View Full Version : Funny phone call ?
papasmurf
17-07-2008, 21:00
Hi all,
Apologise for long post...
While I was at work today, the wife had a phone call from somebody who said that they were from VM, asking for my cable modem MAC address, as they were updating their records. They knew my name, and that I was a VM broadband subscriber. She asked them to call back after 16:00 (When I get back from work). Bless her, she doesn't know the difference between a MAC addy and an ice-cream, so couldn't help.
They said, "No problem, ask your husband to dial 150 and tell the person the details whenever he gets in".
They never asked for any other information about our account.
When I got home, I dialled 150, told the Indian lady about the request, and gave her my MAC. She (hopefully) tagged this to my account and I expect to hear no more about it.
A little bit of history to flesh out the situation... About 2 years ago, we moved to the VIP package, and I requested a new modem. When the engineer came with the the new V+ box, and re-sited our old, (actually he replaced it with a newer model and I was billed for five months for having 3 boxes, but that's beside the point:dozey:), box to upstairs, he also gave me a new modem. I just plugged it in and away we went. I didn't have to register the MAC anywhere, I just set my network up to use it.
The questions I have are... I can understand that if my MAC was never registered with VM, (and the tear-off sticker is still attached, BTW!), either they don't know my MAC, they have lost it in the system, or someone is phishing.
I'd appreciate an answer from one of the VM chaps as to whether it's common practice to confirm / get a MAC from an existing customer, or anyone else who has been called by "someone" asking for their modems MAC.
Cheers,
papasmurf.
whydoIneedatech
17-07-2008, 22:56
Hi all,
Apologise for long post...
While I was at work today, the wife had a phone call from somebody who said that they were from VM, asking for my cable modem MAC address, as they were updating their records. They knew my name, and that I was a VM broadband subscriber. She asked them to call back after 16:00 (When I get back from work). Bless her, she doesn't know the difference between a MAC addy and an ice-cream, so couldn't help.
They said, "No problem, ask your husband to dial 150 and tell the person the details whenever he gets in".
They never asked for any other information about our account.
When I got home, I dialled 150, told the Indian lady about the request, and gave her my MAC. She (hopefully) tagged this to my account and I expect to hear no more about it.
A little bit of history to flesh out the situation... About 2 years ago, we moved to the VIP package, and I requested a new modem. When the engineer came with the the new V+ box, and re-sited our old, (actually he replaced it with a newer model and I was billed for five months for having 3 boxes, but that's beside the point:dozey:), box to upstairs, he also gave me a new modem. I just plugged it in and away we went. I didn't have to register the MAC anywhere, I just set my network up to use it.
The questions I have are... I can understand that if my MAC was never registered with VM, (and the tear-off sticker is still attached, BTW!), either they don't know my MAC, they have lost it in the system, or someone is phishing.
I'd appreciate an answer from one of the VM chaps as to whether it's common practice to confirm / get a MAC from an existing customer, or anyone else who has been called by "someone" asking for their modems MAC.
Cheers,
papasmurf.
Your MAC address would have to be on your account already, as otherwise the is no way that your modem could be provisioned on the system and therefore you would not be online.
As for the original phone call, I would call back on 150 and enquire about it from Customer Services.
Graham M
17-07-2008, 23:19
Could be someone farming MAC addresses for illegal modems but how they would know they were on to a VM subscriber is another question entierly.
Welshchris
18-07-2008, 03:01
i had something happen very similar to this back about 4 years ago with NTL, i had a call from someone saying they were from NTL tech support and were running tests on the network in the area and would it be possible to turn the firewall off on my system for a while and i told em to get stuffed basically cos it could have been anyone.
Could be someone farming MAC addresses for illegal modems but how they would know they were on to a VM subscriber is another question entierly.
Not really. You can deter the difference between a BT and VM telephone number, quite easily tbh. Odd. :erm:
Presumably the call was genuine (for whatever reason VM didn't have his details) as papasmurf rang 150 to give the mac address - it really was VM he was calling after all.
moaningmags
18-07-2008, 11:37
"Not really. You can deter the difference between a BT and VM telephone number, quite easily tbh. Odd."
Not if you took your number with you when you switched.
"Presumably the call was genuine (for whatever reason VM didn't have his details) as papasmurf rang 150 to give the mac address - it really was VM he was calling after all."
Not if the agent didn't have a clue and said yes that's done for you now, to have an easy call.
Not if you took your number with you when you switched.
Not always going to be the case imo. It's not the only way either... Could be something to do with the postman, etc. More than one way.
---------- Post added at 11:39 ---------- Previous post was at 11:39 ----------
Presumably the call was genuine (for whatever reason VM didn't have his details) as papasmurf rang 150 to give the mac address - it really was VM he was calling after all.
150 could have just been given to make it all sound genuine and to get the call closed quickly... :dozey:
papasmurf
18-07-2008, 13:45
Yep etho, That was what raised my suspicions. Bogus phone call - no joy - tell my missus to get me to call 150. Good job she's no IT genius ;) Like I said, in the end, no harm done. Just wanted to make peeps aware that it's a possibility.
Bests
pps
Yep etho, That was what raised my suspicions. Bogus phone call - no joy - tell my missus to get me to call 150. Good job she's no IT genius ;) Like I said, in the end, no harm done. Just wanted to make peeps aware that it's a possibility.
Bests
pps
i'll get this checked out, because it's a very odd way of doing business. :)
A month or so ago I received a call (from a US -800 number) offering me a ridiculous deal -- BB L, TV M and phone M all for £21.50!
The caller confirmed my name and address but didn't know the package or price I was paying and insisted that I had to agree to an installation appointment there and then, even when I explained that I was on my mobile in the middle of a different city without access to my diary.
She eventually agreed to send me the details by post (she "couldn't do email") which, of course, never turned up.
My suspicion is that VM are desperate to get customers to expand their packages or to commit to a further 12 months' contract.
Could be someone farming MAC addresses for illegal modems but how they would know they were on to a VM subscriber is another question entierly.
Box on the front of the house?
I doubt anyone in the cloning business is so short of mac addresses they'd need to phone up random people, it's too easy to get them by other means.
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