The scammers didn’t get what they wanted, but they did get into my account. I got a call claiming to be from T-Mobile telling me that someone was trying to order an iPhone online to a second address and it was flagged as potentially fraudulent. They had all my basic account information, so it seemed like they were just asking me for verification, but really they were fishing for the additional details to confirm the order, not cancel it. It was when they tried to change my password and T-Mobile texted me the security code that I realized what was happening. They must have gotten my username and password from a data leak. They hung up when I started asking for proof that they were really T-Mobile. I’m glad that they didn’t get all the way, but I’m still embarrassed that they got as far as they did.
It’s seriously the second question I ask on a cold call. If they really are my bank / etc , then they’ll give me that super fast. If they try to give me a number, I assure them I have it in the phone book.
So many scams derail when you’re calling back an internal extension from the well-known switch-board number.
As someone who works in a call center, not all places have numerical extensions or ways to contact an individual. Some places you just get whoever is available next. Still, not a bad idea to ask for it, and if they give you a number, write it down and check it against publicly available info.
The scammers didn’t get what they wanted, but they did get into my account. I got a call claiming to be from T-Mobile telling me that someone was trying to order an iPhone online to a second address and it was flagged as potentially fraudulent. They had all my basic account information, so it seemed like they were just asking me for verification, but really they were fishing for the additional details to confirm the order, not cancel it. It was when they tried to change my password and T-Mobile texted me the security code that I realized what was happening. They must have gotten my username and password from a data leak. They hung up when I started asking for proof that they were really T-Mobile. I’m glad that they didn’t get all the way, but I’m still embarrassed that they got as far as they did.
"I can’t hear you. What’s your extension again?
It’s seriously the second question I ask on a cold call. If they really are my bank / etc , then they’ll give me that super fast. If they try to give me a number, I assure them I have it in the phone book.
So many scams derail when you’re calling back an internal extension from the well-known switch-board number.
As someone who works in a call center, not all places have numerical extensions or ways to contact an individual. Some places you just get whoever is available next. Still, not a bad idea to ask for it, and if they give you a number, write it down and check it against publicly available info.