NBN Speed Test Scammers - Anyone Had Experience?

daewoo on 06/07/2022 - 12:32
Last edited 06/07/2022 - 13:24 by 1 other user

Hi all,

I've just received a cold-call from a local mobile number. The guy said he was from Telstra NBN and my Internet speed was slow! I don't have Telstra NBN, so I was intrigued and went along with it :)

After making him wait for a computer to load, we agreed my Internet was slow thanks to a Speed Test. He directed me to hold the Windows Key + R to download AnyDesk software. He was disappointed when I told him that I could not run the executable on my 32-bit computer.

Next he tried directing me down the mobile phone avenue. The moment I told him I owned a Blackberry, I was told Do one thing, hold your mobile phone and put it in your a^se and he hung up.

Has anyone experienced a scam like those show on: https://www.youtube.com/c/KitbogaShow

How far have you gone (e.g. offer to pay a cheque or other payment for scammer software)?

Warning: If you receive a cold phone call asking you to install Anydesk and Teamveiwer don't do it. It's a trap!

Power User note: Removed the mobile number due to it not being the scammers actual number.

Poll Options

  • 17
    YES - Received the NBN speed test scam call and hung up
  • 20
    YES - Received the NBN speed test scam call and played along
  • 67
    NO - Never received the NBN speed test scam call
Internet

Comments

  • Headless on 06/07/2022 - 12:45
    +6

    Hahahaha, i like to waste as much time with them on the phone as possible, they really hate it when they get fooled into thinking they've got me, then bam! not interested lol

  • iDroid on 06/07/2022 - 12:47
    +9

    I get a few every week, it's my daily challenge to waste their time and play them a little.

    It's becoming a sport really.

    • gorgrond on 07/07/2022 - 10:02
      +1

      I've found that, the more I waste their time, the more likely they are to remove me from their lists, actually.
      It also costs them money, which is good.

  • cuteseal on 06/07/2022 - 12:52

    Hmm interesting as I received one literally last week.

    The guy said he was from Aussie Broadband and said that I should have been experiencing some speed issues. I said that I wasn’t home (I was in the car driving) and he said to call them back if I still experienced any slowness.

    I was puzzled as my connection seems to have been working fine - I did a speedtest when I got home and everything was ok so I didn’t bother calling back.

    I’m half thinking it was a genuine call and half thinking it might have been one of these scam calls.

    • try2bhelpful on 06/07/2022 - 13:02
      +5

      I’d have said “I think I can get the car up to 120 kmph but it is a built up area”.

      • cuteseal on 06/07/2022 - 14:26
        +3

        Haha I can do 120kmph but the ping times are atrocious…

        • try2bhelpful on 06/07/2022 - 16:30
          +3

          I think the cops would ping you pretty good.

  • mboy on 06/07/2022 - 12:56
    +10

    I think you need an additional poll option:
    MAYBE - I hang up on scammers before I can determine which particular scam they're trying to perpetrate.

    Also, slightly unrelated:

    But has anyone received scam calls from multiple phone numbers that are very similar to your own number? It seems to me like they're spoofing numbers that look my own to try to 'legitimise' the calls.

    To illustrate what I mean, if my phone number was hypothetically 0411 111 111, I have received spam calls from 0411 111 183 and 0411 111 921. Maybe just a coincidence?

    • daewoo on 06/07/2022 - 13:12

      Good call outs! If there’s a next time, I’ll pretend I can’t hear the guy and hang up before admitting I’m using a Blackberry and Windows 3.1

      P.S: can’t edit poll options but they suffice

    • Muzeeb on 06/07/2022 - 13:16
      +2

      phone numbers that are very similar to your own

      This has been common for a while now. I'm guessing they are hoping you go

      That number seems familiar but I just can't place it

      You then answer and they pounce. Brilliant when you think about it.

      Explanation here

      • mboy on 06/07/2022 - 13:25
        +1

        Ahh very interesting, particularly this part of the article:

        And some people have called by what looks their own number. If you have experienced this, the scammer has spoofed your number and by chance has called you as a potential victim, so that it looks like you are calling yourself.

        I feel like if I got a call from my own number, I'd definitely answer out of pure curiosity. I'd assume my phone was playing up or something.
        Good to know though.

    • Jono05 on 07/07/2022 - 14:16
      +3

      I got a missed call from my own number and they left a voice mail message. It was 'from' Amazon Prime.

  • Twix on 06/07/2022 - 12:56
    +4

    Not yet but I have received calls about "nbn being used in two locations at once in Perth, Australia and Los Angeles of the United States of America", "Nicole from nbn robocall" and "my nbn has to be disconnected for 72 hours because of the hackers".

    I kept them on the phone for nearly 1 hour before they started swearing at me in Hindi.

    • GG57 on 06/07/2022 - 13:24

      …they started swearing at me in Hindi….

      I've had that as well after having a discussion with the caller, and something like "…do you want to fight me…" in an agitated manner.

  • trustnoone on 06/07/2022 - 13:11
    +2

    I like the Scambaiter vids

    Only had a cold call once, similar telling me that there is viruses on my computer, wanted to go to the System32/drivers folder telling me all the files in there were viruses. When I told them I didn't have the folder they wanted me to run Win+R and type something for remote access.

    Finally told him I'm not sure it would work as I'm running Fedora and the guy just swore and hanged up.

  • skid on 06/07/2022 - 13:12

    "Hi there, I am from Telstra NBN."

    "Hi, how are you?"

    "Good. How do you find your NBN internet service?"

    "Great"

    "Do you find the internet to be sometimes slow?"

    "Nope"

    click

  • AndyC1 on 06/07/2022 - 13:20
    +3

    I get the Microsoft Department scam every few months.

    I do one of the two following reponses depending if I have time or not:
    a) I verbally follow them and when they say they can see there is a problem with a MS event I say how can I see those events and they usually give the spiel of opening the event viewer and then I drag things on and on. Normally after 20 minutes they hang up.
    b) Say I have to boot up the computer and its slow so hang on while I boot the computer. I put the phone down on the desk and keep doing what I was doing. They usually hang up in 2 or 3 minutes.

  • DreadPirateRoberts on 06/07/2022 - 13:23

    Yes, my friend copped it with this scam. They had a whole bunch of information about his Telstra plan though so it makes me think someone is selling info or there's been a breach. They had: plan details, plan cost per month, home and business address. The scam was that he was paying too much for his plan and the speeds so they needed to do a speed test to refund him the difference.

    They got him to install TeamViewer on his phone (as well as computer) for the "speed test", did $500 cardless cash via banking app, and instantly got the money out of the bank in NSW (we're in Vic).

    • daewoo on 06/07/2022 - 14:13

      Ouch! That's tragic :(

  • AdosHouse on 06/07/2022 - 13:26
    +5

    I had a mate who used to absolutely mess with the people who tried these TeamViewer/etc people. He was very good with computers, and just used to create a sandbox virtual machine, install TeamViewer/etc, let them in and just start loading all sorts of messed up shit on the internet for them to see, good times.

    • daewoo on 06/07/2022 - 14:12
      +1

      While I am skilled enough to build a VM quick enough, I don't have an isolated sandbox segregated from the home network.

      This would be awesome if I had the spare time! :)

    • HairyChickens on 06/07/2022 - 15:02
      +2

      JimBrowning type of sh*t?

  • jizmo on 06/07/2022 - 13:35
    +1

    Scammers would be using something like THIS for $24 USD a month unlimited calls and with AUS caller ID numbers.

    • Roney on 08/07/2022 - 00:04

      You'll be surprised to know that many Australian listed companies use the virtue Australian numbers to call from outside of the country. India is one of those.

  • Brian McGee on 06/07/2022 - 15:04

    I had an issue with Telstra ADSL connections and I had a complaint with Telstra at the time. I had a call back from one of these scammers but I didn't twig to the scam until they told me to downlaod (a beta version of) teamviewer.
    Though next time I may just ask them what Win+R does on Zorin.

  • illogicalerror on 06/07/2022 - 15:05
    +2

    Amazon is always surprise charging my account $99.99, and all I have to do is press 1 to stop it.

    • HairyChickens on 06/07/2022 - 15:10

      Amazon also sold me an iPhone 13 Pro Max for $899 BARGAIN!

      • JIMB0 on 06/07/2022 - 17:58

        They refused to send mine and insisted on a refund. I insisted they send it before they rudely hang up on me. I'm never shopping amazon again.

      • Ugly on 06/07/2022 - 21:02
        +2

        They told me that someone just ordered a new iPhone 13 for $899 on my account and I told them if they can get them for that price could they add a couple more for me?
        Didn’t go down well.

  • HairyChickens on 06/07/2022 - 15:09
    +2

    32-bit computer and a Blackberry

    Luck was on your side haha.

    • daewoo on 06/07/2022 - 15:19

      There was some B.S'ing on my part there! ;)

      • HairyChickens on 06/07/2022 - 15:28
        +1

        "I live on Mars how the fck are you calling me"

  • apsilon on 06/07/2022 - 15:58

    Need option for "place handset on desk without hanging up and walk away".

  • FeedingTheSnail on 06/07/2022 - 17:56
    +2

    I was told Do one thing, hold your mobile phone and put it in your a^se and he hung up.

    You should respond with: "But that's TWO things!"

  • Thinkscape on 07/07/2022 - 08:51
    +1

    Don't forget to report those numbers to https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
    At least this will result in their virtual phone accounts being brought down and cause some disruption.

  • the Unforgiven on 07/07/2022 - 21:00
    +1

    I tell them I use Red Hat. And if they say, 'what's that?', I know they are not techies.
    So I play with them
    -Have you pressed Windoze + R keys then type CMD & right click & open an elevated command prompt
    -I say yes, while I am in the fridge getting a coldie :p
    Then I tell him I could have hit the Windoze + X keys & then select the Windoze Powershell (Admin) from the drop down menu,
    as it does the same thing as what you just said glug, glug, glug burp :p

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