How bizarre! I think that if people are going to make scam phone calls like that they should perhaps expect some colourful language from people who are not going to be scammed by them, so I wouldn’t feel bad about your language
They claim you are owed a refund for some transaction you never made in the first place, and that they need your bank details to be able to pay it.
The version I’ve heard is a new twist on the one where someone phones up claiming to be from Microsoft. Instead of fraudulently offering to fix your computer, they now claim you paid them to fix something they couldn’t, and are due a refund.
I find it interesting that this one requires the victim also to be dishonest, to an extent, because it relies on them trying to claim back money they know they haven’t paid.
Ronin, it sounds like it’s to do with Payment Protection Insurance. They just phone up everyone, chances are the person they ring has had a loan recently. They’re really insistent that you had ppi and u didn’t know because you were mis sold. They make there money by charging you to take on the bank on ur behalf. If u do have ppi on any loans I would urge you to go about it yourself by contacting the financial institution directly. I see people getting paid out loads, so check! Suz xx
Most of these telephone scams use a shotgun approach -contact enough people and if a few fall for the scam, then those few are a big number.
There are two versions of the PPI scam going round:
Just give us your bank details and we will sort everything out for you (and clean out your account in the process).
As above, but they really do take on the bank (and take about 40% of what they recover). This one is legal, but it is still making money from other’s bad luck.
As times get harder, you can expect more of these calls - a lot more - and others like them. Please do not fall for any of them.
My OH and I are becoming adept at winding up these fraudsters.
If we have time to waste we pretend to play along but act rather silly and keep not ‘understanding’ exactly what they want until they are stuttering or we crack and disolve in fits of giggles.
When we don’t feel like it or are pushed for time we use very profund ‘filtered words’ to let them know just what we think of them.
My only concern is that one day someone with a pronounced accent will phone us for some good reason and is at risk of being ‘filtered’ to hades!