I have a Google Pixel phone which comes with the Google phone app as standard. It does a pretty good job of flagging incoming calls that it thinks are spam. It includes callers doing "surveys" which I suppose may or may not be genuine, but it hasn't wrongly flagged any call that I've wanted to answer.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
@amancalledgeorge , do you happen to know whether the phone app changes with Android 12? Or any other security improvements? I have the option to upgrade, but most of what I can find out about it is about the "look" rather than the functionality. I'm disinclined to do the upgrade just for appearance.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I don't answer any phone calls that aren't in my contacts. If they need to get hold of me the "unknown" caller will leave a message. If he/she/it hasn't, I block the number. The same applies to Emails, I don't open any Email from weird people who tell me that I have a parcel with an illegible address waiting for delivery.
Any deliveries, I know when to expect the phone call. Most deliveries will phone and Email.
Hats off to Jason! Perhaps a one-off situation nevertheless it happened.
We just have to be more aware and unfortunately now, no one can be trusted.
I don't open any Email from weird people who tell me that I have a parcel with an illegible address waiting for delivery.
I do recommend Gmail accounts for spam catching. Spam never turns up in my inbox. The filters catch it all. I occasionally go through my spam folder to check no kosher messages end up there, as they do sometimes. There are downsides to being with Google, but their filtering and filing systems are excellent.
My old dad had terrible problems with Yahoo Mail as they had no real spam filters and he was forever getting alarming spam messages and begging letters. It's so much easier and less irritating to never have to see them.
I think most of the points made above have been known for some time but it never hurts to remind people. One of the simplest ways to detect possible scams whether by phone or email is when the caller/writer does not refer to you by your given name but says "Dear Customer" or similar. Equally, when asked for personal info. which, if genuine, isn't necessary. These days Banks ( and many other companies too ? ), repeatedly tell their clients that they will never ask for PIN no's or other personal details by phone or email. Sadly people do still get caught out. As for unwanted deliveries, if you aren't expecting anything can you not just refuse to accept the package ?
If you really think there is a possible concern. Put the phone down. Have a cup of ea before you do anything. Calm down. Breathe. Call family and friends to talk through options. Assume it's a scam but use another phone (or a family member's phone) and call HQ to check.
Another good reason to phone family of friends immediately after receiving an unexpected call from the bank etc. If you phone your sister, and your ‘bank’ answer, you’ll know immediately someone is up to no good! If a caller doesn’t hang up, the line stays connected even if you have hung up, as I have found when one of my sisters grandchildren has been pressing the buttons on her phone and managed to call me. Left my phone unusable for ages. I don’t know if this anomaly has now been rectified, and this no longer happens?
Posts
Any deliveries, I know when to expect the phone call. Most deliveries will phone and Email.
Hats off to Jason! Perhaps a one-off situation nevertheless it happened.
One of the simplest ways to detect possible scams whether by phone or email is when the caller/writer does not refer to you by your given name but says "Dear Customer" or similar. Equally, when asked for personal info. which, if genuine, isn't necessary. These days Banks ( and many other companies too ? ), repeatedly tell their clients that they will never ask for PIN no's or other personal details by phone or email. Sadly people do still get caught out.
As for unwanted deliveries, if you aren't expecting anything can you not just refuse to accept the package ?
it called Brushing.
More recently, they've been telling me that I've been..."chosen"!!
Today, my daughter told me that she's received a very similar "threat" from "microsoft".
It's so sad that some people do click on the links they supply.
Lately, the "chosen", "winner" and "lucky" variety of scum emails have been a daily experience for me. Tiresome.
If a caller doesn’t hang up, the line stays connected even if you have hung up, as I have found when one of my sisters grandchildren has been pressing the buttons on her phone and managed to call me. Left my phone unusable for ages.
I don’t know if this anomaly has now been rectified, and this no longer happens?