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Have you used Zoom?

Has anyone used Zoom to connect with family, friends and colleagues during the Covid-19 lockdown?


Some friends have used it successfully on their iPads, computers, laptops and android phones, so a few of us had an informal committee meeting on Friday with Zoom.


I used my iPhone and since then have been inundated with what are known as Wangiri phone calls mainly from Africa. My phone rings once then cuts off. When I look at my missed calls there is the number and location of the caller. As you can imagine, getting a phone call in the middle of the night from Burkina Faso is somewhat unusual.


I blocked that number but then the phone rings again from the same place but the last digits of the phone number have been changed. To date, I've had calls from Brazzaville in the Congo, Santo Domingo, Zimbabwe,Lithuania, Algeria, Guinea and Haiti as well as Burkina Faso. All the calls have been blocked but they still keep coming although thankfully not as frequently as yesterday when I had 18. So far today I've only had 4.


A colleague of my neighbour has also had the same problem since using his iPhone with Zoom. I've read in the press that Zoom are saying that their security is not as good as it should be! So, although I suppose it could be a coincidence that I have suddenly started to receive these calls, it would take a lot to convince me that this is so. By the way, a Wangiri call is when the caller phones you but only lets the phone ring once. If you call them back you are immediately connected to a premium rate, high cost call which could cost you a lot of money so please be careful. Needless to say, I would not have returned the call to any of these numbers but some people might.


Created By on 07/04/2020

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2travelite
24th Apr 2020 12:18:31 (Last activity: 25th Apr 2020 17:21:44)
0
Thanks for voting!
Hi, I use Zoom on my laptop to join a Zumba class twice a week and haven’t had any problems so far. I also pay for the course by S Order directly to the tutor. I hardly use the laptop, there’s little information stored on it and I don’t backup my iPhone to it; I downloaded the App to the computer because of that reason. There are privacy problems with the App, so I would be disinclined to use it on either my iPhone or iPad. I find Skype and FaceTime very reliable for family chats and WhatsApp for everyone else. Hope you manage to get things sorted.
Response from CaroleAH Original Poster made on 24th Apr 2020 14:17:05
Thank-you, 2travelite. I had 25 Wangiri calls altogether but they have now stopped - thank goodness. Most were in the middle of the night (no doubt the middle of their day time!) and you tend to think that there's a family emergency if calls come in at 2 or 3 in the morning.
Response from 2travelite made on 25th Apr 2020 17:21:44 > @CaroleAH
Yes, calls in the early hours always fill you with dread. Glad everything has sorted itself out now.
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Alanb2012
9th Apr 2020 12:48:00 (Last activity: 14th Apr 2020 23:22:35)
0
Thanks for voting!
We have used zoom a number of times for extended family chats , some of my younger nieces and nephews use their iPhones and so far no problem reported .
My daughter used it for her work at the moment but like me only on our laptops.
I feel it's worth the risk just to talk and keep in touch with the family , who are spread over the world , U.K. Belgium America and more . Xxx stay safe
Response from Sally - Silversurfer's Editor made on 14th Apr 2020 10:27:40
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Response from CaroleAH Original Poster made on 14th Apr 2020 13:09:37
Hi Alan,
Can I ask if your family group has a password to enter the chat? I've since found out, after my unfortunate experience, that the group I used did not have a password and I'm wondering if that is why I had so many Wangiri calls.
Carole
Response from Alanb2012 made on 14th Apr 2020 14:57:21 > @CaroleAH
Hi Carol, yes my eldest daughter uses her code, I think she pays for using zoom for her work therefore can use it for as a many people as she wants for as long as she want. I've spoken to the rest of the familey and they have had no problem.
Hope this helps xxx
Response from CaroleAH Original Poster made on 14th Apr 2020 17:36:56
Thank you, Alan - it does help. My friend used the free version of Zoom and did not use a password for our meeting so I suppose we were open to hacking! A hard lesson learned!!!
Carole
Response from Alanb2012 made on 14th Apr 2020 18:40:57 > @CaroleAH
Google duo and WhatsApp I'm told are great for face to face chats, def going to give them a try xx
Response from CaroleAH Original Poster made on 14th Apr 2020 23:22:35 > @Alanb2012
Thank you, Alan. It would be lovely to have face to face chats with my daughters and granddaughter. 🙂
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IsobelM3
9th Apr 2020 20:39:08
0
Thanks for voting!
I am using a Zoom platform for access to my slimming group and haven't found any problems although I am not the person who set it up. I have it on my computer and on my android phone but have not had any strange calls This is only until we are all able to meet again in person. There was an item about the Houseparty app which was reported to be having security problems and as I had put it on my phone for music I took it off immediately and also deleted all setting for it.
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shrew1742
9th Apr 2020 12:07:40
0
Thanks for voting!
I have an Android phone but have no intention of putting Zoom on it. Yet I have still
had a call from Burkina Faso. I just ignore anything I don't recognize.
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Mabel06
8th Apr 2020 10:47:18 (Last activity: 9th Apr 2020 11:45:13)
1
Thanks for voting!
I've used Zoom very successfully on a laptop and funnily enough was thinking of putting it on my Iphone today as I wanted to go out into the garden with it, so thank you so much for sharing your experiences CaroleAH, I certainly won't be loading it onto my phone anytime soon. It makes me so angry that people are still scamming each other during these difficult times - as if things weren't bad enough!
Response from CaroleAH Original Poster made on 8th Apr 2020 16:10:04
I agree Mabelo6. I've been quite upset by it all which is silly considering all the deaths and illness in the country but I sometimes think that when you are on your own with no-one to talk to , things get magnified out of all proportion and prey on your mind. Fortunately I only had one call, from Cuba, yesterday and none so far today so hopefully the scammers have given me up as a bad job. I have emailed the Zoom Helpdesk to make them aware of the problem but haven't had a response. I'm glad that You are now wary of having Zoom on your iPhone.
Response from LizS78 made on 9th Apr 2020 11:45:13 > @CaroleAH
thank you, tried to use Zoom the other day, it did not work and not feeling confident did not continue with it, there are so many scammers out there now, I'm very cautious with sharing any information.
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