Scam Telephone Call Pretending To Be Virgin Media ?

[RobCheatle]

I am getting repeated calls, clearly originating in the Far East, suggesting that I have a problem with my Router and wanting me to give them access to my router.

This felt like a scam. I have had three calls just today.

The number given after calling 1471 is 01472325599.

Any ideas?

[davemuk]

Just had the same call from 01224 782003 - he wanted to know what colour the light on the front of the router was before he hung up (he must of sussed I knew he was a scammer).

It's ok for me and my household to ignore them(I've educated them) but surely VM could set up some reporting site to look in to this further and ban them from passing through their exchange to VM customers before someone who isn't aware has lost money.

[goslow]

You can report the calls here if you want to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report-phishing

but it is a largely pointless exercise for the reasons mentioned in #5 above.

The US/Canada are pressing ahead with measures to combat the robo-calls and fake caller ID (though there are questions about how successful that will be)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STIR/SHAKEN

Don't know what the UK/European position is though (OFCOM ran a consultation on it in April)

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/promoting-trust-in-telephone-number...

VM official measures to counter these unwanted robo/scam calls currently seem singularly weak (essentially their only suggestions seem to be signing up with TPS or their chargeable anonymous caller rejection service, both of which will do nothing to stop the robo/scam calls)

You can read the official VM response to the consultation at the bottom of the OFCOM link page

[davemuk]

And another call from a different number 01903 263653 - this time a women speaking but asking the same questions and need access to computer.

SPAM alert status set to 5 😉

[goslow]

Unfortunately, once they have actually got through on your number and made contact, the calls will just keep coming. They are relentless. I have had upto 3 calls per day in the past, some of which have come within half an hour of each other, 6 days per week (the scammers do seem to like to have Sundays off!). The call blocker just screens them all out now.

[grebo69]

New virgin media scam

this is a New virgin media scam they phone you telling about issues you have been having with virgin media and that will try to solve the issue

You then get told a lot of information about your account things like you account name number

and then ask you to allow them access to your router as then they can run tests as they cant from their side because of issues

They will then claim that they cannot fix the issue and will be sending around an engineer the next day to install your new router

Do not allow them to do this as they will say that as a virgin media customer you pay a £7 a month service fee and that you will be sending a refund for this as they did not supply the support

Do not allow them access to your computer or phone as they will say that you will need to click on a confirmation link to receive the money when logged into your account

They then drain your bank account of all funds

[Kazza64]

I have just had a call from an Indian gentleman saying that my router had been identified as being a security threat and that someone had hacked the router. He started by asking how many devices were connected to the hub but I ended the call at this point as it did not sound right.

He was very pleasant and I can see how he could dupe someone into giving him access to their router. The telephone number he called from was: 0345 454 1111.

Please be careful!

[MrHalfAsleep]

Looks like they're getting even better with their methods. They are continuously evolving their scams and using 0345 numbers is a logical progression.  Even more confusing for the consumer.  Ofcom need to step in and sort this out pronto.

[Bingaxu]

We just had the same scam call from this woman which had an Indian accent saying that she was calling from virgin media and asked me if I had any issues with my broadband. She was going to ask her “supervisor” to guide me through the solutions of my “issues” via a computer. - she mentioned that it would be a free service. I had two calls this morning. I told them that I would call Virgin Media myself. 

[jo1st]

Just had the same kind of thing but the minute he asked me to open the website "anydesk.com"   I told him politely to bugger off.

The annoying thing is, his first comments were telling me I wasnt getting the correct speeds on my internet.  Just done a speedtest and damned if not getting the speed I should.    Still believe it to be a bogus call though.

[FFumbler]

The problem that I have is that I was convinced a call about my hub was a scam because they wanted my details and were barely legible in English and yet when I terminated the call and checked with VM, it had been an actual real call.  It was virtually indistinguishable from a scam one.

I had a call from 0208 2623454 from today again, someone barely understandable wanting to rectify apparent problems with my router and to err on the side of caution, I terminated the call but have no way of knowing if it were legitimate or not.