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Scam Alert - Barclays 03301170109



Gritt23

New member
Jul 7, 2003
14,902
Meopham, Kent.
Had this come through today, and although we all get scam attempts pretty regularly I'm sure, I thought this one was a bit cleverer than most, so wanted to share and warn.

Text message comes through:

Barclays has noticed your Debit card was recently used on 09-08-2017 16:32:43, at Amazon Online for 1976.00 GBP. If you are not aware of this transaction call Fraud Prevention on 03301170109 or Intl +443301170109. Do not reply by SMS


But what is deceiving is that it comes up on the same text thread as all my other texts from Barclays telling me that the service is offline for maintenance, right back to when I first registered for the account and mobile app etc. In every way, it looks like it came from Barclays on the usual number they do drop me text messages on. Something didn't smell right, so I did check the Fraud Prevention number I have for Barclays, and it was different. I rung the Fraud Prevention number I have and they confirmed it was a scam, and scammers can send these messages through in such a way that it appears on the same email trail as genuine Barclays texts.

I assume the scam is that you ring up and that is a premium number you are paying a fortune for, and they keep you on the line trying to get you bank details, claiming they need you to pass through security.

Be warned good people. I'd suggest you stick your banks Fraud number in your contacts and if you ever get a message from your bank about Fraud, ring the number you have for Fraud, and NOT the number you are being asked to ring.


***This has been a public service announcement***
***You have NOT be charged for this service***
 


Motogull

Todd Warrior
Sep 16, 2005
9,796
Cheers fella. You can't give too many 'watch out' messages on this.

Personally I think those get caught doing this should be fed to sharks.
 




spence

British and Proud
Oct 15, 2014
9,811
Crawley
Doesn't matter what scam they think of it won't ever fool me. If i need to get in contact with a bank over an issue i will pop into a branch or contact a number already stored on my phone as i know it's legit.
 






seagulls4ever

New member
Oct 2, 2003
4,338
SMS spoofing (make a text look as though it came from someone else) is ridiculously easy unfortunately.

Had a call from that craft beer place last week offering me a deal, after I last ordered a package at Christmas when they had the ad on here. I don't every recall giving my consent (I always say don't contact me during registrations). They may have snuck it in somewhere. I'm removed from their marketing lists now.

The only dodgy calls I currently get are from a 'company' who say I was in a car crash. It's always a voice of an English lady who calls, and then I am passed onto a 'supervisor' with an Asian accent if I confirm I was in a car accident. The English voice is pretty weird - it seems as though it's pre-recorded, but adjustable by a controller depending on what my response is. If I respond with anything too complex, it's like there is no pre-recorded option they can choose, so the call hangs up. The number comes from London but does not exist when you try to call it back. Frustrating not to know where they got my number from!
 


Had a call from that craft beer place last week offering me a deal, after I last ordered a package at Christmas when they had the ad on here. I don't every recall giving my consent (I always say don't contact me during registrations). They may have snuck it in somewhere. I'm removed from their marketing lists now.

The only dodgy calls I currently get are from a 'company' who say I was in a car crash. It's always a voice of an English lady who calls, and then I am passed onto a 'supervisor' with an Asian accent if I confirm I was in a car accident. The English voice is pretty weird - it seems as though it's pre-recorded, but adjustable by a controller depending on what my response is. If I respond with anything too complex, it's like there is no pre-recorded option they can choose, so the call hangs up. The number comes from London but does not exist when you try to call it back. Frustrating not to know where they got my number from!

Some people are too precious. If I ordered something 8 months ago and the first contact I had was now I would hardly be concerend. Where does one draw the line to good customer service / follow up to being unwanted spam (of which there is far too much, but this is hardly an example)

However, this is really nothing to do with what OP has to say and I was pleased to be given the heads up. Spoofing a SMS may be easy but all of us can be off our guard at times.
 


seagulls4ever

New member
Oct 2, 2003
4,338
Some people are too precious. If I ordered something 8 months ago and the first contact I had was now I would hardly be concerend. Where does one draw the line to good customer service / follow up to being unwanted spam (of which there is far too much, but this is hardly an example)

However, this is really nothing to do with what OP has to say and I was pleased to be given the heads up. Spoofing a SMS may be easy but all of us can be off our guard at times.

Obviously unsolicited spam calls are a tactic you employ in your printing business. :thumbsup:
 




casbom

Well-known member
Jul 24, 2007
2,581
A quick way to check if it's spam is to see who it's addressed to. If they are not using your name then be suspicious! If they use Dear Customer then think something's wrong as banks will use your name always. Also hover your mouse over any links, see what shows up, if it's not linked to your bank then be aware.

At the end of the day if your suspicious then call your bank.
 












Juan Albion

Chicken Sniffer 3rd Class
I had a call supposedly from the Canada Revenue Agency this morning telling me a warrant had been issued for my arrest over non-payment of taxes. Even though I knew before I answered it that it was a scam, it was still an intense experience. No wonder some people panic and get their credit cards out.
 




pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
30,180
West, West, West Sussex
This SMS type scamming was featured on Watchdog recently. Somehow the scammers had got into Santanders SMS servie and managed to start sending fake "one time passcodes" which they send to authorise certain types of transaction.

It's got to the point now where I simply do not trust any communication from my bank unless it gets put through my letterbox by a postman.
 


Gritt23

New member
Jul 7, 2003
14,902
Meopham, Kent.
It's not one of the £40 a minute numbers. Maybe it costs a few pence. After your bank details no doubt.

Certainly the latter anyway. And so easy to catch you in a rush, it comes through in with other texts from Barclays, in the same thread, and of course the number only needs you to touch it and your dialling it. Honestly, you could be so careful with these things, but that one just needs your guard down for 1 minute.
 




Joe Gatting's Dad

New member
Feb 10, 2007
1,880
Way out west
Had this on holiday in Portugal but rang the number but could not give them any information as the numbers they wanted were not in my head! Thought about it overnight and rang Barclays Fraud Squad in the morning. Definite scam and you should simply delete the message from your phone and not give them any info. Not able to access any detail and Barclays admitted that some of the IT systems had been hacked but only obtained basic phone details so no harm done.
 




Gazwag

5 millionth post poster
Mar 4, 2004
30,093
Bexhill-on-Sea
TBH its scary the amount of attacks ordinary people are subjected to.

A few months ago I had a message from Lloyds about some unusual transactions on our joint Amex credit card. There were about 20 small payments plus about £1,200 to Argos. I then had a message form Tesco and there were over 30 small payments on our joint Tesco credit card. These were all on my wife's cards. Both my card and my wife have slightly different long numbers and different CVV codes and we almost never use my wife's cards for online purchases so we haven't a clue how somebody got her details. The only thing we can think of is maybe somebody got them with a device which reads contactless details.

Thankfully both banks cancelled her cards immediately and refunded all of the payments.
 


Igzilla

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2012
1,641
Worthing
We had a situation about 18 months ago where I was driving home and my phone pinged with a text message. Naughtily, I looked at the screen to see who it was from and it was the unauthorized overdraft notification text from my bank. I thought that was a bit odd as I wasn't expecting any large sums going out, so I pulled over and checked my bank account and a DD had just gone out to Virgin Money for over £900. Hmm, I thought. We don't have any deals with Virgin Money. Anyway, I call my bank and ask them to cancel this as it's not right, must be a mistake. They agree, cancel the DD and refund me the money, but tell me to call Virgin Money. When I get home, I do so. I give them the transaction number and they say yes, it's the first mortgage payment. What mortgage, I ask, we're not with you. I tell them my name and she says it's not in your name, so I give them Mrs Igzilla's name and they say that's right, has she got another property? I say no, we've only got Igzilla Towers and give them our address and she says that's not the address we have on file, it's somewhere else in Sussex! They apologise and fortunately we haven't heard anything since.

Long and the short is that it is incredibly easy for scammers and spoofers to hoodwink the banks and loan companies as the checks they make are woefully inadequate. If they can be conned so easily, it's easy for joe public to be ripped off.
 



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