Phone and web scams

Re. the scammed couple’s warnings (Nelson Mail, January 11) – I also have had three of these calls in the past 24 hours, claiming to be from Spark. It is relatively easy to identify them as scams.

1. There is a delay before the caller responds after you say hello.

2. The caller speaks with a very Asian or foreign accent.

3. The call seems to be very distant, as if he (usually a male) is a long way away – maybe on a smartphone.

The best response is to just hang up. Don’t engage in a conversation, or they will think you are ‘‘hooked’’ and will come back to you.

I get the impression that most people who are targeted are seniors, like me. Nelson Senior Net is a good source of information about this and other internet issues. Further information can be found on its website.

Barry Doig Stoke, January 11