[Avikbrio]

If you haven't already, please enable 'Silence unknown callers' option on Whatsapp. It is under Whatsapp Settings > Privacy > Calls. Calls from unknown numbers will be silenced but they will be shown under the calls tab.

[pranavt]

The first generation of our home-grown online scammers were only targeting foreign countries and their people. IRS scams, Microsoft support, etc. The second generation is targeting their own country-folk. Phone number databases can be bought for pennies, though I think they just brute-force through entire number series now.

What I've done in the last few years is buy a new SIM card whenever I'm doing big ticket purchases (car, property, etc). All the real estate junk, car ads, dealer phone calls, etc go to that number. Only when I've finally decided and it's time to go ahead with the purchase do I put my actual phone number (and only if required). The cheap SIM cards with a monthly prepaid balance are enough to go through any of those transactions.

With email, I've bought my own domain and have turned on wildcard redirects of email. So every online/offline place where I provide my email, it is service/company@mydomain.xyz.

Makes it incredibly easy to find out who is leaking the email addresses.

As for Whatsapp, my earlier tip about using throw-away phone numbers keeps spam to a minimum. Anything beyond that is blocked with prejudice and without any mercy.

[Night Raven]

I do get a lot of calls from unknown numbers offering pre approved loans and credit cards. Usually I start speaking in Malayalam when it is an unknown number and that itself terminates the call mostly. If they sound genuine I tell them I will check the offer at the official website myself. So far I haven’t had much trouble with such scammers.

Has anyone here been receiving calls from people claiming as charitable organisations? National NGO, Miracle foundation etc? Recently this is one thing that I have been quite troubled with. They sound so genuine, so desperate yet something doesn’t feel right. I once made a donation of 4000 INR to one of these for a kid’s treatment and then they started calling me every day asking for more. Now I bluntly say no and just block the number.

[dass]

Originally Posted by Avikbrio

If you haven't already, please enable 'Silence unknown callers' option on Whatsapp. It is under Whatsapp Settings > Privacy > Calls. Calls from unknown numbers will be silenced but they will be shown under the calls tab.

Is this IOs specific? I do not see this option on my realme android.

[deepak_misra]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Have you been recently getting:

1. Anonymous calls from international numbers ? Specially Whatsapp calls ?

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I remember reading about it somewhere in the group but would like to share how I got scammed this month. To put some context I am a skeptic and disbelieve everything unless proved to be true. I am also a bit privacy and security conscious
SO I got a courier with a packet for my wife which was COD. I normally would not have accepted it but was in the midst of work and my wife was not at home. So paid the amount.
I ignored all pointers
1) No consignee address
2) No consignee name
3) no invoice
4) We have never ordered COD before

So when my wife returned we opened the packet we found some awful dress that she had not ordered and no one in right sense would have ordered.

I immediately phoned xpressbee the courier company and the helpdesk said they could not do anything, particularly to block the payment pending investigation and they also did not have the consignee address. They said they will raise a ticket with the wallet support team who will contact me.
The wallet support team ignored emails and yesterday I cc:ed the CEO hoping to atleast to get a response. Nothing till date.
Now the fault is certainly mine and I cant blame the courier. However they have so many lapses in making a delivery without invoice, not having consignee details etc.
The worst part is ofcourse not responding and no known action taken to an obvious fraud which is being perpetrated on their services.
Anyway live and learn and you can never be too careful.

[v_safari]

This has become a menace, these spam calls start right from 7 am.
Like who wants to opt for a credit card or other such things early morning ??

For the whatsapp missed calls, its not just +62, it +88, +84, and many more, from which I have received such missed calls, and numerous such messages, all claiming to be HRs from XYZ marketing company.

What is a direct red flag in such messages is that, their english is grammatically incorrect in these messages.
Once this scammer kept continuous messaging me, tried to persuade me to start this youtube like and sharing. :-))

People have to understand, that "Too good to be true", there is nothing like it.
There is no easy money, and if someone is asking you to transact money to get more money, simple get away.

[Samarth 619]

Let me just say I've had zero spam calls in a lot of time, and I've been using my number since the Nokia days, since 2007.
And reading your comments, it is my humble opinion that many of us are on the wrong path yourselves (now how do I put it diplomatically?).

So, let me explain:- I keep my phone's apps to the bare minimum. Most apps work totally offline, and I have Netguard installed, which uses VPN service to ensure that no app connects to internet without my consent. I use Whatsapp with highest privacy settings.
Plus, wherever possible, I use highest privacy standards in computer, browsers, etc and I'm not even a techie. Antivirus, firewall, etc. I use email ID's wherever possible, instead of phone numbers. I give fake numbers on retail stores. I also added myself to DND list. I keep my phone and PC life separate, and well managed. I try to be anonymous where its feasible.

Please don't engage in talks with a SPAM caller. Act surprised and tell them you don't even have a bank account? I did this around 4-5 years ago, he said sorry sir and I never got a call back.

Using Truecaller, seriously? Do you guys hate your own contacts, that you're compromising their phone numbers to such third party, cancer companies?
You know, someone who had my number uploaded a full profile of mine on Truecaller connecting even FB avatar to the same, before I somehow got it delisted permanently.. And guess what, even delisting means Truecaller has my number stored secretly, but its still better than being in open.
Do you realise I searched for a girl's phone number who was with me in college, using my work place's Android phone, and paying some money?Do you realise uninstalling truecaller won't work, only deleting an account works?

Let's be responsible for people who trust us with their numbers, and stop using apps like truecaller. Maintain a low profile and you'll do good. Try using Linux or Windows Xp/7, as Win10 and its "apps" setup is a privacy disaster. I bet many of you are on Windows 10/11, right? Well...

[Renaissance Man]

For me the DND option with allowing calls from contacts along with the allow repeated calls where the first one is silenced and the second one inside 3 mins is only allowed to ring. In the past 4 years I have not had any issues and most times where the other person has genuine request will either call immediately or send a message.

Another option is the app Doosra where they create a burner number which can be used to sign up on app/websites or sharing it with unknow people.
https://www.doosra.com/

[ravigupta000]

Originally Posted by DCEite

If answer to any one of the above is Yes, you are not alone !

Spammers and scammers are having a free run in India, one has to deal with too many spam calls and scam attempts every day. Government and regulators like TRAI are not at all interested in curbing this menace and neither are the telecom operators. From my experience, I totally believe that it's the telecom operators who are enabling the spammers, example spam messages from my11circle, no matter how many complaints you make to operators and TRAI, you won't get rid of the spam from them.

The Government has also failed (or rather don't care) in this case as all it wants to do is take credit of success of digital payments, UPI etc, but has no plan or task force in place to curb the rise of scams with rise in digital adoption. The citizens are left to fend for themselves.

[veyron_head]

Originally Posted by GTO

I simply cannot understand why WhatsApp won't give you a "privacy" option of only allowing calls from your contacts. This is really stupid. That being said, for a massive platform, WhatsApp has done a commendable job until end-2022 of filtering out spam. I hope they nip these new problems in the bud.

So true. In fact when I started receiving these deluge of calls from international numbers on whatsapp, I confidently went to the settings menu to turn off calls from anyone not there in my contacts, only to find that the option isn't there! Its so basic and necessary that I assumed it would be there already!

[Maverick_4662]

Financial fraud is definitely on the rise. I keep getting messages of pre-approved loans and money in rummy accounts. Last month got a message posing to be from my bank , Asking to link Aadhar to my account. Sad to see that these scamsters are having a free run. One of my closest friends lost 21 Large ones in March 2023. Thankfully she reported ASAP , so the accounts were frozen. Scary times.

[autobahnjpr]

Some of these messages come with the offer of making extra money through part time work by watching videos or writing reviews. Some even offer an advance payment. Some lure you with job offers from HR department.
The best way to deal with this menace is to ignore the calls and messages and block and report such numbers. I delete such message threads from wa also.

[Mustang Sammy]

Originally Posted by Night Raven

Has anyone here been receiving calls from people claiming as charitable organisations? National NGO, Miracle foundation etc? Recently this is one thing that I have been quite troubled with. They sound so genuine, so desperate yet something doesn’t feel right. I once made a donation of 4000 INR to one of these for a kid’s treatment and then they started calling me every day asking for more. Now I bluntly say no and just block the number.

I got a series of such calls from a “NGO” once about a girl who needed urgent surgery which they were looking to fund. They even sent me some details of their registration and what not upon pushing, but the whole thing smelled bad and I didn’t oblige.
After checking them out I saw they were a known bad actor.
Best to donate to trusted charities and people you know.

[Avikbrio]

Originally Posted by dass

Is this IOs specific? I do not see this option on my realme android.

No I have it on Android. But I am on Whatsapp Beta, so I guess that is why the option is present for me.

[JediKnight]

I too have noticed a spurt in fraud calls lately. Latest being a message to update my PAN card details by clicking on a link else my SBI account will be blocked. I do not have a SBI account so this was an easy catch.

Also I am noticing this spurt is coinciding when the COVID shutdowns happened and now after COVID when the interest rates started rising and there are job losses etc. This may actually be symptomatic of malaise at the lower end of the Job market. Lot of low skilled youngsters like who work in malls etc may not be getting jobs. This is class is usually ignored by media and we rarely hear what is actually going on.