Scammers are phoning up consumers, pretending to be calling from BT or Talk Talk
It seems scammers are becoming increasingly clever in the way they trick consumers into downloading unsolicited links, or giving away personal information.
Pretending to be from a highly regarded company, the hoax callers are claiming there is a problem with the internet access and offering to solve the issue.
The scammers are contacting people on their landline and saying they are calling from a phone company such as BT or Talk Talk.
They will have your name and ask you to confirm it before telling you that someone else is accessing your internet connection, particularly when you are trying to buy things online.
Without warning your financial details could be stolen, the scammer will go on to explain there is no need to be concerned as they have specially trained engineers on hand to help. They will ask you to go to your computer and enter a web page where the ‘engineer’ will be able to help you. This is when they will attempt to steal your financial information.
Here’s how to deal with phone call scammers
- If you see that it’s a mobile number, it’s likely to be a scam call.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for the callers’ credentials and if you’re unsure, hang up and ring the company back yourself. Scam lines don’t take incoming calls.
- Never give any private information away over the phone or on email.
- Get in touch with your provider to find out if the call was genuine and if you think you’ve been scammed, let your bank know.
As it’s BT and Talk Talk’s name being used in these scam calls, both companies have issued advice to help customers.
What BT say:
- Never share your BT account number
- Shred your BT bills
- Be wary of unsolicited calls or emails
- Don’t trust anyone with your personal information, even if they have your account number
- BT never calls from an unknown number, it will usually be from an 0800 one
- BT never asks for sensitive details, such as financial information, out of the blue
- If you fear you’ve been scammed, get in touch with Action Fraud for help
TalkTalk offers free nuisance and scam-call blocking tools. They also offer this advice:
- TalkTalk will NEVER use your TalkTalk account number to prove a call is genuine
- TalkTalk will NEVER ask you to provide your full password – we’ll only ever ask for two digits in order to protect your security
- TalkTalk will NEVER ask for your bank details to process a refund – if you’re a TalkTalk customer, your bank details will already be registered on our systems
- TalkTalk will NEVER ask you to send us money through services such as Moneygram or Western Union. Scammers do this to prevent transactions from being traced back to them
It’s not just individual consumers being targeted by these scammers, businesses have been contacted too.
MF Telecom Services is a leading UK business telecoms solutions provider.
The team of business telecoms experts and engineers have extensive industry experience and a strong reputation for providing high quality products and services, including reliable business broadband and data line connectivity, essential for your business.
Call 01892 577 577 to discuss your business broadband connectivity options or request a quote. Alternatively, you can send us an email.