Spam phone calls after ordering accessories from Ali Express

[evcog]

I once turned away from the phone and said 'OK start the trace'. By the time I put the phone back to my ear they had hung up.

 

[tsedge]

I’m registered with the TPS which limits the number of Spam phone calls I receive. Recently I have taken about 8 Spam calls coming from different numbers and claiming to be from the Financial Conduct Authority. All address me by my full name.

The calls started after I ordered car accessories from Ali Express. When the parcels arrived I noticed my full name, address and phone number were printed on the address labels on the outside of the packages.

Maybe coincidence but I suspect that somewhere in the Ali chain (Ali Express, the supplier, Chinese delivery company, UK delivery company etc) someone is copying names and phone numbers and selling them to scammers.

I have had the same experience. Normally get zero cold calls and very few spam emails but since buying 1 item from Ali Express I am getting a lot more.

 

[Ian Key]

I have had the same experience. Normally get zero cold calls and very few spam emails but since buying 1 item from Ali Express I am getting a lot more.

I accidentally made a mistake when putting my mobile number into the Ali Express order form and put in my old number. Oops!

I'll let you work out if I did it on purpose

I can't be bothered with that, I just put the phone down on them. Last time I said "oh come on, the entire planet knows this is a scam" first.

I usually tell them that I know it's a spam call and that they should go away and find alternative employment whilst checking their birth certificate but in fewer words.

 

[Gomev]

.... You will never be called by TAX officers, the government, unsolicited calls from banks, ....

The bank fraud team will call if they detect suspicious activity on your account but will not ask for any personal information, password PIN etc. They may ask you to call the fraud line.
For anyone unaware there is a single short number that can be used to reach any bank's fraud team, dial 159.

159 — Stop Scams UK

stopscamsuk.org.uk

New 159 fraud hotline launched to counter threat

Potential victims who dial it will be automatically connected to their bank's fraud prevention service.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[awbugritt]

I once turned away from the phone and said 'OK start the trace'. By the time I put the phone back to my ear they had hung up.

I usually tell them that I know it's a spam call and that they should go away and find alternative employment whilst checking their birth certificate but in fewer words.

Love it!

 

[Rolfe]

The bank fraud team will call if they detect suspicious activity on your account but will not ask for any personal information, password PIN etc. They may ask you to call the fraud line.
For anyone unaware there is a single short number that can be used to reach any bank's fraud team, dial 159.

159 — Stop Scams UK

stopscamsuk.org.uk

New 159 fraud hotline launched to counter threat

Potential victims who dial it will be automatically connected to their bank's fraud prevention service.

www.bbc.co.uk

A couple of times I've had automated calls saying that debits had been charged to my account by companies I don't usually deal with so they'd been stopped. The first one was a relatively modest sum to Amazon, which I didn't owe, but calling Amazon "a company I don't usually deal with" is idiotic, I buy things from them quite often. The second was a four-figure sum to something I really hadn't heard of. The calls were noteworthy in that they did not name my bank

Both times I put the phone down without saying anything, but then phoned my bank directly and asked if there had been any suspicious activity on my account. Both times the agent checked and said no, definitely a spam call, did you engage with them at all? On hearing that I hadn't said a word he said that's OK then and wished me a nice day.

Next time I probably won't even trouble the bank to confirm.

(I did once get the real thing from my bank. I had set up a yearly direct debit to an account in Germany to pay for a music streaming service, and my bank stopped it. I was informed by text, not phone, and it was fairly clear that it was genuine, not least that I recognised the debit. Then followed a couple of hours back and forward between me, my bank and Deutsche Grammophon, with the bank assuring me that the block had been taken off, and Deutsche Grammophon - in impeccable English - saying that no it hadn't. In the end the guy from DG cancelled my account completely, set up a new one, and bingo - "enjoy the concert, madam". But at least I know now what the bank really does when it sees a debit it thinks is suspicious.)

 

[m4rmite]

Bizarrely if i use my debit card at currys it gets blocked. But my credit card works

I then get a phone call asking if i tried to use my debit card at currys, i say yes but why didn't you stop my credit card.
Always met with silence

 

[Rolfe]

Weird.

 

[Ian Key]

Bizarrely if i use my debit card at currys it gets blocked. But my credit card works

I then get a phone call asking if i tried to use my debit card at currys, i say yes but why didn't you stop my credit card.
Always met with silence

My bank blocked the deposit payment for my MG4 but let me transfer the money to a different account with a different bank who then let me pay the deposit with just the usual warning about scammers wanting same day payments so are you sure. Clicked yes and it went through.

 

[tsedge]

Bizarrely if i use my debit card at currys it gets blocked. But my credit card works

I then get a phone call asking if i tried to use my debit card at currys, i say yes but why didn't you stop my credit card.
Always met with silence

They are always different teams for debit and credit cards with different processes since the credit card partner has their own security systems - this is why it is not consistent.

 

[smokie]

I wouldn't be too quick to blame aliexpress or any other retailer as most scams are now done with computer dialling ( randomly dialing numbers until someone answers).

You can still get spam calls on mobiles but very few in comparison to landlines.

I wouldn't be blaming AliExpress either, also I am sure the scammers use autodiallers but the weird thing we've had happen is the same scam call from the same scam number to each of our mobiles within hours of each other when we are on different networks.

I'd say I get as many on my mobile as my landline - but both are sporadic - none for days and days then a couple a day for three or four days.

I always considered it'd be my time I'm wasting if I were to string them along rather than theirs. At least they are getting paid for it (presumably!!)

 

[evcog]

I always considered it'd be my time I'm wasting if I were to string them along rather than theirs. At least they are getting paid for it (presumably!!)

Unfortunately the mobile operators and landline operators make a lot of money from these calls therefore are not worried about doing much about it.

 

[smokie]

Really? I thought they were mainly VOIP calls these days...

 

[Gomev]

I wouldn't be blaming AliExpress either, also I am sure the scammers use autodiallers but the weird thing we've had happen is the same scam call from the same scam number to each of our mobiles within hours of each other when we are on different networks.

I'd say I get as many on my mobile as my landline - but both are sporadic - none for days and days then a couple a day for three or four days.

I always considered it'd be my time I'm wasting if I were to string them along rather than theirs. At least they are getting paid for it (presumably!!)

That might suggest you are on a list, rather than random.

 

[smokie]

Yep. The calls don't really bother me that much anyway (though I'd obv prefer to not get them!!). Sometimes I block the number but more often than not they are spoofing their number and you won't see the same number again anyway...