de-educating lads about uk 070 numbers

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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:50 pm

we all know that uk numbers starting with 070 (or +4470) can be redirected anywhere in the world,
and by anywhere, i mostly mean nigeria.
lads use them because it allows them to appear to be based in the uk when they aren't.

i challenged a lad recently about using an 070 number, after he swore he was based in the uk.
i told him it was common knowledge in the uk that these numbers are overseas numbers,
and that it is very expensive for callers to call them.
he became very embarrassed, and when i rebaited him later, his script had evolved to include convoluted excuses about the 070 number.

at first i was worried that i had accidentally educated him,
but the excuses were so convoluted and incredible that i wondered how a genuine victim might react to them.
i concluded they might ring alarm bells for a few victims which wouldn't be rung otherwise.

what do others think? is it ok to challenge lads about their 070 numbers?
if we all challenge 070 lads, they may have to start explaining in their scripts that they are actually overseas,
and that might help a few victims.

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 6:25 pm

r2d2, I'm with you. I always point out that a 4470 number is a redirect number, never used by UK citizens.

I've been told that I am 'wrong' to do this.

But I see time and time again right here on these forums that folk think that type of number is a genuine UK number. Victims must surely therefore believe the same.

I would like to see Lads stop using them. I thought I might be a one-woman campaign.

** Retired ** Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 750 Location: Air

From my point of view, if they believe that they are heir apparent to a fortune in gold dust following the unfortunate and untimely demise of some poor chap in a plane crash, they will believe anything.

Still, there's no harm in making the lads work a little harder to come across as legitimate.

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:06 pm

Branwen do you think r2d2 is in our galaxy?

In the UK we have ways, unknown to the rest of the world Rolling Eyes

train boi Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 697

Setup or give my special 0871 number which tells them they are being scammed. lads will be wondering why they are loosing punters

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:49 pm

I've had Lads challenge me on my UK re-direct number. Laughing

If you can't beat 'em - join 'em.

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:03 pm

It may be worth campaigning that 070's are *insecure* and are easily hacked by Mr Gomer's phone lads, which will explain lots of dollar chops. The more consistent the campaign the more trust will falter in the numbers and the more chance we have of getting the lads onto either expensive forwarders or +23's proving where they are instead?

419Eater is my life Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 296

Is there any easy way of adding an 070 to a phone list somewhere, so it gets spammed into oblivion?

Something like this evil place, for example?

** Retired ** Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 750 Location: Air

^^^ 070's are as disposable as an email addy. The lads will just dump the number and assign themselves another one. It will be a pain in the arse for them, but not enough of a deterrent to discourage their use.

419Eater is my life Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 296

It could be a LOT easier to kill a phone with spam than it is to sink an email address, though. If we can find the right place to dump numbers, we could seriously damage the usefulness of an 070 number with a couple of minutes work- and I think that would be worthwhile. Also, it's not like killing an email- it's not going to break any baits, or help conceal any significant googleable information.

Also, ignoring a spam call isn't as easy as ignoring a spam email. If the lad's expecting a call for his scam, and he's getting calls throughout the night, he HAS to answer them, spam or not. I think that could do some serious damage to the lad brain.

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:06 pm

Tell the lad that you know for a fact that Nigerian cell services are only carried by "professional" businessmen and that the UK-redirects are only used by bums and fraudsters.

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:29 am

When I get bored, I'll grab a bunch of emails from my catcher account, find a phone number from an opening letter and include that with the message "I have sent the funds of $425 as you instructed, please call me for the MTCN".

After doing this a number of times, I found I get the most responses from using 070 numbers. I figure it's more expensive for the lads to call as well than calling a +234 number that's probably local. It doesn't take long for responses to start indicating that "I" am not answering the phone and I should send the MTCN through email.

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:44 am

I got caught by 07624 number until I immediately afterwards tried the 0233 number.

UK to Ghana in les than 60 seconds?

So I could use this 07624 number on lads? Now that sounds like real fun, and revenge. Twisted Evil

Quote:

The lads will just dump the number and assign themselves another one

But if we had a list of such numbers we could have some fun!

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:21 pm

I believe we should discourage lads from using these numbers because of the credibility it gives a scammer who is pretending to be UK based.

Whenever lads send me a UK 4470 redirect, I hit them with this standard reply.

Quote:

When I try phoning your number from here in the UK and all I get is a recorded message with some sort of warning. I have recorded the message and attached it to this email. Can you explain what all this means as I am getting concerned about this information in the message.

I made this short recording to send with my reply

Click to listen

They usually splutter an explanation by saying they had the warning message set up because their number had been hacked and then give me their real phone number. If they challenge me over the recording, I suggest that the warning message can only be heard if you are calling from the UK. It doesn't spoil baits because I act clueless and accept their feeble excuses after they have dropped the 4470 number.

Feel free to copy. If you want to use the link to the recording directly in your emails. here it is:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/626887957bc1ee22/

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