On Wed, 3 Mar 2021 21:03:22 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

On 03/03/2021 18:02, T i m wrote:
On Wed, 3 Mar 2021 17:17:58 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

snip

People read the papers, watch the news, follow social media where
warnings about this sort of scam are abundant but some still seem to
fall for it?

Because the scammers are adaptive.

Of course and try to stay 'one step ahead' etc.

They know that people see the news
about online threats, so they just play up that aspect of their pretext.

But we have the 'don't give your bank / credit card details / PIN /
password to anyone who phones *you* rule that should deal with a fair
percentage of the scammers. Then you have the 'don't give anyone
(unknown / untrusted) remote access to your PC' group? Then you get
the bogus delivery type.

Again they will structure it so that they don't ask you for anything
like that. Normally they just want you to login to your online banking
on your own computer.

(the wrinkle being they have got you to give them remote access first,
and then claim they can't see what you are doing)

Yeah, like I said then.

If they can convince you they are your bank and they have managed to
identify a scam in progress, the background knowledge can actually help
them make the argument.

Sure, but so easily thwarted by hanging up and *phoning them* on a
number you have or find (bill / Internet), not that they give you, on
another line if you distrust the dialtone.

You obviously could - but you would need to be aware enough to know to
use a different line etc.

Of course. Ok, I get if you are 'non tech savvy' or not have many
'street smarts' you could be suckered in but ...

But hey, given the amount of bank details I've seen blowing about from
fly-tipped household waste I'm not sure you would need to actually
bother the account holders at all! (And yet another example of how
some people seem ignorant of the advice and so risks (identity fraud
etc))? ;-(

Bank details on their own are less useful - they can't make transactions
apart from say setting up a direct debit.

True, but it could give them the start for a way in.

Straight cut shredders anyone?

The sad reality is that they make enough money to make it worthwhile
doing (and take advantage of very lax enforcement in their country)

Yup. ;-(

BIL was probably about 60 when he was suckered into transferring a
good few thousand into their 'safe' bank account but he was yer
classic 'Technophobe'. Whilst he had some points (at work they had a
typing pool and was one of the few account managers to still make use
of them, inc dictating emails etc [1]), this meant he was further
behind than most and so a softer target.

As you say, with the shear numbers they hit each day, they only have
to find a couple like my BIL (and get away with it) to make a living.

Cheers, T i m

[1] His point was that the people in the typing pool were paid to be
there and were good at producing documents to the Co std. This was in
comparison with those managers who preferred to spend more time doing
it themselves and making all sorts of mistakes whilst at it.