Virgin Media Community

[audetto74]

I constantly receive calls from 0207469... 01384... telling me they are from VM and my line is insecure or slow.

Once I tried to stay on the line and they started asking how many devices are connected to the router, then I closed the call.

What are they trying to achieve? I was expecting they were going to ask me my bank account to give me some refund for slow speed...

I am worried because I do not see their goal.

[goslow]

The scammers’ aims are typically to gain remote access to your computer and then to your online banking with a view to stealing money (often by means of offering a ‘refund’ as you have already mentioned). They may also try to lock your computer and demand a ransom to release control back to you. Stealing personal data can also be another objective.

Simple approach is to never allow anyone remote access to your PC nor follow any of the scammers’ instructions and, having picked up a scam call, hang up immediately and do not engage with them. Better still, screen out the scam calls so that they are never answered in the first place.

[audetto74]

I am curious to see how they do it, but your advice is much better.

I've just enable the block number on my phone. But the ones they have used so far change slightly, so it will be an ongoing battle.

One thing I do not understand is how come phone companies cannot enforce that the number displayed on the call corresponds exactly to a registered account. Why do they allow callers to fake the call number?

I could understand an international number, but a UK number, they have full control.

[goslow]

For a detailed explanation of the various scams, look at the videos of 'Jim Browning' on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/JimBrowning/videos

He investigates the scammers and often turns the tables on them by gaining access to the scammers' computers. The videos are interesting and distressing in equal measure, especially when they involve a vulnerable person being scammed. The scammers are completely without mercy or conscience.

The calls are able to come through on the existing phone network because the network is not sophisticated enough to screen them all out and it does actually allow caller ID presentation numbers to be changed for legitimate reasons (e.g. a business wanting to present a general switchboard number for all of its outgoing calls)

To prevent the calls coming through to your phone, you need to screen the calls rather than block them. There are various methods mentioned here

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Home-Phone/Landline-handset-to-block-unwanted-calls/m-p/4573945...

I have used the trueCall standalone device for a few months and it has stopped the scam calls completely from ringing my landline phone as they are screened out.