Warned of this one today. Someone rings up tells you that your phone bill hasn't been paid, even if you are not with the firm he says. When you doubt him he tells you he will cut your phone off and says he has done it. You try to ring out and can't get out, put the phone down. He then rings you and tries to convince you that he has cut you off. He hasn't he has just stayed on the line with his mute switched on and has heard to try to get a line out and just rings you as soon as you put your phone down. Gives you a phoney 0800 number as well. If you fall for it and ask how can you pay he then proceeds to try and get your credit card details. Simple but some old 'uns might fall for it. My son in law had a similar call last week so this scam is supposed to be on the up. He has an African accent by the way, Nigerian I don't doubt.
Thanks for the heads up mate. As you say, its the old peeps that fall for cons like this. A fookin disgrace.
Check. Oldies i know informed. Check.
Tbh, its one of the oldest scams in the book, and is becoming increasingly rare, but still happens. If I had a call like this, I either know whether ive paid the bill or not (its called keeping your finances in order), and I also know what landline phone company I am with (surprisingly, it says the name on each and every bill I recieve, I also specifically chose them, they have a stupid name, and most people wont have heard of them, but they are cheapest around for my particular needs because I do my homework when choosing utility providers lol).
If they told me they were working for a different company to the one I am with, and then proceeded to inform me that I had not paid my bill, id tell them to sue me and put the phone down, and if it were my phone company, and I knew I had paid my bill, id politely end the call and id contact my phone company myself to resolve the issue.
Simple rule with telephone calls is to NEVER give out any personal or financial information if the company cold-called you!! Always tell them you will telephone your respective company to resolve the issue, of course if you asked them to ring you back at a specific time, its different as thats not a cold-call, but quite simply, dont be STUPID.
I agree Matt but did you see the one on the box last week where the confused old dear kept sending off money to those b....ds who promise that you have won something and you have to send a registration fee? It cost her thousands. You may be sharp now but you don't know what you are going to be like in 40 years time, and that's a fact. I find myself confused with some things now that I would have found a breeze years ago. That's life.
I saw that programe with the older lady. My nan used to get in a right state over these scams were you pay £15 to have your 'prize'.
Its not fookin fair, preying on the vulnerable like that. Makes me mad.
Cheers Matt, just backs up the email which I received but not all the oldies are silver surfers. We all have the same message at heart mate.