Funny Phone Calls

purplepixi

This is a warning really - I questioned this, but some may not. So please read.

I had a phone call from someone asking to speak to my husband, so I asked who it was, I was told it was Liz from Comet. So I handed the phone to my husband who was told they were confirming that a wide screen tele was to be sent to an address in London (we live in oxon), and they needed to confirm his CC details to check for security as the address had been changed. Well - ALARM BELLS - we hadn't ordered a tele. So he told them to cancel the order.

I wasn't happy about this at all so I phoned comet, and asked if they had just rung us - there were not details for us on their system - and they told us that this was a problem and some people had given their CC details and had had money taken.

We also had another call - this was really strange - again asking for my husband, he wasn't here, so I asked if I could help, and she said no, so I asked what it was about - she said an application (although he hadn't made any), then I asked what sort of application and she said she couldn't tell me, then I asked for her name, she said she couldn't tell me that either and it was very urgent and could she have his mobile number, and I asked what company she was calling from, she said she couldn't tell me that either - so I told her I wasn't going to give her his mobile number.

Funny thing was I then phoned BT, as this was the second one in a week and they said that they would log it on my account, but because the calls were coming from an international exchange they couldn't trace them.

So people please be careful when giving out your personal information. And if someone claims to be a reputable company - ask for it in writing!! And then contact the company separatly!

Heinz

The quickest way to get rid of scam merchants like that is to tell them to read out the details they have of the credit card (or bank account or whatever it is they allege they 'need to check') and you will check each part as they do so.

Obviously, they can't do so so, normally, they hang up at this point but, if they persist, repeat the offer again and again and again.

In the (highly unlikely) event that they do have some of your details, never confirm anything but, as you did, ask for their details so you can call back. If they call your bluff and actually give the name of a firm and a number, never use that number but check for a number in the phone book or online and call that to check.

mr_fishbulb

Have you checked with your credit card company that the card hasn't been used?