Scam calls from random wholesalers - whose responsibility

Forums › ICT Policies and Regulation › Scam calls from random wholesalers - whose responsibility

deadlyllama

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#284321 13-Apr-2021 17:40

A month or so ago I had a scam call to my mobile from an Auckland number. Looked up the provider via the NAD - voxbone. Sent them a support ticket and they disconnected the customer.

Just had a scam call from a Symbio networks number (04). Had to call their Aussie support number as none of the NZ numbers would answer. When I finally got through to someone they said "oh you've got to call your own telco, that's how it works."

Whose responsibility are scam calls and stopping them? How can you report them in a way that gets the scammer disconnected fairly quickly?

Of course I'm still on hold to Skinny (my mobile provider)...

Linux

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#2692213 13-Apr-2021 18:41

The carrier that has the number if they know it is been used for scam calls!

deadlyllama

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#2692219 13-Apr-2021 19:07

Linux: The carrier that has the number if they know it is been used for scam calls!

Well that's Symbio and their tech support said no.

Skinny can't do anything, apparently I can make a malicious call complaint if I get 4 calls from the same number, I can call the police if I've given the scammers my bank account number.

In the mean time these scammers will be getting someone's elderly relatives to send them their life savings in the form of Amazon gift cards.

Is there some industry regulator who can rap dodgy wholesalers over the knuckles?

Linux

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#2692220 13-Apr-2021 19:09

Education is the best thing then the scammers will give up!

You trying to kill off numbers is just a game of whack a mole

richms

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#2692223 13-Apr-2021 19:15

How do you even know which provider they are coming thru? All the scam calls I get have obviously fake numbers so they're no use.

Richard rich.ms

deadlyllama

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#2692230 13-Apr-2021 19:25

richms:

How do you even know which provider they are coming thru? All the scam calls I get have obviously fake numbers so they're no use.

These particular calls came from NZ geographic (04/09/etc) numbers. You can look up which provider owns a particular range at https://www.nad.org.nz/number-register/. In this case 04 888 9xxxx is Symbio Wholesale.

deadlyllama

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#2692407 14-Apr-2021 07:36

Linux: Education is the best thing then the scammers will give up!

You trying to kill off numbers is just a game of whack a mole

Yes, it is. Is anyone (industry/government) doing anything at all about these scam calls? The scammers seem to be getting bolder if they're flat out using NZ numbers!

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Oblivian

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#2692448 14-Apr-2021 09:22

So you're checking via CID?

As far as I know, that's likely barking up a wrong tree. They seem to be able to spoof those via the app using overseas VoIP accounts. And only the provider can look into the handovers to see the likely true sources

Often changing it for a legitimate business who then cops abuse calls from angry people doing a redial on the ID.

But no, Vodafone and the likes have a report number. Which they can then chase. But like email, it's only as good as the amount of complaints logged to back it up. Seems skinny is lacking this and probably want you to use the netsafe one.

boosacnoodle

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#2692490 14-Apr-2021 10:07

You can spoof CID even on domestic carriers. No need for overseas VoIP accounts.

Oblivian

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#2692502 14-Apr-2021 10:35

boosacnoodle:

You can spoof CID even on domestic carriers. No need for overseas VoIP accounts.

Certainly. But with the background noise, different languages being spoken and shoddy lines.

Fairly confident there's aren't a local call centre doing the do domestically :)

deadlyllama

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#2692513 14-Apr-2021 10:56

CID but this particular recorded message asked me to call back and the number given was the CID number.

Rather like the scammer some months back, you could call them back and get them on the Auckland number the scam call had come from.

MadEngineer

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#2692592 14-Apr-2021 12:20

Too bad Skinny are not an NZTCF member. They have no such four call example requirement

https://www.tcf.org.nz/assets/codes/tcf-scam-call-prevention-code-endorsed-16-july-error-corrected.pdf

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gareth41

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#2692611 14-Apr-2021 12:50

Answer the calls and scam bait them, its probably the usual tech support scammers asking for teamviewer access. Give them access to a VM and play along with them.

BlakJak

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#2692921 14-Apr-2021 21:44

deadlyllama: CID but this particular recorded message asked me to call back and the number given was the CID number.

Rather like the scammer some months back, you could call them back and get them on the Auckland number the scam call had come from.

Your only action should be to notify your own carrier who are obliged to chase it back. It needs network level investigation - you simply cannot trust the caller ID, no matter what the caller says.

https://www.tcf.org.nz/industry/workstreams/current-projects/scam-phone-calls/

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