Comments on: A Spike in Phone Phishing Attacks? http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/ In-depth security news and investigation Wed, 23 May 2012 21:31:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bill http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7095 Bill Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:00:35 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7095 Brian, just this past Monday I received one of these on my phone. I checked my wife's phone and the same message was there also (consecutive numbers). I called the local FBI office. The toll free number came up as an unknown for them. The agent told, me that there are so many of these that happen, they don't investigate unless fraud has occurred. Brian, just this past Monday I received one of these on my phone. I checked my wife’s phone and the same message was there also (consecutive numbers). I called the local FBI office. The toll free number came up as an unknown for them. The agent told, me that there are so many of these that happen, they don’t investigate unless fraud has occurred.

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]]> By: xAdmin http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7014 xAdmin Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:13:49 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7014 I've noticed the same thing and why I said, "Simple solution: unless YOU initiated it, ignore it!" To me all this trickery can be easily defeated with the right mindset. May be that's easy for me to say because by nature, I'm highly analytical and very cynical. So, I'm always hyper aware of things and generally don't automatically trust anything. I NEVER assume, but always observe, then verify, then verify again. I'm not going to jump just because someone says jump. I'm not going to answer the phone just because it's ringing! :) It's not that I've been burned in the past. It's via the power of observation and deductive reasoning over the years that invariably will give you great power and freedom over this trickery. Or as I've said many times on this blog, it's about critical thinking skills! Don’t allow someone else to control you! :)

I’ve noticed the same thing and why I said, “Simple solution: unless YOU initiated it, ignore it!”

To me all this trickery can be easily defeated with the right mindset. May be that’s easy for me to say because by nature, I’m highly analytical and very cynical. So, I’m always hyper aware of things and generally don’t automatically trust anything. I NEVER assume, but always observe, then verify, then verify again.

I’m not going to jump just because someone says jump. I’m not going to answer the phone just because it’s ringing! :)

It’s not that I’ve been burned in the past. It’s via the power of observation and deductive reasoning over the years that invariably will give you great power and freedom over this trickery. Or as I’ve said many times on this blog, it’s about critical thinking skills! Don’t allow someone else to control you! :)

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]]> By: JBV http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7013 JBV Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:50:17 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7013 Generally, you can't block your number from being displayed on toll-free calls even if you have number-blocking service available, because the recipient is paying the freight and the phone company handles them like collect calls. Check your contract service terms (or the phone directory if you use a land-line). YMMV. Generally, you can’t block your number from being displayed on toll-free calls even if you have number-blocking service available, because the recipient is paying the freight and the phone company handles them like collect calls. Check your contract service terms (or the phone directory if you use a land-line). YMMV.

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]]> By: Heron http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7012 Heron Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:31:06 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7012 I usually start with http://whocalled.us/ I usually start with http://whocalled.us/

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]]> By: Heron http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7011 Heron Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:29:25 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7011 Once they know your phone number is a live one, the computer is set to call you back quickly. The company hopes you'll be annoyed enough to pick up the call. If you don't pick up, your number will be removed from the queue for a few weeks or months, and then you'll receive more calls. That's what I've observed from monitoring our home phone, at least. Once they know your phone number is a live one, the computer is set to call you back quickly. The company hopes you’ll be annoyed enough to pick up the call. If you don’t pick up, your number will be removed from the queue for a few weeks or months, and then you’ll receive more calls.

That’s what I’ve observed from monitoring our home phone, at least.

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]]> By: Gary http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7009 Gary Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:23:54 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7009 Sure you can block your number from being displayed. There are several tools to do this For a landline phone call your phone company or consult the directory. For a cell phone contact your provider (my brother annoying blocks his number from being displayed and it registers only as "private") Sure you can block your number from being displayed. There are several tools to do this For a landline phone call your phone company or consult the directory.
For a cell phone contact your provider (my brother annoying blocks his number from being displayed and it registers only as “private”)

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]]> By: AlphaCentauri http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7004 AlphaCentauri Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:58:37 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7004 You can look up the number at http://www.telcodata.us/telcodata/telco Then you can contact the company that controls the phone number. About half the time they will be responsive to complaints. Some will blow you off with excuses about phone numbers being portable, but it's not like the scammers keep their numbers long enough to move to a new phone company. You're right that there is no reason to think the caller is actually in New Jersey. A phone company that offers voice-over-internet could be providing service to someone anywhere in the world. If you Google "u.s. business presence," you will find many websites available to provide U.S. addresses and phone numbers to people who should never be allowed to have a U.S. visa. You can also Google the phone number on your caller ID. You will probably find several websites like 800notes.com and whocallsme.com that allow you to post your experience so others can check out numbers on their voice mail before calling them back. You can look up the number at http://www.telcodata.us/telcodata/telco
Then you can contact the company that controls the phone number. About half the time they will be responsive to complaints. Some will blow you off with excuses about phone numbers being portable, but it’s not like the scammers keep their numbers long enough to move to a new phone company.

You’re right that there is no reason to think the caller is actually in New Jersey. A phone company that offers voice-over-internet could be providing service to someone anywhere in the world. If you Google “u.s. business presence,” you will find many websites available to provide U.S. addresses and phone numbers to people who should never be allowed to have a U.S. visa.

You can also Google the phone number on your caller ID. You will probably find several websites like 800notes.com and whocallsme.com that allow you to post your experience so others can check out numbers on their voice mail before calling them back.

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]]> By: Emily http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7003 Emily Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:07:16 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7003 Millions of text messages out, and 125 befuddled persons' credit card numbers in. Probably credit cards with not much money available. In more than a month's time, if I remember. An investment in equipment and time. Wonder what the profit if any was? What if the crooks lost money on this endeavor? Millions of text messages out, and 125 befuddled persons’ credit card numbers in. Probably credit cards with not much money available. In more than a month’s time, if I remember. An investment in equipment and time. Wonder what the profit if any was?
What if the crooks lost money on this endeavor?

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]]> By: Federico Maggi http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7002 Federico Maggi Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:45:05 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7002 Also, you can report fraudulent phone calls to http://phonephishing.info Also, you can report fraudulent phone calls to http://phonephishing.info

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]]> By: April Green http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/06/a-spike-in-phone-phishing-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-7001 April Green Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:36:18 +0000 http://krebsonsecurity.com/?p=3656#comment-7001 I had a call last night and thought of you. It was a live call with an accent so outrageous that I suspected he was pretending to call from India. His garbled message to me was that he needed to tell me I had a security problem with my internet access and that someone was about to steal my information. (I paraphrase) As one of your fans who has been reading you for years, I couldn’t stop myself from blurting out, strongly, “Oh, you can’t be serious. You’re not actually gonna try this, are you?” That, as you might think, gave him pause. Then he started in, gamely, with another attempt to scare me into listening to him. Poor guy, I kept interrupting him and he would try to stick to his script, but he was getting flustered. And I hung up. I still have a record of the number that appeared on my caller ID. The number is from New Jersey. I’m sure it’s just one part of long network of relays designed to hide the perpetrators. Is there anyone to whom I should send the number? (This was accidentally posted to another story. Please forgive the duplication.) I had a call last night and thought of you.

It was a live call with an accent so outrageous that I suspected he was pretending to call from India.

His garbled message to me was that he needed to tell me I had a security problem with my internet access and that someone was about to steal my information. (I paraphrase)

As one of your fans who has been reading you for years, I couldn’t stop myself from blurting out, strongly, “Oh, you can’t be serious. You’re not actually gonna try this, are you?”

That, as you might think, gave him pause. Then he started in, gamely, with another attempt to scare me into listening to him. Poor guy, I kept interrupting him and he would try to stick to his script, but he was getting flustered. And I hung up.

I still have a record of the number that appeared on my caller ID. The number is from New Jersey. I’m sure it’s just one part of long network of relays designed to hide the perpetrators.

Is there anyone to whom I should send the number?

(This was accidentally posted to another story. Please forgive the duplication.)

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