indian call centres sell off australian personal information

[paul7v7]

bit of a worry if you ask me

Tens of thousands of Australians are at risk of computer fraud because their personal information is being made available illegally by workers inside call centres based in India.

Tonight's Four Corners program reveals a black market in information held by Indian call centres.

The program was able to get hold of personal details through a journalist who is working undercover and cannot be identified.

"We were absolutely amazed at how easy it was to buy data. And secondly, the free flow of data was just astonishing," the journalist said.

"A good analogy would be paedophile or child porn sites on the Internet. If you're one of them, you swap your pictures with their pictures, that's how the trade carries on."

The undercover journalist was also behind the recent sting operation by Britain's Sun newspaper, which bought the bank details of 1,000 British people for just $7 each.

"You can't go to these people and ask for 10 names. The minimum, it seems to us, the minimum quantity they will deal with is 1,000 names," the journalist said.

The Australian names requested by Four Corners had a price tag of $10 each.

It was offered ATM numbers, passport numbers and credit card details - enough information for hackers to assume the identity of Australians online.

The program did not go ahead with the purchase but a sample of identifications included the personal details of Diane and Keith Poole.

Ms Poole says the revelation leaves her feeling vulnerable.

"I'm mortified because it leaves us fairly open, doesn't it?" she said.

Mr Poole says a call centre operator working for Australian company Switch Mobile, asked him an unusual question.

"They asked did I have a passport. I said, 'Yes I have a passport' but I said I wasn't prepared to give the number on that," he said.

Switch Mobile spokesman Damien Kay says passport information is not needed.

"The issue of personal information being sold goes way outside of our authorisation in the contracts that we have," he said.

He says Switch is devastated that privacy laws are being flouted by its representative and has since terminated the contract it had with its telemarketing company.

Cyber crime is described by former World Bank cyber intelligence expert Tom Kellerman as the most pervasive crime on the planet.

"Organised crime has created a business model around hacking," he said.

The threat of financial loss to a victim of identity fraud is bad in itself, but there is an even darker side to the crime.

Personal details on any number of databases can be accessed and used for terrorist activities, which could include getting passports issued, establishing lines of credit or arranging fake IDs for people working undercover.

- The full Four Corners report can be seen on ABC TV at 8:30pm tonight.

I got a call yesterday from a woman in India. She knew my surname. It was a brief call. She says "Hello is this Mr *****? I am ****** from India. Can you hear me ok?" In which I replied "No, not anymore" then I hung up.

[Shonky]

Centerlink have been claiming that we owe them around a grand for around three months, and after the first week, employed a debt collection company to recover "their" money. about 2 weeks ago they discovered that they actually owe us 3 grand! Now centerlink hasn't got around to telling the debt collectors that their services were no longer required, and so they continually call us and pester us trying to claim a debt which we do not owe.

The latest call was last night, I answered the phone, and got some nig-nog:

"oh hello Mr Cungee-Smith (its Carnegie god-dammit!) It is <insert indian name here> calling from <insert debt collection agency here> in regards to the debt which you currently owe centerlink. Can I just have your date of birth to verify your identity."

"Why"

"Oh we just need to verify that we are discussing this matter with the right person."

"but how do I know that you are really from #####?"

"If you would like to call us back on #### #### you will get through to us"

"how do I know thats actually #####'s phone number though?"

"Well, um... If you go to our website www.##########.com.au you can verify our legitimacy that way"

"Again, how do I know thats #####'s website?"

"Oh... um... well if you..."

This continued for about 5 minutes, and every time he would suggest something I would question it's legitimacy. I was doing it just to **** him off, but every thing I questioned would be entirely possible.

[Sourbastard]

Originally Posted by Young 'un

"Can I just have your date of birth to verify your identity."

I love it when i get some moron ring ME and ask me to confirm MY birthdate. Moron, you rang ME, i didnt ring YOU. Hell you give me YOUR Birthdate and confirm to me YOU are from the concerned government agency of the week!

[InitialD]

I use to get calls all the time from call center's in India and europe asking for me and saying "I had registered for information on Insurance and investments". Asking all wierd questions. Then if you said "stop calling here" they would get VERY VERY abusive. went on for about a year then disappeared.

Maybe someone has my details ?!

[jmc-007]

People are just starting to wake up and realise that you dont own your data, there are personal data resellers and the govt is in on it as well.

I.e Places like telstra and Centrelink, Medicare.

Read the Policy statements.

Usualy there is. Blah blah ".. You agree to us sharing your information with 3rd partys witch may include, Credit Agenceys etc,etc.."

[3Toed]

There was actually an interstring story about this on Four Corners last night. http://abc.net.au/4corners/default.htm

The reporter had the opportunity to buy the details of 1000 Australians for I think $10 per person. They got a sample list of a few names, checked them and they were real people. They then visited one of the people on the list to show them their finding and they (the couple who's details were compromised) were shocked (as they would be).

Dodgy Indians...

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Yeah, scary stuff, makes you wonder doesn't it? :(

[Dave_au]

And its coming from a half reputable news program.

No Ray, I'm not talking about you.

[Bearman]

Just f'ing great!! It was always a very bad idea to export all the call centres. I've got a major problem with ringing up an organization and having to talk to some half-wit in f'ing India!!

My best mates brother in law is an IT guy with an insurance company who is losing his job because his whole section is being exported to India. Then the company has the gall to send in 6 of the pricks and expect him to show them how to do the job they are stealing from him!!! Un f'ing believeable!!! I'd be showing them how to do it half-arsed or very badly if it were me.

Would love to boycott all companies that do this but it's so widespread now it'd be impossible without major inconvenience to one self.

Grrrrrr.

[mcflux]

I had an Indian call my house the other night... turned out to be a rather interesting conversation! Keep in mind that my father, whom I live with, also shares my last name, that being Smith.

<indian>"Good day sir!" (it was night time) "I uhh, mean, good evening!"
<Ghia5L>"Hi."
<indian>"Hello, my name is... Austin (yeah right) calling from... Seedneey (yeah right) and I am calling to tell you that I can reduce your phone bill!"
<Ghia5L>"Is that so?"
<indian>"Yes."
<Ghia5L>"..."
<indian>"This is Mr Smith I am talking to?"
<Ghia5L>"... yes, this is *Mr Smith*"
<indian>"Very good sir. Do you realise that you are paying 34c/minute in STD rates and that I can reduce this by 15 cents? And that your mobile calls cost 44c/minute and can be reduced by 13 cents?"
<Ghia5L>"I see. Never mind the fact that my *prepaid* mobile phone is completely independant to the landline number you have called, and that I am not subject to the billing figures you have given me."
<indian>"Oh! Has this call been redirected from (landline number)?"
<Ghia5L>"no."
<indian>"Is this Mr Smith that I am talking to?"
<Ghia5L>"Yes"
<indian>"And is (landline number) Mr Smith's telephone number?"
<Ghia5L>"Yes"
<indian>"So this is your number"
<Ghia5L>"No"
<indian>"But you are MR SMITH"
<Ghia5L>"Yes, but this is not my phone."
<indian>"Then whose is it?"
<Ghia5L>"... Mr Smith's."
<indian>"..."
<Ghia5L>"So... Austin... how can you save *me* 13 cents a minute on my prepaid mobile phone? Can you describe my current provider's details in such a way so that I can be convinced verbally to switch to whatever your offering is, despite you not even telling me the name of the company you work for..."
<indian>"who are you sir?!?"
<Ghia5L>"Mr Smith!"
<indian>"... Goodbye Mr Smith *click*"

And Ghia5L smiled for the first time after giving a subcontinental telecommunications sweatshop underling a most satisfying headf***

-Dave-

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Hahaha, that's gold Ghia5L!

[Steffo]

Wow.. I just hang up on them. :

[Sourbastard]

Where I work we often get them ringing up to sell us a better phone plan. They usually ask to speak to the manager, im not him but i field the call anyway. Goes like this.

"Hello is this the manager?"
"Yes"
"Hello I am from yaddayaddayadda ... spiel spiel spiel"
*Bastard places the phone on the desk and goes to make a cup of coffee*

Usually by the time I return they have given up and hung the phone up.

[XAGSV8]

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Where I work we often get them ringing up to sell us a better phone plan. They usually ask to speak to the manager, im not him but i field the call anyway. Goes like this.

"Hello is this the manager?"
"Yes"
"Hello I am from yaddayaddayadda ... spiel spiel spiel"
*Bastard places the phone on the desk and goes to make a cup of coffee*

Usually by the time I return they have given up and hung the phone up.

Get that all the time at work and no matter how much you swear at them they just keep comming back for more. Got to the point where I asked him for his details and his name and he told me his name was David Jones (Funny name for an Indian) and hung up.

Had a telemarketer ring me at work last week and try to sell me a holiday. I am still wondering how they new I worked at ***********.

[FordFan86]

Go D4V3, shoulda put on the freakt voice and gone the matrix with "Mr Anderson"

[cogdoc]

I give em to my two year old, he loves a chat.

[chief]

What I would like to know why do multi national companies who have lots of money employ Indians for their Telemarketing? India has one of the worst phone networks in the world. Surely if you communicate with someone whos trying to sell you something the company would have a greater sale rate if they hired Aussies who could talk AND LISTEN. Not to mention the jobs for Aussies

[MO]

Well we really need a National ID card don't we...seems everyone but the F/gov't knows all there is to know about us.

At least my complaint..along with many others no doubt..got telstra off their bums to do something..warnings have gone out about this..I had same sort of calls about a month ago even posted here about it to warn others.

[TuMor]

Ive had indians call and ramble for ages about some mobile phone deal crap, i had enough time to go to privacy.gov.au , then read out to him the laws governing Outsourcing of personal information and storage of the info without my consent : : . It was fun shouting at him for 5minutes...