Anyone Done Business with Birexautospareparts?

[mwc951]

Birexautospareparts
Birmingham, AL

​​​​​​​Beautiful pics of part outs on FB, his website seems sketchy though.
I'd like to do business, he claims to have parts I want...
But seems VERY, VERY scammy.

[ROB III]

I just checked their website and they had what appears to be an international number.

[mwc951]

I just checked their website and they had what appears to be an international number.

Thanks Rob...
But I don't think 91 123-456-7890 is an international number.

[Tom]

Looks extremely suspect to me...

It's from the UAE: "Birex Auto spare part is a providing company in UAE belongs to a dynamic industry attracting millions of customers. Being a part of the main commercial hub of UAE, we have achieved huge and tremendous growth. From decades of experience and market knowledge, we know what a car requires."

It's also from the India: "Select Used Parts and fairly used parts from all over the india and enjoy quality supply. Any part from full engines to modules choice that they’ve made. This website is also for those who are looking out for a reliable car repair."

It's 'offices' are also from: "Canada, Australia, USA"

It's phone number is from a first grade number line: 123 456 7890

It has 540 '5 star' reviews at an undisclosed location; 248 invisible Facebook reviews; and 1248 non-existent Instagram reviews. Not bad for a website that Google says has existed for 10 months, using images cribbed from other websites, with virtually no search hits.

All of it's purported social media links revert back to their main website.

Etc., etc., etc. It if walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....

[blueline]

aaaaand, it's a duck!

Excellent digital sleuthing!

Now, about the constant and growing barrages of never-answered-but-irritating-as-hell spoofed number phone calls and spoofed number texts that we all keep receiving...any help Mr Tom? It's obvious that the telcos/internet giants/feds/etc. are not going to lift a finger to squelch any of it even though it's easily doable.

[Tom]

aaaaand, it's a duck!

Excellent digital sleuthing!

Now, about the constant and growing barrages of never-answered-but-irritating-as-hell spoofed number phone calls and spoofed number texts that we all keep receiving...any help Mr Tom? It's obvious that the telcos/internet giants/feds/etc. are not going to lift a finger to squelch any of it even though it's easily doable.

Only thing I can offer is that the iPhone let's you block any/all numbers you want. After getting a spam call, go to recent calls and tap the little information icon (i in a blue circle). On the info screen, the last option is Block this Caller. It's not perfect because call centers use multiple numbers, etc., but if you do it every time you get an unwanted call, it definitely reduces spam calls over time. I learned this the hard way when my wife signed us up to 'get additional information' about health insurance options on some lead-generating website she thought was legit, which unleashed a torrent of calls from every insurance agent, broker, dealer, scammer on earth. I always found it amusing that the iPhone and AT&T flags spam calls as "Telemarketer" or "Spam Risk" with 99%+ accuracy, yet let the call go through anyway. Fells more like the phone companies are partnering with the call centers rather than trying to shut them down.

[blueline]

aaaaand, it's a duck!

Excellent digital sleuthing!

Now, about the constant and growing barrages of never-answered-but-irritating-as-hell spoofed number phone calls and spoofed number texts that we all keep receiving...any help Mr Tom? It's obvious that the telcos/internet giants/feds/etc. are not going to lift a finger to squelch any of it even though it's easily doable.

Only thing I can offer is that the iPhone let's you block any/all numbers you want. After getting a spam call, go to recent calls and tap the little information icon (i in a blue circle). On the info screen, the last option is Block this Caller. It's not perfect because call centers use multiple numbers, etc., but if you do it every time you get an unwanted call, it definitely reduces spam calls over time. I learned this the hard way when my wife signed us up to 'get additional information' about health insurance options on some lead-generating website she thought was legit, which unleashed a torrent of calls from every insurance agent, broker, dealer, scammer on earth. I always found it amusing that the iPhone and AT&T flags spam calls as "Telemarketer" or "Spam Risk" with 99%+ accuracy, yet let the call go through anyway. Fells more like the phone companies are partnering with the call centers rather than trying to shut them down.

Very true.

I was kind of being facetious as I've been involved directly and indirectly in spam prevention as well as stopping unwanted callers for close to 30 years. I probably already have 750 or more blocked numbers on my current relatively new phone. (Android lets you block unlimited numbers, no different than Apple.) For me, any and every unknown number, whether a call or a text, gets instantly blocked. The call screener does a wonderful job too and it's easy to use. (Yes, I could block any call from numbers that are not in my contact list but that's entirely impractical unless one's living off the grid.) However, as I see it I shouldn't have to go through any of this to stop unwanted calls.

The problem isn't robo-calls (I have robo killers for that) or "legit" telemarketers (they are long dead) or even the foreign "you have a virus and we can fix it" callers from overseas. I have none of that, thankfully. No, the problem is spoofed numbers and the ringing phone that accompanies the spoofed numbers. It irritates me highly that some computer can generate a random number and interrupt my thoughts with a ringing phone. (None ever get answered but the fact that they exist and have the ability to interrupt me is beyond irritating.)

There are hundreds of millions (virtually unlimited actually) combinations of numbers that random number generators use to create completely spoofed return ID numbers that pass through the systems of whatever service one uses. This is especially true for systems other than cell phones that utilize the internet or one's cable system for non cell phone calling, say at an office or home. The carriers handling the network do not want to invest in the technology or activate the switches that will block spoofed numbers.

The perps try all kinds of tricks such as using the same area code and the first 3-digits of the local calling area to induce recipients to pick up as though a neighbor is calling. (It works for many unwitting people.) People have even received calls with caller ID's showing their own phone number. It's pitiful.

So, until those running the comm networks decide to block (or allow individual users to block) ALL spoofed numbers, the problem will continue to get worse. It's gotten bad enough now that I think we'll see some relief in the not-to-distant future.

One problem preventing action against these crooks is that some countries (including the US) have either passed laws to not allow spoofed number blocking or have been resistant to doing so as a way to protect those under orders of protection. IE: an estranged spouse needs to contact her ex and doesn't want her number to be revealed, so specialized software generates the call using a fake return number that shows on the receiver's caller ID. There are ways to work around that to stop spoofing while still protecting specific individuals but those running the show will not do anything about it, at least not yet.

Unfortunately, anyone can now use this kind of software to generate randomly generated spoofed caller ID numbers. Couple that with automated dialing and calling that can generate hundreds of thousands of calls per hour with software that recognizes whether a real person answers vs a digital assistant or answering machine and you have a huge and growing problem. Throw in the billions of personal records floating around the Dark Web (See this recent report from Malwarebytes) and you have a recipe for big problems.

Yeah, I've been fighting bogus calls and fighting spam since email began. That's a literal statement as I've been involved with SpamCop for probably 25 years and even longer with the State when they were trying to stem the flood of telemarketers and bogus calls. I was a signee in the beginning with the laughable "Do Not Call" venture at both the State and Federal level. That worked out really well. Hah!

I don't get that many bogus calls but even one rankles me. Actual robo calls (not spoofed calls) that a service like Nomorobo will effectively stop also irritate me highly because the phone will still ring once. But, that's much, much better than before and also much better than the spoofed calls which ring multiple times.

[blueline]

@mwc951

Sorry for the hijack but I guess the similarities of the bogus site you came across, bogus numbers and bogus calls all coincided to generate my response! May all the crooks and bogus shysters sink into the depths of the Marianas Trench!

[ROB III]

I just checked their website and they had what appears to be an international number.

Thanks Rob...
But I don't think 91 123-456-7890 is an international number.

The 91 is the country code for calling India but I didn't pay attention to the remaining numbers (D'OH). Thanks to Tom and Tim I learned a couple good points overall.
I appreciate the input gentlemen!!!