Kitz Forum

Computer Software => Security => Topic started by: Bowdon on October 23, 2019, 11:59:39 AM

Title: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Bowdon on October 23, 2019, 11:59:39 AM
I've received a couple of calls in the last few days from a pre-recorded message stating my amazon account as been hacked and X amount of money has been taken. Then it asks for me to press 1.

This is a scam. The pressing 1 part of it is so they don't waste time when answer phones pick up the phone automatically.

I typed the number (starting with 01253 ) in to google and there is at least 140 people commented about the number and scam.

Just thought I'd give you a heads up in case the call comes to you.
Title: Re: Amazon account hacked scam
Post by: sevenlayermuddle on October 23, 2019, 02:03:29 PM
Nasty, but Amazon based scams do seem to be on the rise. :(

A more specific variation on this was a call I got a while ago.  It claimed to be from Amazon security, wanting to confirm that my “recent order” for two very expensive smartphones was genuine...    :o

I hadn’t of course ordered any smartphones and it was, of course, a scam. :D
Title: Re: Amazon account hacked scam
Post by: pxr5 on October 24, 2019, 01:24:56 PM
01253 is the code for Blackpool btw.
Title: Re: Amazon account hacked scam
Post by: Chrysalis on October 24, 2019, 02:16:56 PM
are all these calls to landlines?
Title: Re: Amazon account hacked scam
Post by: sevenlayermuddle on October 24, 2019, 02:38:39 PM
Land line, in my case.

I have occasionally received nuisance calls on my mobile, such as PPI reclaims agencies, or car dealers touting for business.   But I don’t recall ever recall receiving a call on my mobile that was an outright, illegal, scam.

I attribute that, rightly or wrongly, to the idea that whilst all calls can be made at very little cost, calls to mobile are not quite as cheap as calls to landlines.   For a scammer aiming to make 1,000,000 calls in the hope that 100 succeed, the cost of calling mobiles may possibly be too much.

Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Ronski on October 24, 2019, 03:39:09 PM
I currently have 17 numbers blocked on my mobile, when we had a land line we rarely got scam calls.
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Chrysalis on October 24, 2019, 09:34:01 PM
Yeah my mobile isnt rogue call free, I get PPI for sure on it, but the hit rate on my landline has always dwarfed it hence the question.
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Bowdon on November 02, 2019, 07:46:55 PM
Yes, the calls all tend to be to the land line. I use the BT Call Protect to block the numbers.

I think I figured out how to stop those rogue sms messages (from the other thread) I got on the 1st of the past 2 months, none came on Nov 1st  :)
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: sevenlayermuddle on November 02, 2019, 09:25:10 PM
Is there any point blocking the numbers?

I often receive several instances of the same scam over a few weeks, but it is very rare that I have noticed them using the same CLI more than once.   

Maybe they do, and I’ve just not noticed?
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Chrysalis on November 03, 2019, 04:23:32 PM
In my experience most rogue calls are now spoofed numbers.

The last 3 or 4 calls I dialed back were reported as invalid by the network.

If they spoofing then I think blocking is pointless, as they probably change the spoofing frequently.

Luckily I get few calls, as I think they target landlines due to the lower cost of calling them.
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: sevenlayermuddle on November 03, 2019, 06:20:05 PM
A theoretical downside of blocking might be when the scammer displays a number normally used by, say, an ISP.      If the number was added to a  blocked list, and the real ISP ever actually wanted to call you, they’d presumably be unable to do so?

Substitute anything you like for ISP in that example... banks, local authorities, BT, etc, all are likely to have their numbers presented by scammers. :(
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Ronski on November 04, 2019, 06:08:02 AM
I often Google the numbers, I don't think ones ever been a genuine number, but it's possible of course.
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Weaver on November 04, 2019, 12:33:32 PM
> Luckily I get few calls, as I think they target landlines due to the lower cost of calling them.

I had a thought. My ‘landline’ phone number actually isn’t. It looks like a geographical Skye number but the number is actually owned by Andrews and Arnold who get it connected it into their VoIP network but in my particular case I have not got VoIP working so instead I have calls redirected by AA to Janet’s mobile phone. This turns out to be more convenient anyway, unless her phone is parked somewhere where it’s out of signal, which is likely in the stone house, but the advantage is that she can pick up all calls when she’s out and about not just at home. Anyway it turns out to be so convenient and have such advantages that there has been no incentive to get voip sorted out and we’re preferring the system as it is.

Users calling the ‘landline’ number then presumably get charged ? For the mobile network part of the call. So is that then a deterrent to nuisance callers?

Could I make it a chargeable number and then profit from all the nuisance callers?
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Postal on November 04, 2019, 09:11:14 PM
Could I make it a chargeable number and then profit from all the nuisance callers?

Don't know whether it is still an answer that can legally be applied, but in 2013 a guy from Leeds registered an 0871 number and gave that out as his contact.  All of the scammers who got hold of his contact details from insecure databases or companies selling on data then ended up paying to ring him.  BBC News story online at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462).

Even if they have clamped down on private use of 0871 numbers, I presume that you or Mrs. W could make a business case for having such a number.  And if you then forwarded the call to a mobile . . . .
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: benji09 on November 04, 2019, 09:16:08 PM
 Only gets spam calls on my BT (Sky) phone line.  But I don't get them that often. Perhaps being signed up to the T.P.S. might help a bit. But I have never had a single spam call on my Sipgate V.O.I.P. line..................
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: kitz on November 10, 2019, 11:05:38 PM
I've received a couple of calls in the last few days from a pre-recorded message stating my amazon account as been hacked and X amount of money has been taken. Then it asks for me to press 1.

One of my friends reported receiving a similar call this weekend about their Amazon Prime account.    Different number though, so they are possibly spoofing the caller id.
Title: Re: "Amazon Account Hacked" Scam
Post by: Chrysalis on November 15, 2019, 04:52:44 AM
The operators wont be motivated to block spoofing as end of the day they make money from the calls.  It is what it is sadly. :(

But I own a BT phone which did seem quite effective on my landline, the caller has to ID themselves before the phone actually rings.