We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
The Forum now has a brand new text editor, adding a bunch of handy features to use when creating posts. Read more in our how-to guide
Warning on BT bogus scam
Optimist
Posts: 4,557 Forumite
Police are warning urging the public to be on their guard after conmen netted hundreds of pounds in a telephone scam. The warning follows at least two incidents where the fraudsters posed as British Telecom (BT) workers and called their victims to say their bill payments were overdue.
To "prove" they were from BT, the conmen claimed they would disconnect and then reconnect the telephone line so the homeowner was unable to make outgoing calls. In reality, say the police, they did not hang up the phone but simply pressed the mute button.
Both homeowners then handed over their credit card details and their bank accounts were raided.
Police say at least £600 was taken from a woman in Middleton and £120 from a woman in Rosedale Abbey in four different transactions last week.
The scam has targeted people all over the country.
PC Terry Triffitt, of Ryedale's Safer Neighbourhood Team, SAID: "British Telecom informed us that they would not cut anyone off using this type of procedure. This case highlights the lengths that criminals will go to invent a highly believable ploy to get you to part with your banking details.
"It is always better to be safe than sorry and a quick call to BT Customer Services will clear up whether or not this type of call is genuine or bogus."
A spokesman for BT added: "We never ask for bank details over the phone. If anyone does receive a call requesting bank details, they should treat it with suspicion and report it to the police."
PC Triffitt said members of the public should practice "extreme caution" and not give any bank details or other personal information over the telephone unless they are sure it is a bona fide organisation.
They should also contact and check with the customer service department of the organisation if in doubt.
Anyone who may have been contacted by someone trying to commit this type of fraud is asked to call the BT Nuisance Calls Bureau on 0800 411422, so that the scale of the problem can be identified, and North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
To "prove" they were from BT, the conmen claimed they would disconnect and then reconnect the telephone line so the homeowner was unable to make outgoing calls. In reality, say the police, they did not hang up the phone but simply pressed the mute button.
Both homeowners then handed over their credit card details and their bank accounts were raided.
Police say at least £600 was taken from a woman in Middleton and £120 from a woman in Rosedale Abbey in four different transactions last week.
The scam has targeted people all over the country.
PC Terry Triffitt, of Ryedale's Safer Neighbourhood Team, SAID: "British Telecom informed us that they would not cut anyone off using this type of procedure. This case highlights the lengths that criminals will go to invent a highly believable ploy to get you to part with your banking details.
"It is always better to be safe than sorry and a quick call to BT Customer Services will clear up whether or not this type of call is genuine or bogus."
A spokesman for BT added: "We never ask for bank details over the phone. If anyone does receive a call requesting bank details, they should treat it with suspicion and report it to the police."
PC Triffitt said members of the public should practice "extreme caution" and not give any bank details or other personal information over the telephone unless they are sure it is a bona fide organisation.
They should also contact and check with the customer service department of the organisation if in doubt.
Anyone who may have been contacted by someone trying to commit this type of fraud is asked to call the BT Nuisance Calls Bureau on 0800 411422, so that the scale of the problem can be identified, and North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."
Bertrand Russell. British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)
Bertrand Russell. British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)
0
Comments
-
How old is this warning? PC Terry Triffitt has retired and gone cycling.
ETA: I see he retires in a couple of weeks!0 -
Tbh I fail to have much sympathy for anyone who mistakes a muted open phone line for a disconnected line.0
-
sarahg1969 wrote: »How old is this warning? PC Terry Triffitt has retired and gone cycling.
ETA: I see he retires in a couple of weeks!
Given it was on the radio this week its quite recent
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."
Bertrand Russell. British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)0 -
thanks for that but anyone who falls for that deserves it.
then again, i suppose not everyone is as savvy as us MSE'sTarget Savings by end 2009: 20,000
current savings: 20,500 (target hit yippee!)
Debts: 8000 (student loan so doesnt count)
new target savings by Feb 2010: 30,0000 -
Surely someone would know whether they had paid their phone bill or not and not just pay over more money?
If I had, and someone turned up saying they were going to disconnect me, I would first of all show them proof of payment (online or a reciept), and then I would phone BT, before they did anything, and while they were there.:rolleyes:
Lin
You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.
0 -
This is still going on. The offenders (A polite word for the scum) appear to be targetting elderly people who depend on their phones. Fraudsters get money because they are believable and good at their 'jobs'. If you depend on your phone as your only lifeline - no internet and no mobile - then I think it understandable if you panic when told your phone will be cut off. Not everyone has access to information as we do - and not everyone knows that they can run up several months of debt before their line will be cut.
OP - thanks for putting the warning out - only call your local Police - not North Yorks unless you live there!0 -
I pay my BT bill by direct debit & I get loads of emails purporting to be from BT telling me I need to update my details by clicking on the link or be disconnected. After reading the first one & seeing what the content was before binning it, every other one since gets deleted without being opened.The bigger the bargain, the better I feel.
I should mention that there's only one of me, don't confuse me with others of the same name.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 353.6K Banking & Borrowing
- 254.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 455.1K Spending & Discounts
- 246.7K Work, Benefits & Business
- 603.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 178.1K Life & Family
- 260.7K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards