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?

[Leonardshaircut]

Just started receiving phone calls from the pretend virgin media scammers. The first one I answered because we were expecting a call from an unknown number but I quickly became suspicious and hung up. It was the usual spiel about slow connections and router. The following numbers have been used since and are all different.

[REMOVED].

My other half has since been answering the calls and thinks it’s hilarious to engage them with ridiculous conversations on unrelated topics where they eventually hang up but I just find it annoying. No point in blocking the numbers because they are just using a different one each time. We are pretty savvy about such stuff but some poor sod is going to get caught out. Be careful folks.

[MOD EDIT: Personal and private information has been removed from this post. Please do not post personal or private information in your public posts. Please review the Forum Guidelines]

[Zach_R]

Hi @Leonardshaircut,

Thank you for your post and welcome back to our community forums. We're here to help.

I'm really sorry to hear that you've been receiving these calls. Unless you've discussed and agreed to a call back in advance with the team, we wouldn't make outbound calls related to technical faults.

If you haven't done so already, I'd advise signing up to the Telephone Preference Service to help minimise any unwanted scam calls. You can also find some further information here.

If you receive them on your Virgin Media landline, there's more information here.

Thanks,
 

[nodrogd]

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@Leonardshaircut wrote:

Just started receiving phone calls from the pretend virgin media scammers. The first one I answered because we were expecting a call from an unknown number but I quickly became suspicious and hung up. It was the usual spiel about slow connections and router. The following numbers have been used since and are different.

My other half has since been answering the calls and thinks it’s hilarious to engage them with ridiculous conversations on unrelated topics where they eventually hang up but I just find it annoying. No point in blocking the numbers because they are just using a different one each time. We are pretty savvy about such stuff but some poor sod is going to get caught out. Be careful folks.

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@Leonardshaircut  Please be aware that most of the numbers these scammers are using are in fact cloned from genuine businesses & consumers, most of whom have no idea their number is being used in this way. Hence posting them on public forums could result in these people getting abusive calls from people thinking they are connected with the scammers, who are actually calling from outside the UK & outside the jurisdiction of our authorities. I have requested a mod remove them. Thanks.

PS. Engaging with them only makes things worse, as your number is then marked as responsive & will be circulated to other scammers.

[Leonardshaircut]

Sorry I didn’t realise I wasn’t allowed to put the telephone numbers on here as others on the thread have done the same and they weren’t deleted.

[nodrogd]

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@Leonardshaircut wrote:

Sorry I didn’t realise I wasn’t allowed to put the telephone numbers on here as others on the thread have done the same and they weren’t deleted.

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This is a recent change in policy due to a surge in the amount of cloned numbers. This thread goes back nearly 6 months, at which time the scammers behaviour was to fake numbers that were not in use.

[mhallinan]

looks like the scammers have started up again. just had a call, from an Indian call center, telling me i was having issues with my router. this is the same tactic they used last year. the calls come from UK numbers, but they are false. If you get any calls like this just tell them you will call VM directly to speak to someone. If you do fall for it they will ask you to log into your main computer and run some commands like "tree" which will show you a message at the end says there is a problem and you are due a refund. they may ask you to visit a website, which looks like a VM site, and then download teamviewer. if you do load teamviewer they will then ask you to log into you back account so you can see they have credited your account, this is a false site that they are manually editing the screen so it looks like a credit to your account. PLEASE do not fall for any of this. the best advise is to just hangup the phone and call VM team. I know there is not a lot that VM can do to prevent this kind of call but at least make them aware that it is happening.

Be safe and don't get caught with these scams.

[Zoie_P]

Hi Mhallinan, 

Thank you for being so vigilant with these calls. Do you have the number that called you ?
Zoie

[Brightspark79]

Yes it would seem these calls are starting again as had one this morning saying there is an issue with my router and they can make my speed faster.  I said I work in IT and I know they are scamming people.  The phone then went dead.  the number that called was 0121537xxx

[MOD EDIT: number edited in case it's an innocent number being spoofed]

[Gareth_L]

Hello Brightspark79

Thanks for your post 

The scammers are able to change or spoof the caller ID so we can block one number, but then they change the number again

Its great you are on to them as well

Should you feel the need to report any further calls we have this information here 

Gareth_L

[claireclair]

I guess we've been lucky in only occasionally getting these calls. Last time was yesterday and she said VM are looking to replace our hub with a new one. It is rather old I guess. But I would have thought if this was the case they would write, wouldn't they?

Anyway, she had my name and asked 'for security reasons can you confirm the first line of your address' which is a usual security question. But I decided not to answer and went silent. I could hear 'hello? hello?' and then I ended the call because I was suspicious.

I'm not answering my landline ever again.