Notification from Trading Standards

[johnthesearcher]

Dear All,

This is from a very reliable source and may be of interest to everyone …………

Postal Scam

Can you circulate this around especially as Xmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail.

The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the Following scam:

A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 0906 6611911 0906 6611911 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number).

DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize.

If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £15 for the phone call.

If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655 or ICSTIS (the Premium rate service regulator) at Welcome to PhonepayPlus the regulator of phonepaid services

John

 

[stugster]

OfCom (before ICSTIS came about),in about 2005 from memory, stopped the telephone number in question. Also, there is no 09 premium number that charges £15 one-off for calling it - I think the maximum is £1.50 per minute.

It's just a very old but continuing spam email John, no need to worry

 

[Former Member 1]

OfCom (before ICSTIS came about),in about 2005 from memory, stopped the telephone number in question. Also, there is no 09 premium number that charges £15 one-off for calling it - I think the maximum is £1.50 per minute.

It's just a very old but continuing spam email John, no need to worry

Central Scotland Police - Aberfoyle | Dunblane SAC | Community Policing

Actually I fear not.... That's quite an old link of course but still...

I've emailed a contact at Trading Standards to see if she can confirm what the score is on this one... It would be possible to re-route the call using VOIP... Lord alone knows what they could charge...

In ANY case, always best to be cautious. NEVER call the number on a card that comes through the door. This is one situation where the phone book comes in handy! Always check it first... Either from a RELIABLE online source or the phone book..

Same applies if somebody actually comes to your door with an ID card... NEVER phone the number on the card; always pull a number from the book if you need to check an ID...

YouTube - Excerpt from "Doorstoppers": The Water Board Scam...

...Using VOIP it's possible to route what is apparently a landline to a mobile, or anywhere else for that matter And that's as useful to dodgy folk as it is to genuine ones.

 

[stugster]

I agree, it is important never to phone the number on the card and always check it.

If you go onto ICSTS.org.uk's website (now Phonepayplus) And type in the telephone number in question, they'll give you some good information to verify who owns it.

On this occasion, the 090 number gives us:


PhonepayPlus has the following information about the premium rate number 09066611911.

* This number was used on a scam that PhonepayPlus adjudicated on in 2005. This number is no longer running and has not been running since December 2005. If you receive a copy of this email warning you about the alleged scam, please do not forward it to others. Instead please forward this information from PhonepayPlus.
* This service costs - This line is now closed (plus any phone network surcharges - check with your phone company for full details).

 

[johnthesearcher]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the above and apologies for any confusion I may have caused with this.

My reasons for posting this are that A) the e mail came to me from 2 sources .... one in Trading Standards and B) the other from Lothian & Borders Police to suggest that this scam was on the go again and had been reported from several sources which warranted the outbound alert/communication.

John

 

[Former Member 1]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the above and apologies for any confusion I may have caused with this.

My reasons for posting this are that A) the e mail came to me from 2 sources .... one in Trading Standards and B) the other from Lothian & Borders Police to suggest that this scam was on the go again and had been reported from several sources which warranted the outbound alert/communication.

John

They must have a new number though?

It's aye worth a 'heads up' on these things John... .

I'd not have believed anyone would fall for the waterboard scam (or any of the others in "Doorstoppers") 'till I was asked by Stirling Council to put the programme together. During the pre-production there was JUST such an incident in my own village. The victim (Grandmother of one of my Daughter's friends) was robbed of £1000.

It later emerged in conversation with one of the local CID blokes that a gang had been working its way up through the Borders pulling just this very stunt... On the very day I filmed Superintendent Flynn's intro to the programme his team had two such con-artists neatly banged up in the cells....

So these sorts of scams are running all the time...

 

[Gordon N]

This is one situation where the phone book comes in handy!

I knew the phone book still had a purpose - just couldn't work it out until now!! :lol: