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Beware of Increase in Bank Account 'Phishing'
Beware of Unwanted Telephone Sales Calls
Bogus Tax Rebate Emails
BEWARE OF INCREASE IN BANK ACCOUNT "PHISHING"
We are again warning consumers to be on their guard against scammers who try to get access to your bank account. As a result of the current upheaval in the financial services industry, the USA has seen a surge in the number of attempts by fraudsters to get details of personal bank accounts. There are reports that this is spreading to the UK with scammers using the news of the Lloyds TSB takeover of HBOS to try to trick customers into disclosing their personal bank details.
Commonly called 'phishing', the fraudsters contact consumers by telephone or email and are using the current financial confusion as an excuse. They may say that because of changes in arrangements, such as a bank takeover, they need you to confirm your personal account details. Their story is false. Do not disclose your PIN numbers to anyone, even if they say they work for your bank. Genuine banks do not operate like this.
In the first six months of 2008, the UK banking industry had reports of more than 20,000 cases of phishing. That was before the current problems in the industry. A rise in that figure is anticipated. If you receive any of these emails or calls, contact your bank’s fraud section.
BEWARE OF UNWANTED TELEPHONE SALES CALLS July 2009
In the last few days Central Scotland Police and Stirling Council Trading Standards have received complaints from members of the public relating to ‘hard-sell’ tactics of companies attempting to sell products by telephone. These calls are unsolicited and appear to be targeted at elderly persons in the Stirling Council area.
Members of the public are reminded not to agree to ‘cold call’ approaches by companies who sell products or offer to carry out either work or inspections of their property.
Constable Derek Mitchell, Community Safety Officer, Stirling said:
"The recent approaches to members of the public by companies selling services, everything from Double Glazing to the installation of Alarm Systems, have caused concern due to the hard-sell tactics adopted by some.
A few things to remember when answering your telephone:
- Do not identify yourself by name
- Do not give any of your personal information to the caller, such as your age or details of home ownership.
- Remember that you always have the option to terminate the call by hanging-up the phone.
Consumers can stop many unsolicited telephone calls by contacting the Telephone Preference Service on 0845 070 0707 (or online at www.mpsonline.org.uk). BT also offer a free service to prevent unsolicited calls: BT Privacy At Home is a free service and can be activated by calling Free Phone: 0800 800 150
In addition your local Community Police Officer can give free independent security advice or arrange for a security survey to be carried out on your property".
Rosemary McLellan, Trading Standards Officer at Stirling Council said,
"We have received information that these callers are very persistent and sometimes call the person back on at least 3 occasions in an attempt to try to persuade them to buy their product. They ask very direct questions about the person's age, if they live alone, and if they own their own home. They also suggest that they live in a high crime area."
The Scottish Scambusters Team are already investigating an alarm company for acting in this way. Please contact your local police office if you want advice about the security of your home.
If you get one of these phone calls, do not disclose any personal information. End the call and contact one of the following:
Central Scotland Police 01786 456000
Consumer Direct 08454 040506.
Stirling Council Trading Standards 01786 443322
Remember that consumers who order goods or services from home usually have a 7-day cancellation period, unless they have agreed to work being carried out immediately.
A free advice booklet on this subject called Doorstoppers is available from your local Police office or from Stirling Council Trading Standards Service.
Contacts:
Police Constable Derek Mitchell, Community Safety Officer, Central Scotland Police: 01786 456000
Rosemary McLellan, Stirling Council Trading Standards Service: 01786 432176
There have been reports of emails which pretend to be from HM Revenue and Customs. The message says that you are due a tax rebate and asks you to open an attachment to complete a claim form. The attachment includes a form, complete with HMRC logo, which asks for your personal details including your date of birth, your mother’s maiden name and your credit card details. That is, of course, valuable information for committing identity theft or credit card fraud. So you will not be surprised to learn that if you complete and send the form, it does not go to HMRC, but goes to fraudsters.
If you receive any email that doesn’t ring true, don’t give in to curiosity - don’t open suspicious attachments. They may contain viruses. Some have even been known to install hidden programs on your machine to record your keystrokes, which could include your online banking details or credit card details.
