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View Full Version : What on earth is Virgin at? I'm REALLY P***ed off


lew247
10-09-2010, 17:08
I had Virgin broadband and telephone installed again about a month ago after a couple of years away from them.

New telephone number, I didnt keep the old one.

yesterday I get a phone call on this new number that NOBODY has yet, not even my gf who lives with me here, asking is this mr... (me)
I said yes and this person with a VERY strong Indian type accent who could barely speak english tried to tell me she was from Virgin, I've downloaded something dodgy online and she needs me to set my computer up so she can fix it for me

I told her in no uncertain terms EXACTLY where to go, and I do mean exactly, and if she wasn't english then she may not have quite understood, but thats her problem


WHat on earth is Vrigin upto? trying to gain access to MY computer, passing MY private telephone number onto some ****** cr@ppy dodgy service trying to scare me into thinking that I have a problem with my computer?


I'm a computer engineer, I work with then all day and half the night, I know for a fact there is not one piece of malware on my computer at all.
It is my highest priority to keep it infection free, I spend a LOT of time sorting other peoples computers out that have been infected so I know what damage it can do/does
So I am VERY careful to have my viruscan (a very expensive good one) up to date, and it updates at least every day, sometimes as much as 4 or 5 times in the day and my firewall is set so nobody can gain access without me knowing it or allowing it.

WHat on earth are they up to? If I had been anyone else I probably would have let them have access and god only knows what they would have done, or gone nosing through.

What happened to data protection and not passing your details onto other companies?
or is it legal now to try scare tactics to "have a nose through" my computer and possibly put god knows what software tracking, malware who knows what on there

The caller either was from Virgin, or directly associated with Virgin as NOBODY but Virgin knows I have this telephone, and my name isnt that common so the chances of dialling a number and guessing a name at random is VERY unlikely.

Arghh SO annoyed.

So much so that I'm thinking of calling them and telling them exactly where to shove their contract and services.

Bman
10-09-2010, 17:15
Sounds like the remote access scam that's been popular recently, usually they claim to be from windows support and make you search for a particular folder that contains temp files (then act shocked when you say you can see files in there) then they will instruct you to install teamviewer or some other remote admin client to gain access and 'fix' your machine.

I doubt Virgin would knowingly sell details to criminals but i wouldn't be surprised if someone with access to account info is stealing names/numbers from the billing system or something.

Hugh
10-09-2010, 17:16
Erm, you may wish to check it was in fact VM* before you go off the deep end.....


(*and not a repetition of the scam that some CF'ers have been subjected to, by someone pretending to be from VM/Microsoft/etc)

Milambar
10-09-2010, 17:25
I think the question is more, how did the scammers get his correct phone number matched to his correct name, if nobody other than his teleco knew it.

BenMcr
10-09-2010, 17:36
Have you checked with Virgin that number is down as being ex-directory?

lew247
10-09-2010, 17:44
doesnt matter if the number is down as ex directory or not
the fact that NOBODY but Virgin media know that this phone number is held by me
is enough to convince me the call is a direct result of action by them.

I just checked and the line was installed 14 days ago today.

I have told nobody that I've even got a new phone number let alone tell anyone the number

I DONT put it in online forms, I actually dont even know the number the phone line is only installed as a backup to my mobile not working, I dont use the thing.

There is no other way anyone could have found out that number belongs to me for a number thats less than 14 days old (at the time of the call) OTHER than Virgin media giving out my details to these scam artists

And yes I agree totally, it sounded exactly like one of the well known scams,

The scary part is I now am almost convinced its being run by someone either In Virgin Media,
or who works WITH Virgin Media and they have access to Virgin Media's computer system with account details, to match up new numbers with names.

BenMcr
10-09-2010, 17:54
doesnt matter if the number is down as ex directory or not
the fact that NOBODY but Virgin media know that this phone number is held by meIf it's listed on the Directory services then everyone can find out that it's held by you!

It takes 24-48 hours for the electronic directory listings to be updated after a number is activated

Sirius
10-09-2010, 18:00
doesnt matter if the number is down as ex directory or not
the fact that NOBODY but Virgin media know that this phone number is held by me
is enough to convince me the call is a direct result of action by them.

I just checked and the line was installed 14 days ago today.

I have told nobody that I've even got a new phone number let alone tell anyone the number

I DONT put it in online forms, I actually dont even know the number the phone line is only installed as a backup to my mobile not working, I dont use the thing.

There is no other way anyone could have found out that number belongs to me for a number thats less than 14 days old (at the time of the call) OTHER than Virgin media giving out my details to these scam artists

And yes I agree totally, it sounded exactly like one of the well known scams,

The scary part is I now am almost convinced its being run by someone either In Virgin Media,
or who works WITH Virgin Media and they have access to Virgin Media's computer system with account details, to match up new numbers with names.

It seems to me you will not believe anything anyone on here tells you. Therefor your best option is to move to another phone provider as you seem definite that VM are trying to scam you and nothing anyone says will change that perception.

theoldbill
10-09-2010, 18:04
My VM line is an unused spare, only there for 999 use.... I've had to have the number changed 4-5 times because VM recycle old customers' numbers with no waiting period so get calls for Mr x or some debt collector calling for someone else.

Just get the number changed each time you get a call that's not for you until it stops ringing (only takes 24hr to change) and tell VM why you keep asking them to change it - I did.

---------- Post added at 18:04 ---------- Previous post was at 18:02 ----------

doesnt matter if the number is down as ex directory or not
the fact that NOBODY but Virgin media know that this phone number is held by me
is enough to convince me the call is a direct result of action by them.



Funny you should say that - I had Scottish Power cold call me one night on my aforementioned spare VM line (never given out, new number etc but they still knew my name and address). Number was ex-directory from day one.

ONLY Virgin could have given them that info... go figure.