Parcel Delivery Scam

[manshimajin]

Don't know if this will reach the island.

 

My brother was telling me that in his local UK Post Office there is a poster warning people of a scam that is operating there.

 

You receive an official looking card through your letter box from what appears to be a private parcel delivery firm.

 

"We tried to deliver a parcel to you today but were unable to do so. Please call XXXXX"

 

A lot of people think that this is genuine - so they call the number. Unbeknowns to them it connects them through to Belize (at £15 for the connection) and plays that wonderful 'call on hold' nonsense (at goodness knows how much per minute).

 

The advice in the Post Office was if you get a card that looks as if it is from a delivery service check them out in the phone book before calling - if they are not there forget your 'parcel'.

[Albert Tatlock]

Ouch!

[molly]

isnt the £15 a call think bollox? i thought there was a max of £1.50 a minute charge

[The Old Git]

isnt the £15 a call think bollox? i thought there was a max of £1.50 a minute charge

 

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/pds-phone-scam.html explains this

 

£1.50 is correct, £15.00 is bollox and it was shut down a couple of years ago

[matty]

isnt the £15 a call think bollox? i thought there was a max of £1.50 a minute charge

 

I've had a mobile call that cost me £80 - that was only a couple of mins call as well - in Dartmouth - calling a ship I could see from the harbour!

 

Manx roaming mobile in UK calling ship's Inmarsat - very expensive

[Albert Tatlock]

i thought there was a max of £1.50 a minute charge

Looks that way if it's the same as this BBC Story - though the total can soon mount up.

[pongo]

When I use Google Mail - they give me a warning if it is possible or likely that, in their opinion, I may be attempting to connect to a site which is not what it seems to be. EG - if I click on link in an email which has been identified by them as a potential phishing exploit. This does not make them responsible for my actions if I chose to ignore them or if I click on link which they have not identified as potentially fraudulent. They are simply providing a better service by doing what they can.

 

In a similar way - i don't see why the telephone companies cannot interrupt outgoing calls with a message such as are - you - sure (this may be a scam) ? Specifically to identify numbers which have been identified or reported as likely scams. Such as the numbers mentioned in the BBC article. Actually - the numbers could be blocked.

 

There are 3 reasons I can think of why they will not do this:

 

1. They believe that it would leave them open to claims from people who get scammed by dialing numbers which the telephone companies have not identified.

 

2. They fear that they may be sued by scammers for restricting business.

 

3. They aren't actually bothered - since they make money from these calls.

[manshimajin]

isnt the £15 a call think bollox? i thought there was a max of £1.50 a minute charge

 

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/pds-phone-scam.html explains this

 

£1.50 is correct, £15.00 is bollox and it was shut down a couple of years ago

 

All I know is I have been told that they still have the warning posted in Yorkshire. Good thing if it has been stoppped. Wanted to warn anyone if they got a card.

 

I like the bit that says in the description of the scam posted above:

 

"If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £15 for the phone call." Sounds almost like Ryanair....