Todays scam phone call.

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Alex321

Guru
Location
South Wales
Lloyds Banking Group are introducing a voice recognition service for telephone calls. Extra security for their systems
You're offered the chance to record a piece for later use. Some financial companies are implementing, or have already have a voice recognition system in use.
Santander have had voice recognition for telephone banking for some time: https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/support/ways-to-bank/on-the-telephone

In relation to the above alleged scam, they do say..

Seems I was wrong about institutions using your specific voice.

I am surprised at that, I must admit
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Seems I was wrong about institutions using your specific voice.

I am surprised at that, I must admit
As things move away from physically going into a branch, to online and telephone systems for banking, expect it to become a bit more commonplace.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
There are no normal automated services (e.g. bank, government services) which rely on voice recognition of a specific voice. You will have to answer question witha yes/no/account number etc. but those use generic voice recopgnition, they will not have sufficient samples of your voice to distinuish it from others.

I enrolled in voice recognition with my bank (BoS) just over a year ago.

Instead of going through security questions and random characters of my passphrase, the automated call asks me to say a specific phrase and matches it to the recordings they already have of me saying it. (I had to say the phrase numerous times at registration so it could obtain the “signature” of my voice.)

It’s much easier than the old Q&A system.
 
I enrolled in voice recognition with my bank (BoS) just over a year ago.

Instead of going through security questions and random characters of my passphrase, the automated call asks me to say a specific phrase and matches it to the recordings they already have of me saying it. (I had to say the phrase numerous times at registration so it could obtain the “signature” of my voice.)

It’s much easier than the old Q&A system.

Same with First Direct. “My voice is my password”
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
AI is getting incredibly good at replicating people's voices and images. I have almost been caught out by fake videos apparently created by YouTube creators, but which were actually entirely AI-generated. In one case it was given away by the AI 'person' saying something like "dollar billion six point eight". In the other case a female reporter had apparently developed a strange repetitive double blink!

It won't be long before it will be impossible to spot the difference between a voice and an AI-clone of it saying whatever the bad guys want it to. Voice recognition of customers sounds like a bad idea!
 

DaveReading

Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
Location
Reading, obvs
One scam I have been told about is quite a difficult one to defend yourself against. I'm not a telephone banker, and I'm not entirely sure which applications/opportunities this scam is intended to exploit, but various fairly plausible nuisance calls quite quickly ask you "can you hear me?". DO NOT SAY "YES OR NO" in reply. They want to record your voice for the purpose of impersonation in automated services for any services that need to recognise your voice commands. Try saying "loud and clear", "I can", or "can you hear me?", or "aye, lass" instead! (Or, like me, just hang up if it is a cold call).
Good advice.

While I'm on the call, my wife hovers near me with a gong, just in case I forget ...
 

Mad Doug Biker

Mediocrity Manifest.
Location
Craggy Island
Just had one from a company called 'Nextbridge Communication', calling from a 0151 number.

I never answered, but then looked them up and reviews are mixed, ranging from neutral to 100% Scammers.

I've just blocked their number anyway, as I really cannot be bothered with it all. It says they do numbers for call centres or whatever (why are they calling me?), but does anybody know who they actually are? 🤷‍♂️
 
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nogoodnamesleft

Senior Member
Just had one from a company called 'Nextbridge Communication', calling from a 0151 number.
Worth noting that you can't rely on incoming caller line ID. They are easy to spoof (or rather very very easy to spoof).
 

Dogtrousers

Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
Just had one from a company called 'Nextbridge Communication', calling from a 0151 number.

I never answered, but then looked them up and reviews are mixed, ranging from neutral to 100% Scammers.

I've just blocked their number anyway, as I really cannot be bothered with it all. It says they do numbers for call centres or whatever (why are they calling me?), but does anybody know who they actually are? 🤷‍♂️
Nexbridge are a telco middleman. They provide telecom services to their clients who are call centres etc and may well be misbehaving. So blaming them is a bit like blaming Vodafone if someone uses Vodafone to cold call you. It's not quite the same as I think they do have some responsibility if their clients misbehave.

So Nexbridge aren't scammers, they are a service provider... that may be used by scammers.
 

Mad Doug Biker

Mediocrity Manifest.
Location
Craggy Island
Nexbridge are a telco middleman. They provide telecom services to their clients who are call centres etc and may well be misbehaving. So blaming them is a bit like blaming Vodafone if someone uses Vodafone to cold call you. It's not quite the same as I think they do have some responsibility if their clients misbehave.

So Nexbridge aren't scammers, they are a service provider... that may be used by scammers.

0151 375 9265, if you are curious.
 

Mad Doug Biker

Mediocrity Manifest.
Location
Craggy Island
It'll just be a number that is assigned to Nexbridge that one their clients is using. If you think they are scammers, and if you can be arsed, complain to Nexbridge. Or just put the number on ignore.
I just blocked it, I can't be arsed finding out. Just seems a bit odd as to why they would be trying to phone me though. Even my phone says 'Suspected Spam' and it's rarely wrong when I actually do respond.
 

presta

Legendary Member
I just blocked it, I can't be arsed finding out. Just seems a bit odd as to why they would be trying to phone me though.
That's fine until you find that the agency's client is your GP surgery, and the messages you've been ignoring are telling you to contact them about your test results, or getting vaccinated, or whatever. Most of the people leaving messages on telephone look-up sites slating a number for being a scam caller don't realise they're blaming the messenger for the message, and the site operators don't care.
 
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