[AusNOG] "Telstra" scammers still at it...

Mon Mar 7 21:41:06 AEDT 2022

Are they really that sophisticated? I mean, if you look at the class of
scammer that someone like Jim Browning manages to crack, they are basically
just working out of spreadsheets.

On Sat, 26 Feb 2022 at 03:21, Michael Junek <michael at juneks.com.au> wrote:

> Automatic machine detection is all based on the timing and cadence of the
> sounds these days. The older answering machine detection was more accurate
> because it’d listen for the click of the tape engaging, whereas digital
> doesn’t have that “tell-tale” sign.
>
>
>
>    - If you start talking immediately after the call connects, and it
>    continues, that’s more likely to be flagged as an answering machine. You
>    then get thrown for re-dial in a couple of hours.
>    - If it detects a short silence, then a short word or words, followed
>    by silence – for example – “Hello?” – then it assumes you’re a human and
>    connects you through.
>    - Fax tones are picked up with the answer sound, these are flagged as
>    ‘fax machine’ and your generally not called again.
>    - Dead silence is marked as silence, and it often assumes there was an
>    issue in connecting – so it’ll retry you again. Second or third silence
>    calls to the same number are generally no longer tried again.
>
>
>
>    - Often 3 simultaneous calls for every agent are connected and tried –
>    as the detection takes a few seconds – it’s based on a predictive algorithm
>    that guesses when the next agent will be available based on the metrics. If
>    it detects that you are a human, and if no agent becomes available, the
>    call is generally disconnects, but you have been marked as a human, and a
>    viable number.
>
>
>
> All these rules are configurable by the dialler admin, so no one can tell
> what the retry interval will be
>
>
>
> If you’re connected, and end up speaking to someone, they can also mark
> the outcome – answering machine, disconnection, silence etc – and the
> configured rules will generally take effect.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* AusNOG <ausnog-bounces at ausnog.net> *On Behalf Of *Jamie Lovick
> *Sent:* Saturday, 26 February 2022 14:07
> *To:* Matthew Moyle-Croft <mmc at mmc.com.au>
> *Cc:* <ausnog at lists.ausnog.net> <ausnog at lists.ausnog.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [AusNOG] "Telstra" scammers still at it...
>
>
>
> They seem to listen for common greetings, I typically answer stating my
> name, and it doesn't trigger, it just hangs up after a few seconds.
>
>
>
> Jamie
>
> --
> Jamie Lovick <-> IT Consultant
> AU <-> +61-4-1479-1681
> US <-> +1-8018-4-52643 (JAMIE)
> Em <-> jalovick at doof.org
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 26, 2022, 1:58 PM Matthew Moyle-Croft <mmc at mmc.com.au> wrote:
>
> A lot of auto-dialers listen for that and will mark you as a fax machine
> and take your number out of the pool. Also will normally be a short call so
> to Rob’s point it’ll get marked.
>
>
>
> Last one I talked to I just said “Do you really want to do this?” and they
> hung up immediately on me.
>
>
>
> MMC
>
>
>
> On 24 Feb 2022, at 6:41 pm, Damien Gardner Jnr <rendrag at rendrag.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> I just answer all calls and say nothing.  Actual legit people can’t take
> the silence and go ‘Uhhh hello?’  Scammers think they hit voicemail or
> something and hangup at the 4 second mark.
>
>
>
> I answer easy 10 calls a day, 9 of them hang up at 4 seconds.
>
>
>
> —DG
>
>
>
> On Thu, 24 Feb 2022 at 7:10 pm, Rob Thomas <xrobau at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Can I *please* encourage everyone to answer any suspicious call, wait
> a few seconds, and then hang up. This does a couple of things.
>
> 1. It tells us (the carriers) that it's a suspicious call. We have
> reports on short-length calls, and if one of our clients is making 10k
> calls a day, of which 80% are 2 seconds long, that rings many MANY
> alarm bells.
> 2. Even if it's a carrier who is fast asleep, they're still going to
> charge the scammer for an answered call. No-one's getting free calls,
> no matter who they're dealing with. Answering the call, even for a few
> seconds, means it's costing them money.
>
> If it's NOT a scam call, and it's a real person, they'll call back. If
> it's a scam call, the auto-dialler will mark it as 'scammed', and move
> on to the next person.
>
> Feel free to share this around - this isn't rocket science, but if
> people don't know, they're not going to do it.
>
> tl;dr: Answer the scam call, wait 2 seconds at least, hang up.
>
> --Rob
>
>
> On Thu, 24 Feb 2022 at 12:58, Kai <vk6ksj at westnet.com.au> wrote:
> >
> > Just got a call on "0432 383 486" from "Alex Watson from Telstra, about
> > critical warning messages seen from my account recently".
> > Alex had a moderate Indian accent.
> >
> > I asked for his Telstra staff ID and he hung up. Hahaa.
> >
> > Just hope the next person they call doesn't think it's legit and end up
> > scammed.
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> --
>
> Damien Gardner Jnr
> VK2TDG. Dip EE. GradIEAust
> rendrag at rendrag.net -  http://www.rendrag.net/
> --
> We rode on the winds of the rising storm,
>  We ran to the sounds of thunder.
> We danced among the lightning bolts,
>  and tore the world asunder
>
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