You've had an accident - telephone scam

[malumbu]

I know shedloads about scams, having worked in consumer protection and good friends with a person who got very involved in countering some big ones in the 00s - clairvoyants, lottery scams, time shares and the like.

I am TPS and occasionally get the 'government grant', carrying out a survey, you've won the Canadian lottery scam. I was an early activist getting into the dialogue with the Nigerian safe deposit box scams. I've pretty alert to the mock web sites for DVLA, HMRC the banks etc. This is a topic in its own right,

So please try to stick to my question here. The one that really f's me off is the "I understand that you have been involved in an accident'. Geographical numbers, nicely spoken. On my work mobile so hardly something that should be sold on my ambulance chasers....

YOUR ASKING ME TO COMMIT FRAUD. YOU ARE MOST LIKELY BREAKING THE LAW. YOU ARE AN EDUCATED PERSON PLEASE DO SOMETHING THAT HELPS SOCIETY.

Grrr. They put the phone down as soon as there is a sniff I may question their ethics. I tried to put one onto speaker phone so that the whole office could join in.

Practical suggestions. No comments on the demise of society please. There has always been scams, just changing is their delivery and sophistication.

[Alan Medic]

What's the question? Reading that made me feel like the time I've wasted on taking calls like those. Sorry.

[lavender27]

Yes i've had them too, 'You had a car accident outside your house three years ago, your address is ***** isnt it'. They say the name of the company but it's too garbled to understand, when i keep asking who it is , they put the phone down.

I don't have a car and have not had an accident, except wetting myself as I put the key in the door.

They phone every three years, and say the same thing. Last time I said 'shouldn't it be six years now, please get your facts right' they put the phone down immediately, as they have no sense of humor. Robots !

[JohnL]

I don't answer calls I don't know the number of - they can leave a message if its important or text me.

Answering calls is so noughties :)

Edit: Someone from Sunderland calls regularly every 2 days - the number of rings has fallen though.

[Drxyster]

Oh yes that is correct, as a result of that accident I died.

[Robert Poste's Child]

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> So please try to stick to my question here.

As Alan Medic said, what is it?

> They put the phone down as soon as there is

> a sniff I may question their ethics. I tried to

> put one onto speaker phone so that the whole

> office could join in.

Why on earth do you waste your own time staying on the phone once you've realised it's a scam? What do you expect to achieve by that?

[uncleglen]

I had NEVER had a 'you've had an accident' call at all until I was the next of kin for someone in intensive care and I wrote my mobile number in their contacts book...the calls began soon after.....no prizes for guessing!

[Sue]

I've had a few of these.

I just tell them to f**k off and then tag the number as spam.

[rendelharris]

I like my little sister's response: "Oh my God, have I? Am I much hurt, do you know?"

[malumbu]

Practical suggestions. No comments on the demise of society please. There has always been scams, just changing is their delivery and sophistication.

They are ringing me on my work phone. I have a work phone so I can take work calls. I'd like them to go home that night and perhaps change their jobs. I'd like the authorities to take action and prosecute. I'd like a world where everyone is nice. But that is capitalism for you.

Not helpful RPC or AM. If you haven't got anything to contribute just butt out.

[Alan Medic]

I will.

[lavender27]

actually they said to me i had an accident outside my flat, I live on the third floor, can't get a car up there, or were they talking about the drone that flew into the window which was shut.

[JohnL]

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Practical suggestions. No comments on the demise

> of society please. There has always been scams,

> just changing is their delivery and

> sophistication.

>

> They are ringing me on my work phone. I have a

> work phone so I can take work calls. I'd like

> them to go home that night and perhaps change

> their jobs. I'd like the authorities to take

> action and prosecute. I'd like a world where

> everyone is nice. But that is capitalism for

> you.

>

> Not helpful RPC or AM. If you haven't got anything

> to contribute just butt out.

I have to answer my work phone unlike my personal one - although external calls is questionable - I usually can see who is calling but you never know - but I hang up the moment I hear it starts the usual.

Ti be honest I dislike the ones trying to get my bosses name worst.

[Robert Poste's Child]

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Practical suggestions. No comments on the demise

> of society please. There has always been scams,

> just changing is their delivery and

> sophistication.

>

> They are ringing me on my work phone. I have a

> work phone so I can take work calls. I'd like

> them to go home that night and perhaps change

> their jobs. I'd like the authorities to take

> action and prosecute. I'd like a world where

> everyone is nice. But that is capitalism for

> you.

>

> Not helpful RPC or AM. If you haven't got anything

> to contribute just butt out.

How pompous and long-winded that sounds. Adding clarity would actually help the discussion, you know.

[Sue]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I like my little sister's response: "Oh my God,

> have I? Am I much hurt, do you know?"

:)) :)) :))

[Sue]

Surely if it was a genuine work call, but the contact name doesn't come up or you don't recognise the number, you could just let them leave a message? And then you can call them back?

If no message is left, google the number. Usually if it is a spam call the number will come up on one of the many sites which monitor spam calls, then you can just put it in your contacts as spam so you will know the next time?

I rarely use my landline but I have it for broadband. I never answer it. It is on permanent voicemail, but I have the speaker on so if it is someone I know I can then just answer it.

If it isn't, and it's spam, they usually hang up as soon as the recorded message starts.

I am supposed to be registered on the TPS scheme for both the landline and mobile. I rarely get spam mobile calls any more, but I do still get a few on the landline.

[malumbu]

I'll tread carefully and try not to offend (waving my white flag/olive branch).

The starting point should be where have you got my number (it's unlisted being a work phone).

[cue the phone going dead]

On chatting with an ex-cop (which was what she recommended) she told me about a friend who entered into the spirit and tried to lead them on before telling them what she thought on con artists trying to trick the vulnerable. She then got abuse and was told that they knew where she lived. Come on down she said.

On further reflection, my callers are all well spoken younger women. I'd assumed that they may be innocent but that is me being naive. Anyone can be greedy.

And this may well be an overseas scam.

[DaveR]

These kind of calls are not the same as consumer scams, nor are they necessarily a sign of actual or intended fraud (though there's obviously a risk of that). They are a consequence of the boom in PI claimant firms and the ban on referral fees.

Before mid 2013 if you wanted to find out the details of people who had had an accident (potential clients) you could buy them - from insurance companies, car hire companies, anyone who knew - and consequently there was an active market for them. After the practice was banned claims companies had to choose either or both of finding a different way to get details of people who had had an accident, or cold call people on the off chance that you find someone who has, or is willing to say that they have, and is not obviously lying. There are relatively few outfits (I believe) who are primarily in the business of manufacturing wholly fraudulent claims, although I have heard recently about some Spanish based Brits who are openly touting for post holiday food poisoning claims that are largely dishonest.

There is a regulator for claims management companies (link below), they do take complaints, and they do take action.

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/claims-management-regulator#guidance-for-consumers

[malumbu]

Sorry i have to disagree. If they called and asked if you had been in an accident yes, fine, Well no, I don't want cold calling but they are asking me not encouraging me,

The fact that the phone goes down so quickly, ie when I question them or it looks like I may be giving them some grief it hss to be an organised scam. it is not "have you had an accident", "no", "if you do then come to us".

Watchdog years ago reported on claims companies. A bus would crash into a lamppost with 5 people on board. 73 people would put in claims after being contacted by ambulance chasers.

Anyway happy to debate further.

[Seabag]

I always say when asked about the accident I was in ? what the one I died in? yes that wasn?t good? and the other week a lady actually said ?this is serious you know? to which I replied ?yes, so is being dead? to which she put the phone down.

Bloody cheek, I nearly rang her back.

[cella]

Whenever I get calls like these I just very quickly say thanks but it's not for me and put the phone down. Life's too short to make a hobby out of them with trying to think up different ways of annoying the callers. It's a shame but they are only trying to earn a crust.

[natty01295]

THEY ARE (((( PRANKSTER CALLS )))))

I GET THEM

[malumbu]

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I always say when asked about the accident I was

> in ? what the one I died in? yes that wasn?t good?

> and the other week a lady actually said ?this is

> serious you know? to which I replied ?yes, so is

> being dead? to which she put the phone down.

>

> Bloody cheek, I nearly rang her back.

Like it! I'll try this one.

[guna nua]

So no I have never been in an accident and ask them to remove your phone number from your database .

[malumbu]

They don't engage with you, the phone goes dead. Scam companies don't work like that.