!), but this is a personal warning from me to be aware of a scam, for which I received a call this afternoon.
Apologies if this reads like a typical chain-mail/hoax warning type of letter, but rest assured IT IS NOT. All this is my own work.
At around this afternoon, I received a call from a number which was not witheld (beginning 02920......). The caller at the other end didn't address me by my name, yet claimed to be a rep from 02, my mobile service provider, and then attempted to find out what sort of mobile phone contract I have, by assuming the type of contract I have, when I last upgraded my phone, and my average monthly bill. Basically, he was trying to pump me for personal information about my contract.
After a minute, I started to smell a rat (after all, if he was from my service provider, surely he wouldn't need to ask all that!). I asked him if he worked for 02. He tried to dodge the question with small talk and other irrelevant waffle, trying to divert me from my challenging him.
Eventually, I shouted back "JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION. DO YOU WORK FOR 02?". To which he had to say "No", but before he could say anything else, I told him what a scamming c**t he was, and other obscenities I'd rather not mention here, and then hung up on him.
On a search for the number, I found out that the number belongs to a company called Com**n*c***ons D*r*ct (work it out for yourself). Looking at various blogs complaining about their underhand, sometimes fraudulent tactics, they appear to have have been active over the past month with this particular scam. The motive is for them to offer you a free mobile phone, but not before they have made you part with your bank account details, and set you up on a direct debit you didn't even want. I located the number for their Head Office, and called them to complain. As soon as the call centre operative realised the nature of my complaint, he just said "Oh, you're boring me now" and hung up!
Here is an extract from a blog on a blog site I found, which gives almost exactly the same level of detail as the phone call made to me:
[I]"Beware if you receive a call on your mobile phone from the above number. The caller will not know your name or anything about you but they will trick you by saying they are calling about your O2/Orange/3/Vodafone/T-mobile contract. Most people assume because they know which network they are on that it's a legitimate call, they will try and offer you an upgrade, but what they are really doing is signing you up for a new 12 month contract. They are using the prefix of your mobile number to guess your network, historically numbers from the same network have the same prefix i.e. 07736 = O2. The only time that they'll get this wrong is if your have ported your number from one network to another. If you take the bait they'll ask for you bank details and set up a direct debit, if you have been unfortunate enough to fall for this contact your bank and stop the direct debit. If you received the phone you are within your rights to cancel the contract within 14 days."[/I]
The phone number you should be aware of begins with 02920 (the number which will appear on your mobile's Caller Display). Due to full numbers being deleted for obvious reasons, I am unable to disclose that here. I have reported the scam to the TPS, DMA, Ofcom and even BBC Watchdog, and I hope it's only a matter of time before these underhand low-lifes have the plug pulled on them, and their company.
Be on your guard, and remember where you heard it first - from someone who has witnessed it first hand.
[B]In short, if you must answer the call, do not be fooled into giving away ANY personal information about yourself, your mobile phone contract or, most importantly, your bank account.[/B]
Cat
PS - I don't know if the internal message system will block the number of the company here, but if it does, feel free to PM me for more details of the scam.
Post edited 06-09-2006 22:27
Post edited 06-09-2006 22:34 I know I like to keep you all entertained with jokes here (for what they're worth !), but this is a personal warning from me to be aware of a scam, for which I received a call this afternoon.
Apologies if this reads like a typical chain-mail/hoax warning type of letter, but rest assured IT IS NOT. All this is my own work.
At around this afternoon, I received a call from a number which was not witheld (beginning 02920......). The caller at the other end didn't address me by my name, yet claimed to be a rep from 02, my mobile service provider, and then attempted to find out what sort of mobile phone contract I have, by assuming the type of contract I have, when I last upgraded my phone, and my average monthly bill. Basically, he was trying to pump me for personal information about my contract.
After a minute, I started to smell a rat (after all, if he was from my service provider, surely he wouldn't need to ask all that!). I asked him if he worked for 02. He tried to dodge the question with small talk and other irrelevant waffle, trying to divert me from my challenging him.
Eventually, I shouted back "JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION. DO YOU WORK FOR 02?". To which he had to say "No", but before he could say anything else, I told him what a scamming c**t he was, and other obscenities I'd rather not mention here, and then hung up on him.
On a search for the number, I found out that the number belongs to a company called Com**n*c***ons D*r*ct (work it out for yourself). Looking at various blogs complaining about their underhand, sometimes fraudulent tactics, they appear to have have been active over the past month with this particular scam. The motive is for them to offer you a free mobile phone, but not before they have made you part with your bank account details, and set you up on a direct debit you didn't even want. I located the number for their Head Office, and called them to complain. As soon as the call centre operative realised the nature of my complaint, he just said "Oh, you're boring me now" and hung up!
Here is an extract from a blog on a blog site I found, which gives almost exactly the same level of detail as the phone call made to me:
[I]"Beware if you receive a call on your mobile phone from the above number. The caller will not know your name or anything about you but they will trick you by saying they are calling about your O2/Orange/3/Vodafone/T-mobile contract. Most people assume because they know which network they are on that it's a legitimate call, they will try and offer you an upgrade, but what they are really doing is signing you up for a new 12 month contract. They are using the prefix of your mobile number to guess your network, historically numbers from the same network have the same prefix i.e. 07736 = O2. The only time that they'll get this wrong is if your have ported your number from one network to another. If you take the bait they'll ask for you bank details and set up a direct debit, if you have been unfortunate enough to fall for this contact your bank and stop the direct debit. If you received the phone you are within your rights to cancel the contract within 14 days."[/I]
The phone number you should be aware of begins with 02920 (the number which will appear on your mobile's Caller Display). Due to full numbers being deleted for obvious reasons, I am unable to disclose that here. I have reported the scam to the TPS, DMA, Ofcom and even BBC Watchdog, and I hope it's only a matter of time before these underhand low-lifes have the plug pulled on them, and their company.
Be on your guard, and remember where you heard it first - from someone who has witnessed it first hand.
[B]In short, if you must answer the call, do not be fooled into giving away ANY personal information about yourself, your mobile phone contract or, most importantly, your bank account.[/B]
Cat
PS - I don't know if the internal message system will block the number of the company here, but if it does, feel free to PM me for more details of the scam.
Post edited 06-09-2006 22:27
Post edited 06-09-2006 22:34
!), but this is a personal warning from me to be aware of a scam, for which I received a call this afternoon.
Apologies if this reads like a typical chain-mail/hoax warning type of letter, but rest assured IT IS NOT. All this is my own work.
At around this afternoon, I received a call from a number which was not witheld (beginning 02920......). The caller at the other end didn't address me by my name, yet claimed to be a rep from 02, my mobile service provider, and then attempted to find out what sort of mobile phone contract I have, by assuming the type of contract I have, when I last upgraded my phone, and my average monthly bill. Basically, he was trying to pump me for personal information about my contract.
After a minute, I started to smell a rat (after all, if he was from my service provider, surely he wouldn't need to ask all that!). I asked him if he worked for 02. He tried to dodge the question with small talk and other irrelevant waffle, trying to divert me from my challenging him.
Eventually, I shouted back "JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION. DO YOU WORK FOR 02?". To which he had to say "No", but before he could say anything else, I told him what a scamming c**t he was, and other obscenities I'd rather not mention here, and then hung up on him.
On a search for the number, I found out that the number belongs to a company called Com**n*c***ons D*r*ct (work it out for yourself). Looking at various blogs complaining about their underhand, sometimes fraudulent tactics, they appear to have have been active over the past month with this particular scam. The motive is for them to offer you a free mobile phone, but not before they have made you part with your bank account details, and set you up on a direct debit you didn't even want. I located the number for their Head Office, and called them to complain. As soon as the call centre operative realised the nature of my complaint, he just said "Oh, you're boring me now" and hung up!
Here is an extract from a blog on a blog site I found, which gives almost exactly the same level of detail as the phone call made to me:
[I]"Beware if you receive a call on your mobile phone from the above number. The caller will not know your name or anything about you but they will trick you by saying they are calling about your O2/Orange/3/Vodafone/T-mobile contract. Most people assume because they know which network they are on that it's a legitimate call, they will try and offer you an upgrade, but what they are really doing is signing you up for a new 12 month contract. They are using the prefix of your mobile number to guess your network, historically numbers from the same network have the same prefix i.e. 07736 = O2. The only time that they'll get this wrong is if your have ported your number from one network to another. If you take the bait they'll ask for you bank details and set up a direct debit, if you have been unfortunate enough to fall for this contact your bank and stop the direct debit. If you received the phone you are within your rights to cancel the contract within 14 days."[/I]
The phone number you should be aware of begins with 02920 (the number which will appear on your mobile's Caller Display). Due to full numbers being deleted for obvious reasons, I am unable to disclose that here. I have reported the scam to the TPS, DMA, Ofcom and even BBC Watchdog, and I hope it's only a matter of time before these underhand low-lifes have the plug pulled on them, and their company.
Be on your guard, and remember where you heard it first - from someone who has witnessed it first hand.
[B]In short, if you must answer the call, do not be fooled into giving away ANY personal information about yourself, your mobile phone contract or, most importantly, your bank account.[/B]
Cat
PS - I don't know if the internal message system will block the number of the company here, but if it does, feel free to PM me for more details of the scam.
Post edited 06-09-2006 22:27
Post edited 06-09-2006 22:34 
