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norah (admin)

16th January 2016, 16:49
Thanks for all your ideas. I'm seeing Ash tomorrow and will make sure he sees this thread.
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paul

19th January 2016, 06:09
One can block ones landline number from being visible on BT by dialling 141 first.
If enough of us keep ringing and they are a genuine company they would get the message. I can't understand why they would be interested in publishing their number if they weren't trading as there is no malware landing site to click on, and there is no way they can prevent an inbound caller from withholding their number, so they couldn't make any systematic database of numbers. Just don't get what they are up to.
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jazzgirl

19th January 2016, 07:56
It is not a genuine company, just an illegal phishing site based in indonesia. There are no actual kitchens, just a ploy to steal bank accounts. Hundreds of scam posts are sent every minute to forums worldwide. Scam running since 2012 at least. Norah and Ash are aware
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norah (admin)

19th January 2016, 08:40
There is no easy solution, the easiest way of dealing with them is to carry on deleting as soon as I can.

I don't have any great concerns about our users being conned. I have no wish to be controversial but I think the level of intelligence of our merry band of users is such that they wouldn't be stupid enough to attempt to buy a kitchen from a crossword forum site. It would take somebody really dense to do that and my reading of your posts makes me think you are all super intelligent beings! How on earth you all work out the cryptics, I have no idea.

I'll just carry on deleting, at the present level of spam it isn't a great problem.

Once again thanks to my spies who report the spam, much appreciated.

PS Seamus, you are more than welcome to put forward ideas on the forum but, for obvious reasons, I am not going to respond giving details of the security measures we are taking. I will send you an email later.

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norah (admin)

19th January 2016, 13:35
I received an email which might interest everyone, this is posted with permission from the writer :

"Just out of curiosity (and nothing better to do this morning!) I called the Kitchen Ad. number from a phone witholding my number.

A lady with a Lancashire accent, who spoke perfect English, answered.

I asked for the address where invoices should be sent for advertising
I did not mention our forum by name. She said I should call back on Monday as the manager was not there..

I then asked for the address from which she was answering my phone call.

She refused. I was transferred three times asking for their address. Each time a recorded message asked me to hold. The third message then said "as you are calling from an unknown phone, we are unable to continue this call" and they put the phone down.

They have a reputation for being scam merchants. Plenty of really bad comments all over the internet.

The Advertising Standards Authority has plenty to report about them and they have been warned several times
for not divulging their address in adverts..

Their website has another phone number (no address) but says they are based in Central Java, Indonesia and this is probably where the temporary email addresses keep coming from,as some of the typing has foreign accents over the letters."
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paul

19th January 2016, 14:27
I called them too and probably got the same northern lass. She was very polite as she thought I was a genuine potential customer. They seem to be a direct sales company who come to visit people at home to flog them a kitchen.
Their website is

http://www.qualitatkitchens.co.uk

( the kitchens look good by the way!)

Don't know if this is the same phishing expedition that Jazzie refers to.
It appears they are genuine and just employing an annoying marketing campaign. It could be that the only way we'll know is if someone can be bothered to invite them round! Perhaps Ash could try and speak to someone more senior there and see if they will voluntarily stop posting here as it's bad for their reputation.....
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jazzgirl

19th January 2016, 14:43
Do you also believe in fairies Paul ??!!
Perhaps Norah email will send you the links I sent to Ash.
The varying websites are all connected to the Indonesian scam.
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paul

19th January 2016, 15:30
Sorry coldn't reply earlier jazzie - I was on the phone to Tinkerbelle!
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jazzgirl

19th January 2016, 15:36
I hope Tinkerbelle is well, Paul.
The fellow behind the scam has over 100 different websites with the same telephone number. The call centre in Manchester cannot stop the spam as it is eminating from Indonesia, The "polite" girls say they know nothing...... a bit like Manuel from Barcelona :)
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ginge

19th January 2016, 15:43
Hi jazzy, surely that's Sergeant Schultz's catchphrase (Hogan's Heroes). :-)
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