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COUNTERFEIT VODKA WARNING
MOBILE PHONE INSURANCE SCAM
LLOYDS TSB / HBOS SCAM
BEWARE OF INCREASE IN BANK ACCOUNT 'PHISHING'
COUNTERFEIT VODKA WARNING August 2008
Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils joint Trading Standards Service have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that counterfeit SPAR Imperial Vodka is in circulation. An investigation has been launched after 70cl bottles of the counterfeit vodka were found on sale in a NON-SPAR store.
The counterfeit vodka contains potentially harmful levels of methanol. The levels recorded could have serious health effects, including blindness, if consumed in large quantities.
Note that NO counterfeit bottles have been found in SPAR stores and there are NO concerns associated with authentic bottles of SPAR Imperial Vodka.
Thankfully no cases of ill health associated with this counterfeit vodka have currently been reported. Methanol is normally found in vodka at very low levels, but high levels should not be present because if drunk it could cause serious harm to health. An excessive intake of methanol can cause methanol poisoning and the effects include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness, blurred vision leading to blindness, and breathing difficulties. Symptoms of methanol poisoning can take several hours to develop, so anyone who may have drunk this counterfeit product should seek immediate medical advice.
Trading Standards has been informed that the only legitimate route of purchase is via a SPAR store and any SPAR Own Label vodka offered for sale elsewhere should be treated with suspicion.
Brian Wilson, Trading Standards Officer with Stirling Council Trading Standards gives the following advice on how to identify the counterfeit vodka:
- These photographs (pdf) show the counterfeit bottle (left) next to the authentic bottle (right).
- The counterfeit SPAR Imperial Vodka has a hint of acetone smell (similar to nail varnish).
- Bottles of the counterfeit samples are identified by the code QI:1445c and a smudged inkjet code reading that looks like 102234 04/08/02.
- There is no Lot Code present on the neck of the counterfeit bottle samples, whereas Lot Codes are present on all legitimate stock.
Legitimate bottles have the following embossed on the glass: 700ml 66mm followed by two symbols and then the numbers 8809
Should you suspect that you have purchased counterfeit SPAR vodka (from a non-SPAR store) then Brian Wilson asks you to contact him on 01786 432058.
Members of the public can contact Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils joint Trading Standards Service on 0845 277 7000 or by visiting them at Municipal Buildings, 8-10 Corn Exchange Road, Stirling, FK8 2HU during normal office hours.
Stirling & Clackmannanshire Trading Standards Service is advising consumers to be on the alert for a scam involving insurance for mobile phones.
The scam starts when a consumer enters into a new contract for a mobile phone. Many retailers now offer insurance contracts with their mobile phones. Fraudsters are targeting these customers by phoning up and claiming to be from the insurance company. They pretend to be offering additional cover at a heavily discounted rate, or else they simply say that they are preparing the necessary paperwork, and need to confirm some details. They go on to ask for personal information, including credit card and bank account details. Needless to say, these fraudsters have no connection with the mobile phone retailers or any legitimate insurance companies. Customers in the Stirling Council area who have recently been taken in by these fraudsters have found that they subsequently remove significant sums of money from their bank accounts, typically between £80 and £120.
Mobile phone retailers do not pass on personal information about their customers. Instead, these fraudsters rely on the fact that the airtime providers often release mobile phone numbers to retailers in blocks. If the fraudsters can identify a genuine number from a particular retailer, they can then dial a range of consecutive numbers using the same prefix, and hope that they will eventually get through to somebody. They will be able to make false claims about working in association with the retailer concerned.
Neil Chalmers, Trading Standards & Licensing Manager, warned consumers not to be taken in by these fraudsters. He said : Consumers should never give out any personal information, especially credit card and bank details, to anybody who makes an unsolicited telephone call. If the caller claims to be from a legitimate organisation that you are already dealing with, take appropriate steps to verify that they really are who they say they are. Check your paperwork, and call them back using a number that you have already been given or which has been publicly advertised, for example on television or in a reputable telephone directory. Better still, ask them to confirm their request in writing. Legitimate organisations will rarely ask you to disclose personal information over the telephone, so be wary if you receive such a request”.
Any person who receives a suspicious telephone call should contact the police or their local Trading Standards Service.
LLOYDS TSB / HBOS BOGUS PHONE CALLS September 2008
Already, there are reports of scammers using the news of the Lloyds TSB takeover of HBOS to try to trick customers into disclosing their personal bank details. The caller may claim that your account needs to be changed or verified because of the new banking arrangements and they need your account details to do this. That is rubbish. Do not reveal any of your details. If there are any changes to your banking arrangements your bank will contact you by post. A genuine bank will not ask for your PIN number over the phone, so never disclose it to anyone.
BEWARE OF INCREASE IN 'PHISHING' FOR BANK DETAILS October 2008
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 industry the USA is seeing a surge in attempts by fraudsters to get details of personal bank accounts. The odds are that it will spread to the UK.
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 upheaval in the industry. A rise in that figure is anticipated for the current half-year. If you receive any of these emails or calls, contact your bank’s fraud section.
