Weird Phone Credit Card Scam

bigpallooka on 13/06/2022 - 14:53
Last edited 13/06/2022 - 15:04

I just got a call, allegedly from Visa, saying I had a suspicious transaction amount of $600 charged to my VISA via a Western Union. The caller had a strong, typical East Asian accent with an enormous number of calls going on in the background (too loud for a professional call centre IMHO). They wanted me to confirm that it wasn't my charge by repeatedly asking for a direct answer then asking me to put my phone on speaker saying something about me being behind a foreign VPN? I hung up then because it was too weird. Any idea what the hell they hoped to achieve by me putting my phone on speaker and the VPN talk?

EDIT: I forgot an Important part: THEY ADDRESSED ME BY NAME.

Financial

Comments

  • altomic on 13/06/2022 - 14:57

    make it sound "authentic" by bamboozling with techno-garble. - so you're like "OMG they can see all this stuff, it must be real".

    • bigpallooka on 13/06/2022 - 15:00

      Do you mean I would have eventually been approached with the scam part, and that was the attempt to sound authoritative and official? That's somewhat disappointing. I was expecting something more sophisticated.

      • altomic on 13/06/2022 - 15:09
        +4

        yeah, sometimes I think that the scammers hearts aren't just in it anymore.

        • jollibot on 14/06/2022 - 13:59

          It's deliberate - like intentionally misspelling words in a phishing email; it helps weed out those who won't fall prey to the scam.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 13/06/2022 - 15:01
    +1

    if you seriously did get hit by a fraudulent transaction (can see it actually pending/processed on account) I would just call up the bank directly.

    • bigpallooka on 13/06/2022 - 15:02
      +1

      I checked my account while I was on the phone, however CC transactions don't always show up immediately.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 13/06/2022 - 15:38
        +1

        don't always show up immediately.

        never really had anything not show up, have had plenty stuck for 5-7 business days + at pending, especially international ones.
        my point is more like its not like the bank will automatically deny you a fraud claim if you dont report it within 60 seconds of transaction.

  • AustriaBargain on 13/06/2022 - 15:03
    +1

    If they have an accent then don't believe anything they say and don't even tell them your name, they will just add any details you give to their database and call you more often.

    • this is us on 13/06/2022 - 16:07
      +1

      That's probably true for every call with or without accent.

      It's rare to find a call centre with native speakers these days, and that wouldn't mean it's not a scam…

      • dizzle on 13/06/2022 - 16:54

        They probably work from the same buildings that the no-scam call centers are in. It's just a matter of who's paying them

    • cameldownunder on 13/06/2022 - 21:23

      I had a call with a heavy accent. It was supposed to be from DELL. Turns out ut was dell, they had my original invoice number and PC serial. They offered me a Warranty extension. :-)

      • AustriaBargain on 13/06/2022 - 22:01
        +1

        They also offered a $399 refund, but they had to process it through their secure server over your command prompt.

        • cameldownunder on 14/06/2022 - 08:44
          +3

          You are confusing it with the call "Hallo, I am from Windows, your computer is slowing down our server"

          My answer "OMG, I am so sorry …." and then waste their time

          They: "Please download this software " ( Remote access software )

          Me: "It's downloading, 58kbs, remaining 3H: 19Minutes, I know, I have a very slow computer, maybe that's why I am slowing down your servers"

          • dmbminaret on 14/06/2022 - 09:41
            +2

            @cameldownunder:

            They: "Please download this software " ( Remote access software )

            I ask them if they can help me do it on Linux and they hang up

  • Muzeeb on 13/06/2022 - 15:08
    +4

    Why would Visa call you directly?

    Your bank would.

    FFS.

    Obviously your name and number have been compromised from a website you have registered with. They are taking a punt that you have a Visa card. The rest is just phishing for data.

    Any idea what the hell they hoped to achieve by me putting my phone on speaker and the VPN talk?

    Just to sound high tech and complex to some old granny who has no idea what they are talking about.

    THEY ADDRESSED ME BY NAME.

    Awwh hurro, I'm after Mr Big Parrooka

    • bigpallooka on 16/06/2022 - 20:15

      Your Indian/South Asian accent sucks!

  • FLICKIT on 13/06/2022 - 15:13

    EDIT: I forgot an Important part: THEY ADDRESSED ME BY NAME.

    Have you bought any half priced Amazon toilet paper lately?
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/704408

    • bigpallooka on 13/06/2022 - 15:18

      Weirdly, I have a subscription with Amazon for Quilton toilet paper, but not that seller. I received my first shipment already.

    • bigpallooka on 13/06/2022 - 15:25

      I guess what you are essentially saying is that someone has the details of my name, mobile number and maybe that I purchase using VISA. They could have acquired, stolen, hacked or bought that info.

      • FLICKIT on 13/06/2022 - 15:35

        It was just a possibility that crossed my mind… There's been a lot of these dodgy items on Amazon in recent times and contact info harvesting is the only thing I can see them getting out of it…

      • dizzle on 13/06/2022 - 17:01
        +2

        The Visa part could be a guess (they probably have a greater than 50% chance since many people have both Visa/MC). I get plenty of calls saying my windows computer has been hacked, then I tell them I don't have a windows computer.

        They can get the other details from anywhere. The last time I received three weeks of multiple calls a day was after I had gone to a couple of open houses. There was no-where else that I had given details to that didn't already have them. It must have been from one of the apps the real estate used for loggin you in. I think the time before that was after requesting some insurance quotes online.

      • DoctorCalculon on 13/06/2022 - 21:28

        Also, don't forget the SB data breach from 2020.

  • pharkurnell on 13/06/2022 - 15:36

    I got a dodgy text with strange URL supposed to be from ING something about me transferring $ to J Hussain…

    Called them and their "helpdesk/callcenter" are getting flogged by people calling up about it.. took me 35 mins to get thru.

  • deme on 13/06/2022 - 16:00
    +6

    DO NOT REDEEM THE CARD
    MADAM PLEASE DO NOT REDEEM THE CARD
    ARE YOU A PROSTITUTE
    NOT REDEEM IT
    NO
    DO NOT REDEEM THE CARD
    WHY YOU REDEEM THE CARD

    • donga100 on 13/06/2022 - 19:28

      My all time favourite - scammer rap battle/sing off.

      • cookie2 on 14/06/2022 - 22:29
        +1

        I just used 1 hr of my life on that (used not wasted). What a gem! Should be shortened as an educational too for people to stop them getting scanned. ( Exaggerating on the hr, I'm too impatient to watch that much YT)

  • solidussnake on 13/06/2022 - 16:09
    +2

    Why are you answering random unknown numbers, if it's that important they will leave a message…

    • bigpallooka on 16/06/2022 - 20:23

      I honestly can't imagine a life so small that I had the phone number of every individual I would ever want to speak to. I can think of a dozen reasons off-hand that would require my immediate attention just when my 2 adult kids are involved. It would be a luxury to be able to ignore calls for some of us.

      • Yola on 18/06/2022 - 12:23
        +1

        You can ignore it - I do. If it is a genuine call they will start speaking and say what it's about. Then you can answer. If they have a phone phobia as many seem to now they can text or email and if the phone is the only contact they have they will speak. Even better put a message on your answer system stating you will not answer unknown callers until they identify themselves. You will save yourself a lot of time, aggravation, and possibly being scammed. Nothing to do with a small life.

        • bigpallooka on 18/06/2022 - 16:06

          Na. Seems like unnecessary effort. I use a hands-free all day, so it's just a touch of a button to start and end the conversation, and I can usually just keep doing whatever I am doing at the time. I haven't as yet fallen for a scam and find the calls easy to identify very quickly. My question was all about what benefit the scammers hopped to gain by the elements of the conversation I listed. I'm satisfied with the consensus that they just hope to bamboozle whoever they are calling into thinking they are legit. Thanks for the suggestion, though. If it ever becomes an issue, I can apply your solution.

  • this is us on 13/06/2022 - 16:14
    +1

    If your email is on https://haveibeenpwned.com/ you probably had your details leaked. That could have happened years ago, something like the Zomato LEAK

    There are so many leaks that it's easier for those piece of shit to have your name, address, phone number… They might even know you have a VISA, and the last 4 digits of your credit card, if not the full number.

    I'd say that VISA doesn't ring clients about fraud
    Banks do…

  • steven6 on 13/06/2022 - 18:59
    +1

    Tell them the $600 was to pay for the shipping and taxes on your $3,500,000.00 inheritance from Prince Mumba Jumba.

  • DarkOz on 13/06/2022 - 19:59
    +2

    This is why we don't pick up calls from unknown numbers anymore. If the call is important the caller would leave a voice message. Lately, the scam calls we received are automated "Amazon membership payment confirmation."

    • theo96 on 14/06/2022 - 11:22
      +2

      Voicemail is great for screening calls.

  • ashtdp on 14/06/2022 - 11:21
    +3

    I once had ATO calling me related to tax fraud (wait for it) on my WhatsApp and (wait for it) from a mobile number that belongs to Pakistan mobile network provider (I looked up country code while on the call).

    When I questioned why ATO is calling on WhatsApp from Pakistan, they tried very hard to convince me that they’re authentic and officials from ATO.

    I have never been to Pakistan or dealt with any Pakistan businesses that I know of.

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