Scam mailings, phone calls, emails

Every year around three million people fall victim to mass marketing scams such as bogus lotteries, deceptive prize draws and sweepstakes, fake psychics, get-rich-quick schemes and miracle health cures.  Many of these scams are sent through the post, as well as by email or over the phone and target the elderly and vulnerable.  However, research by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) suggests that less than 5% of victims report the scam to the authorities. If you have been the victim of a scam or need further advice, please call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. 

Visit the Think Jessica website to read one victim's true story.

On this page you will find information on mass marketing and phone scams reported to us by Kent residents.

Visit our TS Alert message page for current warning messages.

Remember, if something sounds to good to be true -
it probably is!

 

Below are some typical scams to watch out for.

 

Benefits - no need for premium rate advice!

Reports have been received of companies offering advice on welfare benefits via premium rate telephone services, costing in the region of £1.50 a minute.  This is not illegal but the same advice can be obtained free from other sources such as the Directgov website.

Bogus & scam emails

Online dating scam - people joining online dating services should watch out for a scam aimed at getting them to send money overseas.  The unwary victim is contacted by someone claiming to be looking for romance, who happens to live overseas.  Before long their online date will start to ask for money, typically claiming it is for some financial emergency such as hospital bills for a sick child, or to buy an airline ticket. They will ask for the money to be sent using an untraceable source such as a telegraphic money transfer and will then disappear with the money.

Phishing emails - be very wary of "phishing emails" particularly those claiming to be from a Bank, Building Society, Paypal or Ebay.  These emails can be very convincing.

Online employment opportunity - reports have been received of  bona fide company email addresses being replicated/hijacked by scammers based in Nigeria. The scam aims to defraud victims by getting hold of their bank details etc. One such scam involves an email offering an "online employment opportunity" with a Kent based company explaining the company is expanding and requires people to process online orders. The fraudsters offer a percentage of each order as payment.  The company have confirmed this is a scam.

Inland Revenue - A realistic looking email purporting to be from the Inland Revenue offering a tax refund has been reported. . Do not click on the links and do not give away any personal data. If you are suspicious of any email, report it to the business that the email purports to originate from, in this case, phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk, and your internet service provider.

Leaflets through the door

Sell your home fast or rent back schemes

Be wary of leaflets dropping through your letterbox which appear to offer solutions to financial problems though the fast sale of your home or rent back schemes. They may appear to offer a solution, but it is vital to take professional advice before signing up to such schemes.

If you do find yourself in any kind of financial difficulty you can get professional advice through a non profit making organisation such as National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 or Citizens Advice. You can find the number of your local bureau in the telephone directory.

 

Lottery draw letters

Kent consumers have received mail claiming to be an Age Concern monthly lottery draw and asking for personal and banking information.   There is an Age Concern logo on the letter.

 

Scam phone calls

Bogus BT (British Telecom) calls - Reports have been received of calls being received from someone claiming to be ringing from BT. The caller tells the recipient that they are in arrears with their bill and unless they make an immediate payment they will be disconnected.  If the householder disputes the claim the caller instructs them to hang up and then to try and make a call. On picking up the receiver to make the call the line appears dead so the victim thinks they have been disconnected. However, the scammer is hanging on the line to give the impression the line is dead.  If you receive such a call don't respond, hang up but do not try to make the test call. 

Bogus bank officials - An elderly consumer received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Lloyds Bank (the consumers bank) requesting her debit card details. Unfortunately the consumer gave the information. Shortly after she received a letter claiming to assist in reclaiming wrongly charged bank fees. The consumer had not had any issues with the bank over charges, but since this incident this trader has taken £50 from her account.

Bogus fraud alert phone calls - we have received reports of  phone calls purporting to be from Abbey Bank. The calls are automated and state the surname and initial of the person being called, giving the impression of a genuice call. The call states it is about security issues and visa card fraud. The victim is asked to press a key to confirm their identity and then personal security information is requested.  Abbey have confirmed that these calls do not come from them.

Man-in-the-phone scams  - deception is used during a telephone conversation to persuade an individual to divulge information. The fraudster phones someone and informs them that there has been a security risk on their account. The fraudster then conference calls in the real bank, whose representative asks for the secret information. Since it’s the real bank with the real account information, the individual often answers the security questions, then provides all bank details, while the fraudster eavesdrops in the background.

Burglar alarm systems - A large number of phone calls from a security system company using very hard sell methods and lies to get an appointment at the consumer's home have been reported from across the county.   The company appear to be targetting older residents who already have an alarm system, using scare tactics by suggesting increases in crime in their immediate locality.  They also tell consumers they will give them up to £1,500 worth of free equipment if an appointment is made.  Claims that their systems are connected to Kent police stations are also untrue.

Canadian lottery - Individuals from Canada are telephoning Kent consumers telling them that they have won £300,000 on the Canadian Lottery.  These phone calls are generally targeted at consumers who have responded to ‘prize draw’ mailings in the past.

The callers ask for personal details such as a date of birth and a password to appear legitimate.  They then ask for £10,000 to be sent to them via the Western Union.  If the consumer says they do not have this amount they are then asked how much they do have in their savings. If the consumer tells them, the caller then asks them to send this amount via Western Union, even giving the location of the local Western Union money transfer office.

Do not under any circumstances send money through the Western Union to anyone you do not know.  Sending money by Western Union is a cash transaction; it is not possible to retrieve this money once it has been sent and there is no way of finding out who collected it.   If you constantly receive phone calls of this type, or know a friend or relative who does, contact your telephone network provider to find out if you can block the number or change your number.

Council tax refunds - we know some residents in Kent have been targeted by a fraudster claiming to be from Kent County Council or the Local Borough council. The victims received a phone call advising them that they are due a council tax rebate or that they owe more council tax. They are asked to part with their bank account details to make or receive payments. We are certain there will be more similar cases of this kind and it is likely that other Kent residents will be targeted by this scam.  NEVER give valuable information such as your bank account details to anyone, no matter how plausible, unless you have official documentation to back up such claims. Always err on the side of caution. If you get such a call please report it to Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

 

"It’s me"  - This scam is aimed at elderly people. The fraudster calls saying their granddaughter has been in a road accident abroad. Cries for help are screamed down the phone and the caller tells the person that money needs to be sent immediately to cover the medical costs.

 

Safety/Security checks - Elderly homeowners throughout East Kent have been subjected to unsolicited phone calls asking if they are interested in security checks and being offered free shredders or marker pens. One consumer became suspicious when she was asked if there would be anyone else in the house when the trader called so did not take up the offer of a visit. The caller did not give a name and his number was withheld. Another consumer in the Ashford area received a similar call from a company who wanted to make an appointment at a specific time to come around and check "fire safety issues". The caller then asked the consumer if they shredded their letters and offered to bring out a free shredder and pen on their visit. 

If you get a similar call do not take up the offer but call Consumer Direct 08454 04 05 06. to report the matter.

 

Time share - a local consumer was called by someone claiming they had managed to resolve a time share issue the consumer has had in the past and if the consumer paid £900 he would be able to use the apartment again. The consumer did give his credit card details but fortunately the payment was blocked by the card company until they had confirmed it with the consumer. On discovering the reason for the payment the credit card company advised the consumer to contact Trading Standards for advice.  In this case the consumer had not used the apartment for over 6 years and so had no legal right to use it.