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Warning - being scammed by John Abraham

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Received a phone call from John Abraham to advise me that my broadband was being compromised. He said he was from BT and gave me his number as 02032894184. He told me to switch of my broadband devices off. I did a google search and found the phone number was not be trusted. I phoned my ISP to advise. I did not follow his instructions and effectively ignored him. Does anyone know how I can escalate ?
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Comments

  • Silvertabby
    Silvertabby Posts: 10,102 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    It's a known scam. As long as you didn't follow 'John's' instructions to allow him access to your computer (so he could fix the problem/rob you blind) you'll be ok.

    What did your ISP say when you reported it? They may have their own protocols for dealing with these ratbags.
  • mije1983
    mije1983 Posts: 3,665 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Name Dropper
    Just block the number. They'll have nothing to do with BT.


    You can report to the ICO but as they aren't actually genuine businesses then it won't make much difference. As soon as one number gets shut down another will pop up. The likelihood is that the number is not genuine either.


    https://ico.org.uk/concerns/nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-texts-and-nuisance-calls/
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 26,612 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Mchambers wrote: »
    Does anyone know how I can escalate ?
    Who are you going to report to? You've just received a scam call. Next time, you'll know simply to replace the receiver on such calls.
  • LABMAN
    LABMAN Posts: 1,659 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Escalate as in 'compensation'?
  • mije1983
    mije1983 Posts: 3,665 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Name Dropper
    LABMAN wrote: »
    Escalate as in 'compensation'?


    Only if it was their bank calling......
  • peter_the_piper
    peter_the_piper Posts: 30,269 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    We get 2 or 3 a day from the BT Technical department saying our broadband line is at fault, when told we don't have broadband on that line the phone goes dead. Strange how the windows tecnical department has morphed into bt.
    I'd rather be an Optimist and be proved wrong than a Pessimist and be proved right.
  • ElefantEd
    ElefantEd Posts: 1,224 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I suppose you could escalate things by ignoring him more pointedly. Apart from that, let it go.
  • robatwork
    robatwork Posts: 7,266 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Mchambers wrote: »
    Received a phone call from John Abraham to advise me that my broadband was being compromised. He said he was from BT and gave me his number as 02032894184. He told me to switch of my broadband devices off. I did a google search and found the phone number was not be trusted. I phoned my ISP to advise. I did not follow his instructions and effectively ignored him. Does anyone know how I can escalate ?

    BT probably owe you some sort of compensation, as it's their phone network the scammers are using. Don't rest until this is escalated to a higher power. Your MP, Trump and Xi Jinping would be a start.

    Bear in mind it's fairly simple for scammers to spoof outgoing phone numbers now.
  • eschaton
    eschaton Posts: 2,094 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Mchambers wrote: »
    Received a phone call from John Abraham to advise me that my broadband was being compromised. He said he was from BT and gave me his number as 02032894184. He told me to switch of my broadband devices off. I did a google search and found the phone number was not be trusted. I phoned my ISP to advise. I did not follow his instructions and effectively ignored him. Does anyone know how I can escalate ?

    No .
  • AndyPix
    AndyPix Posts: 4,847 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Mchambers wrote: »
    I did not follow his instructions and effectively ignored him.


    So what is there to escalate ?
    Somebody naughty calling you ?
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