scam alert

In the UK contributing to one charity may result in them selling your details to others, who then target you. Givers are more likely to give again, and each new donation triggers more requests. There have been a number of cases were vulnerable people, often with early onset dementia, have been driven to suicide. Then their relatives find the house full of charity appeals from Tom, Dick and Harry, which the victim couldn't satisfy. (Very often there's a tick box hidden away that refuses permission to share, but most of us hate wading through acres of small-print to find it.)

I try to keep donations untraceable, even if the charity is respectable. Unfortunately big charities are run as a business. You never know when sharp practice will be justified by the Board because 'the end justifies the means'.

Dave

While I (and my wife) do donate to a number of charities we do it only at our own instigation. That is, we decide what charities to support and we don't directly respond to begs.

That's not to say we are immune to an appeal from, say, the local hospital (through the mail, not by telephone - I hang up on those). But we make the donation directly and independently of the beg.

It may be that legitimate charities feel that's a bit harsh. If so, then let them lobby the politicians to address the current state of affairs that has been allowed to develop with these, and other, scams with little formal attempt to address them.

I wondered how the Royal Flying Doctor Service was paying for saturation ads on tv for their first aid booklet. Just text their number from your phone and you get a free lunch , err booklet. Sad to see a fine organization do that if it is the case.

Looks like I received another scam today supposedly from my Email provider have reach the storage limit on it.

Was suspicious as not from my provider.

Have contacted them to check validity will just wait and see.

Just got to be cautious with the internet.

Windy

Had a 'local' phone call yesterday purporting to be from Amazon Prime requesting to press '1' to cancel Prime, needless to say it wasn't pressed. Makes me evil '

Roger

I once received a phone call from a man purporting to be from my insurance company . He wanted to ask some ‘security ‘ questions. Not trusting him I said he should write to me as I was not prepared to answer his questions on the phone. He did write and told me that he had cancelled my insurance 😖

Good for you! I've tried reversing the 'Security Check' process too. Quite good fun insisting reputable companies and government departments prove who they are by answering a few simple questions. Try asking the DVLA Phone Line what the Agency's operating budget is this year, and the name of the Minister currently responsible. Few big organisations can answer simple questions! Trouble is, what happens after they've failed the test. The Little Guy with something to lose rarely comes off best...

Dave

This shouldn't happen any more, not since seven or eight years ago.

Neil

I thought it worth reviving this thread ...

This morning, I had a telephone call from ‘Daniel’ at the ‘Boiler Breakdown Company’

02087 737191

I was busy, irritated, and rather suspicious ; so told him to go forth and urinate

A minute later, he called back, to demand an apology

[ that’s a neat way of adding a touch of credibility ]

Having looked-up that number on various ‘who called me’ websites, it seems that my instinctive response was the right one.

There is likely to be more of this whilst we are in isolation.

MichaelG.

I always put potentially dodgy numbers into Google (leave out any spaces). Here's a result for Michael's caller:

who-called.co.uk/Number/02087737191

But take care, a few days ago I had several calls that were just silent or rang off without leaving a message.

I very nearly blocked the annoying phantom caller until I realised it was calls being forwarded from my MyTimeMedia number... they may well have been dodgy, but I would have blocked any legitimate callers as well!

Neil

Just had a scam email from TV Licensing-Directdebit Gov.UK ID:46151991. Strangely in the last couple of weeks had a letter from the real setup. I know my renewal date is not for some months yet and always suspicious of these type of email.

Scam purported to be unable to automatically renew and want me to click on to setup direct debit. Email address to me is correct, biut licence number incorrect as is expiry date.

So unless you want your bank account plundered, take heed.

Had the same one a few weeks ago problems with processing DD. Couple of days ago licence came in the post. Must remember to go online and tick paperless.

Here is a sneaky one - may be genuine but it was tripped by my paranoia circuits.

Came as a text...

'Hi, its Dave your local SSE meter reader, I cant come into your house to read the meter due to coronavirus regs etc.... please telephone me your readings to avoid an estimated account blah blah...'

Now it just so happens my account is with SSE at the moment but they always e-mail me to remind me to update my account with the correct readings each month, so immediately suspect.

If a scam, I have no doubt that anyone responding this call would be contacted in a couple of days time along the lines of......

'Oh sir, the meter reading is fine, but there appears to be a problem with your direct debit... can you confirm your bank details etc etc...and so on.'

Or the call you make is at a huge cost to you.

indeed.

I've had texts to my company phone, using the company name so they obviously have the appropriate list from our provider asking me to go to some dodgy site to confirm the phone is still in use. Latest one from the same source just said new software or something had been downloaded and needed me to turn off and on again. Not sure how that would have worked but I wouldn't have known if I hadn't a note of the previous scams.

... I’ve just received my first threatening reminder about my TV Licence Direct Debit

Needless to say, it’s a scam

The sender’s address, which purports to be TV.Licensing directdebit GOV.UK ID:92221095

is revealed as [email protected]

... but, of course, even that could be spoofed, or being used without the owner’s knowledge.

As if we hadn’t got enough to worry about, without scum like this.

MichaelG.

Used to do it until 2 years ago but pointless now since theyre all spoofed numbers. One aboves from India already have that blocked in BT from Jan.

These fraudsters buy 10, 20 or 30 etc numbers per month and will show up as legit UK numbers even mobile numbers, BT, TPS, ActionFraud cannot do a thing about it.

This is only Feb just gone, now due to coronavirus i have only had 3 Amazon Fraud calls this week, iNdia is on lockdown.

Not quite sure what to make of this

Received two eMails today from ‘Better Information Group’ advertising different products ... and both claiming to offer ‘unsubscribe’ options.

The interesting bit comes when you look at the Companies House listing : **LINK**

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10543466

... where the Company is shown to be both ‘Active’ and a ‘Dormant Company’

Any ideas, apart from the obvious one of avoiding contact ?

MichaelG.

If I believed the various calls, BT would have disconnected the line that I don't rent from them many times!

One of the best was apparently who had been mugged in Kiev and needed money. Presumably left behind when they escaped from where I knew that they had been in California the day before!

I always check the sender's E mail address when a known contact sends of one of the "Hi Howard, Check this out! followed by some gibberish on the screen" messages. Usually my contacts seem to have instantly acquired an overseas E mail address with the usual provider.

Being anti social, I do accept the generous offer

Howard.