Royal Mail Hoax Scam (involving PDS)

osmonddiva

trisontana wrote: »

Be aware of big fat bloke, red suit, long flowing white beard with a friendly bearing and a knack of winning over children with the promise of gifts (batteries not included). Known to travel by some kind of horse drawn vehicle or similar and to openly flout air traffic control regulations, especially around midnight on Dec 24th. Can often be heard goading the authorities with his call of "Ho! Ho! Ho!". If sighted do not approach.

Wanted in connection with aforementioned air traffic offences, breaking and entering to include criminal damage to numerous chimney stacks and fireplaces, operating a horse drawn vehicle whilst under the influence of Sherry.

Accomplice, identified only by his shiny nose, (And if you ever saw him, you would even swear it glows) wanted for questioning regarding fouling of rooftops.

That made me laugh!!!
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Bongedone

This is not a hoax it is just old.

Link: http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/pds.asp

trisontana

Bongedone wrote: »

This is not a hoax it is just old.

Link: http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/pds.asp

The current email is a hoax because it's talking about a scam that was closed down TWO years ago.

Bongedone

Put that way yes its a hoax.

deanos

Good god how many more of these dam posts are we gonna have :mad:

darwin-rover

Bongedone wrote: »

This is not a hoax it is just old.

Link: http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/pds.asp

The £15 connection charge is a hoax/urban myth at least .

trisontana

I wish Snopes would modify their page layout. As it now stands, at first glance most people will see the "Status True" statement without scrolling down the rest of the page and seeing that yes it was true two years ago, but not now.

Heinz

trisontana wrote: »

The current email is a hoax because it's talking about a scam that was closed down TWO years ago.

And, for once, the (industry-funded) so-called regulator (which recently changed its name from ICSTIS to the ridiculous 'PhonPayPlus') was ahead of the game, publishing the below 5 days before this thread was started:

http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/pdfs_news/PostalScam2007.pdf

A STATEMENT FROM PHONEPAYPLUS ABOUT THE CURRENT 'POSTAL SCAM' CHAIN EMAIL

PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, is aware that a chain e-mail about an alleged postal scam is being circulated on the internet. The email refers to the Royal Mail, Trading Standards and ICSTIS (PhonepayPlus' former name).

PhonepayPlus appreciates that recipients of the email may want to find out more information about the alleged scam and has therefore issued the following statement:

• The chain email refers to a service that was shut down by us in December 2005.

• We subsequently fined the company that was operating the service, Studio Telecom (based in Belize), £10,000.

• The service is NO LONGER running and has NOT been running since December 2005.

• The email refers to a £15 charge for simply being connected to a recorded message.

This is NOT TRUE – a £15 connection charge does NOT exist. The service in question actually cost £1.50 per minute and lasted six minutes, making a total cost of £9 if callers stayed on the line for the full six minutes.

• You do NOT need to contact us, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost two years ago.

• If you receive a copy of the email warning you about the alleged scam, please do NOT forward it to others. Instead, please forward this statement from PhonepayPlus.

• Please go to www.phonepayplus.org.uk/pdfs_news/ConsumerGuide.pdf for useful information about how to recognise phone-paid services and understand what they cost and some simple tips to help you enjoy using services with confidence.

• For more detailed information about our work, please visit www.phonepayplus.org.uk.

19 October 2007

trisontana

But it still didn't stop various police forces, local papers and Neighbourhood Watch groups publishing this warning as "fact". On the plus side, two local papers and the Daily Mirror have got hold of the right end of the stick and told readers about the true nature of the email.

teffers

ANY email that tells you to 'Pass it on' is a viral hoax - common sense.