload to youtube, though as i don’t use VOIP there wouldn’t be any audio
tommy t:
Terry T:
Few months ago I opted in to the Telephone Preference Service and haven’t had a call since. It’s illegal for them to call you after you register and you’re urged to report anyone who does.lol if only the tps actually worked, because it doesn’t work, and doesn’t stop cold callers who spoof their numbers via VOIP or callers from overseas
I can only report my experience. Haven’t had a call since I signed up. Not perfect for everyone I would assume but it’s certainly helped me. I was getting several per week.
I have had three of these calls in the past month, contacted Talk Talk and they are well aware of them but can’t do much about it. They did set me up for voice recognition though!
Pete.
Get the call “Your IP address blah blah corrupted, you must have a virus.”
Wot My Tablet?
Then reads back IP address of old computer I got rid of months ago…
So this isn’t a live test then. 
If you change ISP then you get a different IP address.
If you radically change your hardware - you also get a change in your IP address.
BUT if you are running via a router these days, then the IP address is THAT rather than however and whatever devices are connected to it via house wireless network.
So… Your tablet, laptop, desktop, kids pokemon hand-held, etc. are all on that same IP address.
I suggest anyone calling now - hasn’t got a clue as to what kit you have. It’s a bit more complicated these days with “multi home networks” as they are.
Gone are the days of a single PC connected straight to the phone line via a modem, fixed IP address via easy-to-hack ISP.
The only time I got successfully hacked was when my ISP gave out my name and address to some overseas scammer who just wrote them a letter “demanding my name and address to the person on this IP because this important letter is a court order”. Was it f–!
ISP gave out my private info though, and I was none-too-pleased. I’ve since ditched said ISP though of course, and warned them that any court case would go against them for a clear breach of the data protection act BY them.
Court Orders have to be served, not just turn up in the post on a random bit of paper. I suggested they only fell for it, because they were actually selling my private data in the first place, and some of that sold data just happened to have got into the wrong hands. I can’t afford to take THEM to court though, so it’s another case of "Possession is nine tenths of the law. I vote with my feet, and move to another ISP that looks after it’s paying customers, instead of overseas concerns bribing them for our private customer info.
For all those “unsolicited calls” you get, I recommend “whocallsme.com”. just feed in the phone number you get when you hit 1471, don’t call it back in case it’s £15 a minute, or just confirming that you exist on a live number for dataminers.
Since I’ve left my old ISP, the nusciience phone calls have dropped from 3 a day to about 3 in the past year. Looks like this new outfit don’t flog my details on then! 
Terry T:
tommy t:
Terry T:
Few months ago I opted in to the Telephone Preference Service and haven’t had a call since. It’s illegal for them to call you after you register and you’re urged to report anyone who does.lol if only the tps actually worked, because it doesn’t work, and doesn’t stop cold callers who spoof their numbers via VOIP or callers from overseas
I can only report my experience. Haven’t had a call since I signed up. Not perfect for everyone I would assume but it’s certainly helped me. I was getting several per week.
Give it time you will see, i have subscribed to the tps for several years and it doesn’t stop all of these calls, as said overseas companies don’t observe it, likewise for other types of cold caller, the bs gov new boiler type of calls for one they just ring numbers randomly
Winseer:
Get the call “Your IP address blah blah corrupted, you must have a virus.”Wot My Tablet?
Then reads back IP address of old computer I got rid of months ago…
So this isn’t a live test then.If you change ISP then you get a different IP address.
If you radically change your hardware - you also get a change in your IP address.
BUT if you are running via a router these days, then the IP address is THAT rather than however and whatever devices are connected to it via house wireless network.So… Your tablet, laptop, desktop, kids pokemon hand-held, etc. are all on that same IP address.
I suggest anyone calling now - hasn’t got a clue as to what kit you have. It’s a bit more complicated these days with “multi home networks” as they are.
Gone are the days of a single PC connected straight to the phone line via a modem, fixed IP address via easy-to-hack ISP.The only time I got successfully hacked was when my ISP gave out my name and address to some overseas scammer who just wrote them a letter “demanding my name and address to the person on this IP because this important letter is a court order”. Was it f–!
ISP gave out my private info though, and I was none-too-pleased. I’ve since ditched said ISP though of course, and warned them that any court case would go against them for a clear breach of the data protection act BY them.Court Orders have to be served, not just turn up in the post on a random bit of paper. I suggested they only fell for it, because they were actually selling my private data in the first place, and some of that sold data just happened to have got into the wrong hands. I can’t afford to take THEM to court though, so it’s another case of "Possession is nine tenths of the law. I vote with my feet, and move to another ISP that looks after it’s paying customers, instead of overseas concerns bribing them for our private customer info.
For all those “unsolicited calls” you get, I recommend “whocallsme.com”. just feed in the phone number you get when you hit 1471, don’t call it back in case it’s £15 a minute, or just confirming that you exist on a live number for dataminers.
Since I’ve left my old ISP, the nusciience phone calls have dropped from 3 a day to about 3 in the past year. Looks like this new outfit don’t flog my details on then!
Swinton insurance used to sell /share personal data , even from quotes, hence why i never provide my real number on comparison web sites, As for scammers with their bs about IP addresses being infected ect, total nonsense, Also i have used a static ip address for years without issues
if I don’t recognise the number I don’t answer,simple as that,if a landline then I let them talk first then within seconds I tell them to go forth and multiply
It’s about bloody time that phone companies gave you “who’s calling” and “block number” for free.
It would be worthwhile even if we could block all numbers starting with a non-geographic dialling code for example.
It’s not as if any friends or family are gonna be calling from an 0800 or 0845 number eh?
Insurance firms don’t need your number to make the contract. Valid email address and physical home address will do.
Told 'em I’ve got a throwaway phone. They asked me for the number anyways, so I gave them my old number. 
truckman020:
if I don’t recognise the number I don’t answer,simple as that,if a landline then I let them talk first then within seconds I tell them to go forth and multiply
Ask for me by name, at which point I might say “State your Business”.
"We just need to verify we’re talking to the… "
You phoned Me idiots! If you didn’t think “I was Me” why’dya bloody well call?