very Dubious automated call

[Jon M]

Hi all, I just recieved an automated call telling me that I had been awarded a Carribean cruise. Taking this with a massive dose of salt, I pressed the 9 key anyway as instructed. I was greeted by a man who asked how I was today then soon after hung up. The other thing is, I actually think that this was an automated response too although it sounded as though I was hearing him in real time. I think that was a recording.

[globalloon]

check your bill when it comes. you've probably been charged £50 for the call

[wee_dancer]

I pressed the 9 key anyway as instructed.

Why o why did you press the 9 key :crazy: never press the 9 key!!!

[Jon M]

Yeah, now I will allways fear the 9 key. I think that is going to cost me

[wee_dancer]

Learn from your mistakes :wink: I always hang up whenever theres a delay between me picking up and actually hearing a connection

[GiantMidget]

Yeah, now I will allways fear the 9 key. I think that is going to cost me

That sucks mate! Let us know if you do actually get charged.

By the way, did you try 1471 afterwards?

[Jon M]

Yeah, I will let you know what happens. I did try 1471 but there was no record of the call. I got onto BT and they said they would try to find out more and stop the scam.

[Jon M]

I looked at three of my mates regarding being mentally inbalanced and wtf, I better see a psychiatrist. lol

[ellie]

woo woo!! i just got the 'press 9' phone call!! what a jolly nice sounding american chap he is :weee:

[xFadingObsessionx]

woo woo!! i just got the 'press 9' phone call!! what a jolly nice sounding american chap he is :weee:

BEWARE OF THE NINE BUTTON! :laugh_at::laugh_at:

[General Lighting]

there are a lot of these scams about, also exacerbated by urban legends/email scare campaigns, confusion with other scams (both by targets and the scammers themselves!)

check your bill when it comes. you've probably been charged £50 for the call

it is virtually impossible to turn an normal incoming call on a home or mobile number into a chargeable outbound unless someone has hacked the exchange or the actual mobile device

This sort of scam can happen but its more likely with the 09xxx number scams - peopel are called or texted (either told they have a prize or a parcel to collect) or even have a postcard put through their door from the fake "courier" firm

they are thus encouraged to call back a high charge 09xxx number, (or sometimes an 070xx number which is easily confused with a mobile) - this has a long message or even a (fake) ringing tone of 10 minutes what then goes to a voicemail (which is of course then ignored).

However there is a reason for the automated calls (and also why they sound American or foreign). They are actually targeting office telephone systems.

The menu is trying to get you to press varying keys on your phone (usually things like 9, #, 0, #90 or #09, if nothing happens or the hacker controlling the system gets paranoid they have the fake "how are you" message and then clear down (end the call) before the called person gets too suspicious..

however, some badly configured systems will actually transfer the call to a voicemail box, the switchboard operator (who can often be conned into connecting a long distance call as an emergency) or best of all a trunk dialtone, whilst clearing down the original call to your extension.

The caller can then use the companies phone lines to make loads of calls.

It tends to happen more to larger US based organisations though, often due to poor project management and the use of default access codes by lazy telecoms engineers..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080820/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fema_phones_hacked