WEST MERCIA NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH ASSOCIATION
PRESS RELEASE:
TELEPHONE SCAM
The U.K. is currently being subjected to a very costly telephone scam that operates through both landline telephones and mobile phones. Calls are being received by both business and residential telephone users who later discover that their telephone bills have increased by as much as £260 every time they answer one of these fraudulent calls.
The system used is clever by its simplicity. Upon answering the telephone you will hear a recorded message congratulating you on winning an all expenses paid trip to an exotic location. You will then be asked to “PRESS 9 to hear further details”. If you press 9 you will be connected to a premium rate line that costs approximately £20 per minute. Even if you disconnect immediately, it will remain connected for a maximum of 5 minutes, costing around £100.The final part of the call involves you being asked to “Key your post code and house number”. This in itself has other serious consequences. After a further 2 minutes you will receive a message informing you that you are not one of the lucky winners. The total bill for receiving one of these calls may be as much as £260.
In the case of mobile phones, a “Missed Call” comes up with a number 0709 020 3840. The last four figures may vary but most certainly the first four remain the same. If you call this number back, you will be charged £50 per minute. Do not call back numbers beginning with “0709”.
Since these insidious calls originate from outside the U.K., BT and other telephone service providers are left relatively powerless to act. People have complained about their telephone bills once they have realised the cost of the call, but apparently this is completely legal.
West Mercia Neighbourhood Watch Association (WMNWA) representatives have been looking into this matter because it has serious implications to both the elderly, especially those on fixed incomes, and young people with mobile phones. Talking to BT and other service providers they recommend that their customers remove the danger by blocking premium rate numbers by taking the following action,
PREMIUM RATE CALL BAR
With landline telephones BT operates a Premium Rate Call Bar system. To make use of this system the telephone user takes the following steps: (1) DIAL 150, (2) selects Option 1, (3) selects Option 1. The responding BT operator will ask for the Telephone Number, the registered user’s Name, Post Code, and finally the Telephone Account Number. From then on the BT system will automatically block that line for premium rate calls. Speaking to Orange and other mobile phone servers we were informed that their Help Desks offer a similar service, one that includes both Pay Monthly and Pay As You Talk accounts.
Neighbourhood Watch scheme co-ordinators throughout West Mercia are being asked to advise their members of this problem and the simple solutions. Where they have local elderly residents they are being asked to help them to activate the call bar system.
Another simple solution is, when you answer the telephone call and you realise it is arecorded message, is to HANG UP before you are tempted to press “9”, it is also safer to hang up when you receive any unsolicited “Free Offer” calls.
These calls can have the same damaging effect as a BOGUS CALLER entering the home to steal cash and/or jewellery.
For further information contact:-
Iain McHardy on 01948 880955 E-mail: