Yobunny client support forums
Tech Support Forums => Security, Vulnerabilities, Alerts - Stay Safe! => Topic started by: Anne on September 02, 2009, 06:18:34 PM
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I had one of these calls last week, so it's worth posting for reference.
If you live in the UK and you get a call from BT saying your phone bill is overdue, DO NOT give them your bank / credit card bills to clear the bill.
The callers know the name connected with the phone number / BT account, and they appear very plausible. This is what happened to me:
I had a call last week - a woman asking for me by name and said she was from BT. Said it was "a courtesy call" and that my bill was overdue and I would be cut off the same evening (she actually said "scheduled for disconnection tonight") but I could avoid this by paying her immediately over the phone. I told them that my bill was only just due (not overdue) as it had only arrived 2 days before, that I'd pay it the way I normally did, and if they dared to cut me off I'd take it further.
Much to my surprise she hung up on me! but I'd not realised it was actually a scam until I read that my friends had had the same call, that they'd actually given the caller two sets of card details (as the first one was apparently declined), and then found that both bank accounts have been cleared out by someone, presumably the caller and/or their henchmen.
Now the worrying thing here is, that if you get a call from someone claiming to be BT and who asks for you by name, the chances are, you'll believe it is BT.
If you've had one of these calls and given the caller your bank / credit card details, do check your account immediately and contact your bank / card provider and tell them your card's been compromised. All banks have procedures to deal with this and if you let them know immediately then you will be protected from the loss of your cash.
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Finally BT have issued a warning about this scam - not before time!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8263637.stm