Data Protection?

ergonomics

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone can advise if this is something I should contact the Data Protection Commissioner about?

I got a phonecall just now from 'Windows' telling me my computer was sending them errors and showing up that I had viruses and they wanted to fix. Now I know this is a scam so, being bored, I decided to have a bit of fun with it. First thing I asked was how did they get my number (it was on the landline). They said the computer had sent it to them with the errors. I said I never registered that landline to anyone/anything so how would the computer have known it. It went back and forth so I said if you know my phone number can you tell me my name and address?

She was a bit cagey at first and I kept pressuring her and then she gave me my full name, address and phone number. Suddenly this wasn't fun anymore so I hung up so I went along with her and pretended that I was going to let them fix my computer and then hung up. I am furious now because it's one thing if they are dialling random numbers but to actually have my name and address is not right.

Is this something I should be sending to Data Protection Commissioner or should I contact the phone company first?

Shield

Are you in the phone book?

Jagle

ergonomics wrote: »

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone can advise if this is something I should contact the Data Protection Commissioner about?

I got a phonecall just now from 'Windows' telling me my computer was sending them errors and showing up that I had viruses and they wanted to fix. Now I know this is a scam so, being bored, I decided to have a bit of fun with it. First thing I asked was how did they get my number (it was on the landline). They said the computer had sent it to them with the errors. I said I never registered that landline to anyone/anything so how would the computer have known it. It went back and forth so I said if you know my phone number can you tell me my name and address?

She was a bit cagey at first and I kept pressuring her and then she gave me my full name, address and phone number. Suddenly this wasn't fun anymore so I hung up so I went along with her and pretended that I was going to let them fix my computer and then hung up. I am furious now because it's one thing if they are dialling random numbers but to actually have my name and address is not right.

Is this something I should be sending to Data Protection Commissioner or should I contact the phone company first?

ima take a rough guess here
phone book
yellow pages
you signed to them?

ergonomics

When I signed up I purposely asked not to be included in the phone book. Guess that's a good start though, I'll contact the company to confirm that my number is not in the phonebook.

Jagle

ergonomics wrote: »

When I signed up I purposely asked not to be included in the phone book. Guess that's a good start though, I'll contact the company to confirm that my number is not in the phonebook.

try googleing yourself, your name address number if you find something that might also help ya

tallaghtoutlaws

There have been many threads about that crowd. Most likely our details getting sold on to these companies which isn't supposed to happen and the like of our suppliers will tell us they aren't selling them but how else would they have them.

ergonomics

Please note that I haven't mentioned any names. It could be anyone.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ergonomics wrote: »

When I signed up I purposely asked not to be included in the phone book. Guess that's a good start though, I'll contact the company to confirm that my number is not in the phonebook.

The Eircom phonebook is available on-line. Just look it up.

slimjimmc

These scam artists are probably just using a number generator and an auto-dialer. If you auto-dial 1000s numbers daily there's a very good chance you'll get a real one and a reasonable chance someone will confirm it's real by answering it (that's why I rarely ever answer a blocked or unknown phone number). Though the fact she had your name and address suggests they obtained those details legally or otherwise.

There's no point in calling in the DP guys because they are powerless when (a) the caller is most likely outside Ireland and even Europe, and (b) you don't know the name of the person or company you're complaining about.

BrianD

Unless the Data Commissioner is going to take an investigative role there's little that they can do.

It seems that somebody that you have given your details to has sold them on or you have even though you opted out of marketing calls you may be still listed in the phone directory.

tallaghtoutlaws

Pablo Sweet Lightning wrote: »

The Eircom phonebook is available on-line. Just look it up.

To be honest I think certain companies are selling info. We changed from one to the other and within 2 weeks of being with the new one these windows clowns were calling us. Now the new company have us ex directory and our new number doesnt appear in any phonebook online or on paper.

How I get my theory when we signed up I signed up on behalf of the parents and the new company had us down (fake names) as Jim/Mary O'toole on our bill for the first few days with them until we got it rectified to only show the mother name. Get a call from that windows crowd and the first thing your one says is can i speak to Jim Mary O'Toole.

I will say though if you want rid of them, wind them up enough and accuse them of being thieves and scum and every other thing for a laugh and they give up ringing.

Jagle

slimjimmc wrote: »

These scam artists are probably just using a number generator and an auto-dialer. If you auto-dial 1000s numbers daily there's a very good chance you'll get a real one and a reasonable chance someone will confirm it's real by answering it (that's why I rarely ever answer a blocked or unknown phone number). Though the fact she had your name and address suggests they obtained those details legally or otherwise.

There's no point in calling in the DP guys because they are powerless when (a) the caller is most likely outside Ireland and even Europe, and (b) you don't know the name of the person or company you're complaining about.

makes no sense, callers knew his address not just auto dialing random numbers, good theory but its not that, deffinetly data selling, look at the dutch police and the tomtom incident this week, prime example

slimjimmc

Jagle wrote: »

makes no sense, callers knew his address not just auto dialing random numbers, good theory but its not that, deffinetly data selling, look at the dutch police and the tomtom incident this week, prime example

I agree that an autodialer wasn't employed in this case (I did say "Though the fact she had your name and address suggests they obtained those details legally or otherwise." )

The OPs personal data has been 'aquired' somehow, and it's nigh on impossible to find out from where. Every one who has an address is on at least one database somewhere and there are many ways of getting that info. Some is sold legally and illegally, some is stolen. The legitimate trade in personal data is big business, the illegal trade equally imo.


BTW: TomTom were selling anonymous data, still a breach of trust, but no identifying details was ever given.

BrianD

It is becoming increasingly obvious that personal data is being sold to debt collectors by both employees of private companies and now there are reports that state employees are doing so too.

(when I say increasingly obvious, I mean it's being happening for years but only now beginning to feature more in the news).

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the sellers was asked to give somebody an entire database.

If you are 100% sure that the name used by the scammer to address you was the incorrect name that the phone company used initially then I would make a complaint to both the company and the data commissioner. Either they have a little entrepeneur working for them or their database could have been compromised externally.

jor el

Along with being ex-directory, you also need to opt out of cold calls in the National Directory Database. Being ex-directory alone is not enough, as you could still be on the NDD. Contact your phone operator to change this.

If you verify that you are ex-directory, and ex-NDD, then the company that called you must have found your name and number by some other means. It will be very difficult to find out how exactly they did this, and contact the data protection commissioner will be quite futile, as you don't know who you're even complaining about.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

BrianD wrote: »

It is becoming increasingly obvious that personal data is being sold to debt collectors by both employees of private companies and now there are reports that state employees are doing so too.
.

Care to stand over that statement on state employees, or are you just repeating rumour in certain media that has not been proven or even elaborated on other than to make a general accusation?

i like pie

Same thing happened to me today, a foreign woman rang the house phone saying she was from the windows support centre and they said my computer had downloaded a virus and illegal material. When I heard illegal material I started to panic! Then it clicked with me that we don't even have a windows computer, we have a MacBook. The woman told me to go sit at my windows computer, then i told her I don't have a windows computer and she tells me that my MacBook must have been registered with windows???? I told her that I didn't have the laptop at the moment so i can't do anything and I then ask where she got the telephone number and she said the computer sent it to her. I ask where she is making the call from then she got annoyed and said there was a mistake and hung up!! Very annoying because whatever scam they were trying to pull my parents could have easily fell for it!