Archived News - Telephone Scams
BT Technician Hoax Call Warning
Bedfordshire Police have been contacted by a local resident who very nearly became a victim of a telephone scam.
A caller, claiming to be a BT Technician has reported issues with the broadband connection, suggesting that there may be a fault with the computer.
After a number of conversations the caller has offered to fix the problems by remotely logging into the computer.
At the point where the caller has asked for payment details the resident has become suspicous and has ended the call.
Whilst the resident has not lost any money they have had to contact their bank, broadband supplier and get their computer checked.
These callers are both persistent and convincing.
If you are called by anyone claiming to have information about your broadband or home computer remember the following.
Genuine BT staff do not recite account details over the phone.
Do not let a caller remotely access your computer - this may lead to personal data being captured.
Never give bank details to an unsolicited caller.
If you think that you have been a victim, run a virus scan, alert you bank and contact Action Fraud to report the scam.
Overpaid bank / credit charges scam
A local resident has reported receiving a telephone call from an Asian sounding male, claiming that the resident was owed £2165 in overpaid bank / credit charges. They told the resident to attend their local Post Office in order that a money order could be sent for £125 administration fee.
The resident was asked to phone a telephone number whilst at the Post Office and details of where the admin fee was to be paid would be given.
The male stated that as soon as the fee was paid the Post Office would be able to pay the £2165 immediately (and if they couldn't then the caller would personally drive to the residents address and drop off a cheque or deposit the money in their bank account).
Please be on your guard and ensure that any elderly or vulnerable relatives, friends or neighbours know how to deal with any unwanted / unsolicited phone calls. Never divulge personal information / bank details to anyone on the phone and do not make immediate money transfers to unknown companies.
Further information about scams and consumer information can be obtained from Consumer Direct at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or by calling them on 08454 040506
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
Thames Valley Police - Community Messaging
Watch members are continuing to report cold calls from a company, telling them that their computer is at risk, asking them to turn it on immediately, so that the caller can 'fix' the problem for them, for a fee.
Trading standard's advice is:-
- Do not deal with cold callers.
- Never give personal information over the telephone to cold callers.
- Never give passwords or credit cards and bank details over the telephone to unknown callers.
A resident had two calls yesterday from a security company, claiming to be doing a NHW survey and offering security systems for £1. When the resident identified themself as being a NHW co-ordinator the caller quickly made their excuses and terminated the call.
Any alarm or security systems at such a low cost may well have a heavy monthly monitoring fee and large cancellation costs.
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
The International Routing System scam
It appears that a number of people have received calls from someone claiming to be from the International Routing System. This company does not exist, and the caller is trying to scam you into either installing infected software, or else to give them your credit card details.
Either put the phone down immediately, or else laugh at every statement they make as it is pure fiction.
Source: The International Routing System scam