With more and more people focusing on online scams and ways to trick people out of their money on the internet, it may be that some people will overlook or forget the ways that people used to con money out of unsuspecting people. In the past, telephone scams were very popular but as more and more of these crimes took place, awareness of these crimes grew. However, in recent years, with the focus falling on newer and potentially more dangerous crime, some criminals and con-artists have been returning to telephone scams.
There is always likely to be a new twist to the scams and a number of Trading Standards teams around the country have issues warnings about a new style of telephone scam that has been taking place. This involves cold calling where someone phones householders claiming to be a representative of the telephone firm or telecom provider for the householder.
The caller then goes on to say that the account of the bill payer is in arrears and if there isn’t immediate payment by debit or credit card, the line will be disconnected. The scammer is even able to demonstrate a way that they have the ability to disconnect the line.
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A number of professional bodies have released statements regarding these scams
There have been so many complaints about this style of scam of late that BT Group have spoken about the issue. They said that while they may look to contact their clients and customers about outstanding debts that may be in place, they would never disconnect a phone line during this call. Of com have also issued statements about this scam and they have reminded people that if there is an outstanding bill for a telephone firm, reminders will be sent in the form of an email, by a phone call, by a SMS and by letter.
This isn’t the first time that this sort of scam has been undertaken. There have been complaints about this style of scam being used in connection with bank debts or with utility provider debts. Trading Standards advise customers who have received this style of phone call to hang up on the caller, politely, and then getting in touch with their provider. Anyone that has been tricked into providing bank details should make sure that they get in touch with their bank or financial provider as quickly as possible and if anyone feels as though they have been a victim of fraud, they should get in touch with the police.
The reason that these scams succeed is that they sound plausible
The problem with many of these scams is that they sound plausible and they often catch people unawares. When you are in the comfort of your own home, you are unlikely to be thinking that you are at risk of a crime or fraud being committed. If you then take a call from someone who claims to represent a firm that provides you with a service, it is also likely that you will take it at face value. These two elements add up to the fact that people are at great risk of this style of scam and if they think about online scams without realizing that traditional scams can still take place, they may be at great risk.
While you don’t want people to be cynical and negative about everything in life, but there is no getting away from the fact that showing some caution is always going to be of benefit for mini missing the likelihood of suffering from a scam. No one wants to get in debt, because it can have long term consequences and issues with respect to obtaining finance in later years. There is also the fact that many people are fully dependent on their telephone line and don’t want to run the risk of having their telephone line being cut off. This will be why so many people would be keen to pay up quickly but in reality, there is no need for them to do so.
This is a per-meditated crime and if someone is undertaking it, it would be best for them to get legal support and representation as quickly as possible. There is a great deal to be said for being proactive when it comes to building a defence for your actions and if you are committing a crime, working closely with an experienced legal team can help you to make a better representation when you eventually face charges.
