Crafty use of Google maps' satellite imagery?

[Eric the Viking]

I had a sales call on the landline yesterday. They're usually only sales calls, outright scammers, or relatives that can't remember our mobile numbers. Probably fewer than one call a week is genuine.

Yesterday's was surprising: from a solar system company, asking if I'd had my attic inverter serviced recently. The lass on t'other end evidently knew we have solar panels, but was very surprised when I said that I don't have any kind of inverter. She tried to tell me how they need 'regular attention' (presumably they pine for Nordic fjords otherwise), otherwise they can become dangerous (that bit is true, sadly).

Eventually I decided to release her from her bafflement, and explained they were water-heating panels, needing almost no maintenance whatsoever. We've had them for around 27 years, and they work well. Being water-filled (well, glycol), they are unlikely to cause a roof fire.

It dawned on me after the call that they most likely scan Google's satellite imagery and then use Street View to determine address and postcode. Since we have had the same landline number for almost three decades and are probably still in the (virtual) 'phone book, the rest is relatively easy.

It's not illegal, apart from the actual cold-call*. It is rather sneaky, however.

Has anybody else been approached in a similar way?

E.

*We did try the "Telephone Preference Service" some years back but it only encouraged them. AFAIK, it remains illegal in the UK to make sales cold calls to private individuals, TPS or otherwise.

 

[Lons]

I had a strange one a couple of years ago Eric.

I was renewing the multi car insurance and shopping around when one of those who quoted rang me back a couple of days later. It was for 3 cars and the guy said, "who do you insure your motorhome with as we've started doing them". I had said nothing about that and it was insured separately via a specialist company so I was puzzled and asked how he knew. His response was that he could see I had one and nothing much is secret these days.

It wasn't until later I thought about google earth and street view when I was talking to my neighbour, a retired Detective Sergeant who said criminals do much of their legwork and reccies on line where they can choose likely targets and plan escape routes.

 

[Pete Maddex]

We had a letter from a double glazing company who has photoshoped their windows on to our house using street vieu pictures from 2011, as they havent up dated them.

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Long pre Google, some 40 years ago we knew not to take taxis when going on holiday - the cab firms employed local petty crooks. They'd make pleasant conversation then tell their friends that you'd gone, how long for and where you lived.

 

[Cabinetman]

Long pre Google, some 40 years ago we knew not to take taxis when going on holiday - the cab firms employed local petty crooks. They'd make pleasant conversation then tell their friends that you'd gone, how long for and where you lived.

Yes, we’ve always been wary, once it was unavoidable and we got picked up in the next street, it’s a bit obvious we are going away with the amount of luggage we haul back and forwards lol.

 

[RogerS]

.....and plan escape routes.

Helps the homeowner also, therefore, to work out where to put the mantraps

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Yes, we’ve always been wary, once it was unavoidable and we got picked up in the next street, it’s a bit obvious we are going away with the amount of luggage we haul back and forwards lol.

Definitely. We lived in East Belfast and took great care NEVER to be picked up in our street. You can guess the 'roots' of the cabbies...

 

[Woodbloke]

We had a call years ago from a company who insisted over the 'fone that Dyson vacuum cleaners needed regular servicing by their 'qualified' techicians and would we care to book and appointment? When I pointed out to her that they don't and that I'd also seen a recent program on the TV (Rogue Traders) saying the same thing, said lady on t'other end of the dog n'bone hung up instantly - Rob

 

[Phil Pascoe]

On a slightly different tack, the chap who repaired my washing machine told me he'd turned up with the required part at a commercial firm to fix a washing machine. The owner knew nothing about it, the machine had gone wrong and messaged head office with the fault code.

 

[RogerS]

On a slightly different tack, the chap who repaired my washing machine told me he'd turned up with the required part at a commercial firm to fix a washing machine. The owner knew nothing about it, the machine had gone wrong and messaged head office with the fault code.

I find that so scary.

 

[mwinfrance]

Google also go places that they are not supposed to, our road is private, ( cul de sac , marked as such as the entry, it is even in the road name in french ) so their system is supposed to tell them to stay out.
I noticed recently that apparently they were here in 2022, they'd parked up next to my car and did a 360 panoramic shot of the road, got one of my sculpture wood storage piles in perfect focus.
To get them to remove it , you have to write to them proving ( with photo documentation such as passport or driving licence ) who you are, and also that it is your house ( proving it with official documentation , utility bill etc that has your name on it ). That they took their images is illegal under french law ( you cannot see our house from the public road ) , but they won't remove it unless you give them even more information. It is marked quite clearly on french public records, available online and at the mairie ( cadastre ) that this road is private and who owns the houses and land .

re The washing machine, I've heard that many recent TVs will not work if they can't get "online".If one of ours goes irrevocably wrong, it will be replaced with a monitor of that size or larger, the picture will be better too. TV channels ( 260 odd last time they told us ) are supplied via the ISP box.