Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

Internet Fraud attempt. Fri. 25 Oct.2019 A Warning To All…….

My landline rang, I answered and an Asian woman started to speak to me about how BT had traced a hacker trying to invade my account. I thought ‘well done BT’ and listened further. She said she wanted to hand me over to an agent attached to the National Crime Agency where they had devised a plan to ‘trap’ this particular hacker. First, she asked me to click on to a certain website which would enable the NCA to explain more clearly what they had planned, using me as part of their plan.

When I did this, I realised that they had total control of my laptop (remote access), but they continued and I was connected to a person who introduced himself as David and that he was an NCA agent. He gave me his ‘badge number’ and a phone number to ring to check him out. I was gobsmacked to see they had my internet bank statement on the screen. On it they inserted £2,000 over and above my existing total balance. I was told that NCA had used 250 bit-encryption (or something similar) which was the encryption used by governments so that my bank would not be able to see this addition to my account. Apparently this was in case there was a ‘mole’ at the bank who would be able to see what was being done and warn the perpetrators.

The plan was for me to go to my bank and physically draw out £1,900 (the other £100 was for my expenses etc.) take it to an address which they gave me, not far from my bank, and an address in India was also to be included on the package with the money. At this point I asked to have an hour to discuss this with my husband. They said they would ring back in half an hour, because any longer and the bank could be closed. (it was a Friday and they weren’t sure about Saturday opening).

In the meantime, I did discuss this with my OH and together we decided that it was very ‘iffy’. I decided to ring my bank and put a stop on all outgoings (except my DDs), which they did straight away. Yes they did ring back in half an hour – I was on the phone to my bank at the time and they rang my mobile number (I kept switching it off each time it rang, they tried 6 times), then to my horror (I’d still got my laptop on) I saw pictures of me ‘live’ on Skype ! I immediately switched off my laptop. For pity’s sake they had EVERYTHING – all my contacts on the internet, how many times I blew my nose etc. I was very upset about this revelation – nothing was sacred, there was no privacy whatsoever. This, of course, is likely to happen to everybody who has a PC. Make no mistake. These people are very clever and it isn’t confined to the criminal element of the world either. Secret Service departments have such abilities, so really we have to content ourselves with the fact that there is no such thing, any more, called privacy !

The police were involved (after I reported the incident to the ‘Fraud Dept’), and I had straight away called my bank to stop all outgoing transaction demands. I’m really shaken up that I almost lost a load of money. I have had my laptop completely cleaned – even better than taking it back to ‘factory specs’. I have also had all my security details changed at the bank. Unfortunately I have lost one or two saved items, but that is not so bad as loosing all my online banking money. I’ve had to change loads of codes, passwords etc. I don’t think I shall be caught out again.

They were so very confident and knowledgeable and they answered any of my questions instantly and with expert ease, so because of their seemingly straight forward demeanour I allowed them to invite me as part of their ‘trap’. First her, then she passed me through to a male who she said was an agent for the National Crime Agency. He insisted that he was an agent from the National Crime Agency, the people who had organised this ‘trap’. He gave me his ID number and gave me a phone number (which I have never rung and which the police have since advised strongly not ring at all ).
The man said they needed to control my laptop so they could show me how they proposed to extend their ‘trap’.

I was shocked to see them display my bank statement, then £2,000 was added to my balance. I was told that the bank would not be able to see this because the NCA had introduced 260-bit encryption which was the same as governments use ! So the bank would be unaware, totally, of any such activities. This was to make sure that if there was a ‘mole’ in my bank, they would not be pre-warned of the NCA ‘trap’. Well it did seem plausible at the time. The whole of this phone call lasted for over 3 hours !

The police are most interested and chuffed that I managed to write as much information as I did (displayed phone numbers particularly interested them) also the ‘shop’ I was supposed to take £1,900 out of my account (which they had shown me they had put £2000 into my account to cover this amount). Also the ID and destination of the money to New Delhi, India.

The only disappointment to the police was that I had rushed my laptop to get it cleaned asap. I did ring the shop to ask how far the cleaning had gone and was told that he had cleaned most of it. This meant that the police could not access my laptop to see what other evidence they could find, as most of it had been wiped clean.

After the fraud attempt, I took my laptop to my lovely tame IT engineer, who was most concerned. Not for the laptop but for me ! Bless him. He, John, and the owner, Rob, were fussing around me and were very concerned that I wasn't badly affected by that nasty 'attack' on me. John cleaned my laptop right back to beyond factory specs and made sure that there were no nasties installed. He managed to save my photos, my documents, my downloads, but didn't save my store of emails. I am now using my laptop again, since Thursday, and am finding it very awkward getting back my 'favourite' regular interests like OVER FIFTIES FORUM, and Microsoft refuse to recognise my password and even though I have asked for a new password, it's still a flippin' brick wall for some reason. I have lost all my listed 'favourites' so I shall have to redo that over time.

I sit here and I wonder why I am still bothering with the internet. These blasted criminals (seem mostly to come from East Asia !) will always find another way around if they realise that their nastiness has been discovered.

The police were most interested in this incident and were very grateful for all my 'jottings' during the phone call. I was told that other 'victims' were not as 'switched on' as I was. They were chuffed that I had recorded a phone number and an address as well as the address that I was supposed to take £2,000 to (as part of this 'trap' to catch the hackers who had been attacking my account) and also other details like so-called ID numbers within the bogus National Crime Agency.

I do know one thing, though, I will refuse to speak to any Asian callers from now on, and I shall tell them why. The original caller, a woman, was Asian and I wasn't suspicious with her having an Asian accent, because I know that BT do have customer services out in India. After a while she passed me over to a man (also Asian) who seemed very knowledgeable IT wise. It was he who explained about the plan to catch those 'hackers'. Oh it was all so plausible and I feel so damn stupid falling for such a nasty 'con' when I'm supposed to be so 'switched on'. Still, I've learned a lesson alright and I'm so relieved that they didn't actually steal £2000 from me. The only comfort I get from this whole thing is that they spent over 3 hours trying to fix up this scam, and it failed- they got nothing.

So maybe I won't be involved with the internet as much as I used to be. It is such a shame, as the internet is a wonderful thing. If you have a question about anything, the answer will be on the internet somewhere! If you are living alone or are infirm for some reason, then there are loads of social networks that one can frequent and no doubt make a few friends. The internet is company and the internet is a source of encyclopaedic knowledge. Why is there a preponderance of nare-do-wells who have only two wishes in life – to make money and to destroy honest, ordinary people ?

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

This is very frightening. Well done and I'm pleased all is well for you

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

Oh dear Gilly, I would have hung up at that point.

Lesson learned I guess.


I don't have this problem because I don't ever answer the phone now.

All friends and family know to ring and let the phone ring twice and then hang up.

Anyone else the phone just rings until they get bored. I don't answer.

Friends and family I simply ring back.

Safest way.

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

A close thing Gilly - these scammers and scams are getting more daring and sophisticated. My old mum was subject to a similar attempted scam claiming that her direct debits were being compromised, and she would have to contact `her` bank's accounts department to reset them. She wasn't fooled for a minute because the thick, heavily accented Indian voice claimed to be from BT. She doesn't use BT, she's on Virgin Media.

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

Sorry for your experience Gilly

I have had the same conversation with an Asian woman a while back , I told her to get lost and get a prober job I am not a customer of BT .

I would never take any action on this type of call and would always put the phone down.

If you are unsure about the validity of a call Google the scenario to see if others have experienced a similar call.
If you can't find anything telephone the company involved to query the call in this case BT having looked up the number yourself never use the number provided by a cold caller or go to any site they direct you to.

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

When these people insist I have been hacked, I just tell them I haven't. The more insistent they are, the more I dig in. They get fed up before I do. I have just sometimes hung up but mostly decide to waste a bit of their time.

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

Oh I agree with you Realist, but isn't 'hindsight' a wonderful thing. The trouble was that she sounded so professional and authoritative, and of course she was very IT literate, then she passed me on to this fellow who was even more so.

I always thought that I would not be fooled by these evil scammers, but the fatherless slugs are getting even more clever and are changing tactics, so even the wary should be watching points carefully. It just isn't worth being complacent.

What you do, with regard to your telephone Realist, is a very effective protection, and certainly well worth thinking of doing. But it is such a pity that people have to do these sort of things in order to avoid the nastiness of the world around us.

These criminals are increasing in number, as it is seen how comparatively easy it is, if one has a decent knowledge of IT, that illegal activities can be organised and easy money can be made.

I only posted this thread, exposing my apparent stupidity to the world, in order to warn everybody about the increasing craftiness of these evil criminals.

I was lucky in that I eventually suspected these people were not genuine, and acted to protect myself before I actually caused myself a comparatively severe financial loss.

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

What a frightening incident for you Gilly

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

I have to say that I have had a considerable amount of attention from the police, particularly the local fraud department ! I haven't heard the result of the police visit to the dry cleaning shop that was the address that the idiots gave me to take the money to. Maybe I'll never find out if arrests are ever made.

Re: Attempted FRAUD BY INTERNET - A WARNING

I would suggest the getting you to click on a link would be the standard approach by a hacker.

The hacker needs to get control of your PC and having you load his crooked software is how he does that.

Hence the name "Trojan". which. in hacker terms, means setting up a program, and making you click to install it.

In this case, the "link" clicked would likely connect you to wherever the hacking software was sitting waiting for you to connect.

Once that software is on, anything goes.

He has your PC.

If the "Remote Access" setting, in your settings, is set to on, he has the whole thing. I suggest that this should always be set to off and only ever switched on by you if you trust them to look through your bank accounts, etc.

Bottom line is that no reputable company would ever make such a phone call, to you, and if you were worried you should, and did, call the Bank - note that a call out of Banking hours is also very significant!

This might be similar to the warning I put in the Technology Topic, recently.(26/10/2019).

Worth a check!

P.S.

I applaud you for posting this. sometimes it's a tough thing to admit being caught out - but there are expert bandits out there.