BT Telephone scam
When I saw the exact same message posted on more than one forum, each claiming it was written by the poster’s friend, my scam alert bells starting ringing. I used my favourite search engine, and bingo here it is – “that bt scam again“.
It contains all the usual elements of a scam, chain email. It’s intended to frighten the reader and turn you, the sender, into a spammer as it instructs you to send it to let other people know. NEVER pass on an email warning unless you have personally SPOKEN to the send and ENSURED that they had the bad experience themselves and wrote the email themselves.
If someone does phone and demand money – always ask which organisation they represent, get the organisation’s REAL phone number from a phone book or the operator and phone them yourselves.
The new telephone ‘scam’ has arrived.
I received a call from a ‘representative’ of BT, informing me that he was dis-connecting 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 Virgin Media have to pay BT a percentage for line rental!
I asked the guy’s name – the very ‘English’ John Peacock with a very ‘African’ accent – & phone number – 0800 0800 152.
Obviously the fella realized I wasn’t believing 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 dis-connect 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..
Did 1471 & phoned his fictitious 0800 number – not recognized.
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 know by word of mouth of this scam. The fact that the phone does go off would probably convince some people it’s real, so please let as many friends & family aware of this..
This is good but not that clever. He gave the wrong number – it should have been 0800 800152 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 the elderly and vulnerable.