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Phone Scam - B (11th Mar 2013 - 21:39:28) Editor - I am not sure if this has done the rounds before, but received an email warning me of this scam currently being carried out: Received a phone call from BT, informing me that he was disconnecting me because of an unpaid bill.. He demanded payment immediately of £31.00 or it would be £ 118.00 to re-connect at a later date. The guy wasn't even fazed when I told him I was with Virgin Media, allegedly VM have to pay BT a percentage for line rental! I asked the guy's name - he gave me the very 'English' John Peacock with a very 'African' accent - & phone number -0800 0800 152. Obviously the fellow realized I didn't believe his story, so offered to demonstrate that he was from BT. I asked how & he told me to hang up & try phoning someone - he would disconnect my phone to prevent this. AND HE DID !! My phone was dead - no engaged tone, nothing - until he phoned me again. Very pleased with himself, he asked if that was enough proof that he was with BT. I asked how the payment was to be made & he said credit card, there & then. I said that I didn't know how he'd done it, but I had absolutely no intention of paying him, I didn't believe his name or that he worked for BT. He hung up. I dialed 1471 -number withheld I phoned his fictitious 0800 number - not recognized. So I phoned the police to let them know. I wasn't the first! It's only just started apparently, but it is escalating. Their advice was to let as many people as possible know of this scam. The fact that the phone does go off would probably convince some people it's real, so please make as many friends & family aware of this. How is it done? This is good but not that clever. He gave the wrong number - it should have been 0800 800 152 which takes you through to BT Business. The cutting off of the line is very simple, he stays on the line with the mute button on and you can't dial out - but he can hear you trying. (This is because the person who initiates a call is the one to terminate it). When you stop trying he cuts off and immediately calls back. You could almost be convinced! The sad thing is that it is so simple that it will certainly fool many. By the way this is not about getting the cash as this would not get past merchant services - it is all about getting the credit card details which include the security number, to be used for larger purchases.

Re: Phone Scam - Keith Thomas (12th Mar 2013 - 10:27:12) Crikey, what will they think of next? What's scary is that our hectic lives make this more likely to work. You get a call like this whilst running around doing 10 things at once and the alarm bells just don't ring that this could be a scam. I heard a similar story a few weeks back. Whilst reading below, imagine that you are Mrs X and think what you would do ...... --------------------------------------------------------------- Mrs X gets a call one evening from someone claiming to be DC Peter Smith of the Police Credit Card Fraud Unit. Smith : we believe that your credit card has been compromised and is currently being used fraudulently. Can I ask if you have bought an Apple computer in Regent Street at 15:00 this afternoon for £1957.95? Mrs X : No Smith : I can just see another transaction going through for an online purchase at Amazon for £895.39, is that you? Mrs X : No Smith : well that's confirmed that your card is actively being used and we need to cancel it immediately. I can do that but I'll need some information from you. Obviously you don't know who I really am so I want you to verify that I am who I say I am before we continue. Are you ok with that? Mrs X : Absolutely Smith : OK, I want you to hang up and immediately dial 999 and ask for the police. When you get through say that you want to check the identity of a police officer and give them the following details (he gives her his full name, position and police identification number) I will call you again in 3 minutes. Mrs X hangs up and dials 999 "Emergency Services, what service do you want? Mrs X : Police "Police Emergency, what is the problem?" Mrs X explains what has been going on and gives DC Smith's details. She gets confirmation that DC Smith is real and hangs up to wait for the return call from DC Smith. The phone rings just a few seconds later and DC Smith asks if Mrs X has checked his identity and is happy to proceed with cancelling her card. Before she answers he say he can see 3 more high value transactions going through. Mrs X is now quite happy to give all and any info that DC Smith asks for and yes, you've guessed it, he then has all the details he needs to spend her money. She thinks she's been saved from credit card fraud until she gets her next statement. --------------------------------------------------------------- Scary isn't it ..... what would you have done? The scam works in the same way as the original post, by initiating the call and not ringing off. When Mrs X rang off to dial 999 she is in such a state of panic that she doesn't listen for a dial tone, she just dials 999. As expected and hoped, the call gets answered instantly and the spammer has handed the phone to a friend with a different voice. Mrs X is absolutely convinced that she is through to the police. The scammer obviously knows when she's finished her 999 call and rings her immediately. What can you do to protect yourself from these b*st*rds? In the absence of public flogging I think the only answer is to be totally suspicious of anyone who just contacts you out of the blue, whether by phone, email or post and who is trying to get personal info or extract money from you. I just hope I have the presence of mind to do this myself!

Re: Phone Scam - jennyw (12th Mar 2013 - 10:56:59) Thank you for bringing this scam to our attention - forewarned is forearmed!

Re: Phone Scam - Jay W (12th Mar 2013 - 13:46:23) and never ring 999 unless it is a real emergency. I am sure the real 999 service wouldn't be too chuffed if you rang to check the credentials of an officer!

Re: Phone Scam - tony (12th Mar 2013 - 17:38:23) Also never give out personal information to anyone who has cold called you whoever they claim to be. Apparently if the person who called you doesn't hang up it can force the line to remain open, I think that's something the phone networks should rectify. Tell them you don't give out personal information over the phone. Then hang up and call your bank next opportunity to check with them. No reputable organisation would ever coldcall you and ask for payment there and then or your pin number or anything like that. These are just organised criminal networks preying on the unwary or vulnerable. One thing is to answer 'of course Ill do that right away' to every question, make a cup of tea and time how long it takes them to go from eager to exasperated. Another is to say 'I'll just get the person you need', wait a bit, hand the phone to your toddler and listen whilst they confusingly try to get his pin number. Some fraudsters are suprisingly thick.

Re: Phone Scam - Susie (12th Mar 2013 - 20:49:32) Thanks for the warning on this, I just wanted to bump it up again. I think I might train my youngest to answer like Karen from Outnumbered would, that would keep him busy for ages and he would soon be made to see the error of his ways or go mad.

Re: Phone Scam - Fi (13th Mar 2013 - 20:01:21) He did not disconnect your phone - he just did not hang up his phone when you did! A call does not get disconnected until the CALLER hangs up or disconnects the call. He just stayed very quiet on the other end of the phone whilst you tried to make calls until you finally had finished and hung up, then hung up himself and called you back. Simples!

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