Phone scam WARNING

[Blister]

The new telephone 'scam' has arrived.

This has been forwarded and verified:


"I received a call from a 'representative' of BT, informing me that he was dis-connecting me because of an unpaid bill. He demanded payment immediately of £31.00, or it would be £118.00 to re-connect at a later date.

The guy wasn't even fazed when I told him I was with Virgin Media, allegedly Virgin Media have to pay BT a percentage for line rental!

I asked the guy's name - the very 'English' John Peacock with a very 'African' accent - & phone number - 0800 0800 152.

Obviously the fella realized I wasn't believing his story, so offered to demonstrate that he was from BT. I asked how & he told me to hang up & try phoning someone - he would dis-connect my phone to prevent this.

AND HE DID !! My phone was dead - no engaged tone, nothing - until he phoned me again.

Very pleased with himself, he asked if that was enough proof that he was with BT. I asked how the payment was to be made & he said credit card, there & then.

I said that I didn't know how he'd done it, but I had absolutely no intention of paying him, I didn't
believe his name or that he worked for BT.

He hung up..

Did 1471 & phoned his fictitious 0800 number - not recognised.

I phoned the police to let them know, I wasn't the first! It's only just started apparently but it is
escalating.

Their advice was to let as many people know by word of mouth of this scam. The fact that the phone does go off would probably convince some people it's real, so please let as many friends & family aware of this.

This is good but not that clever. He gave the wrong number - it should have been 0800 800152 which takes you through to BT Business. The cutting off of the line is very simple, he stays on the line with the mute button on and you can't dial out - but he can hear you trying. (This is because the person
who initates a call is the one to terminate it). When you stop trying he cuts off and immediately calls back. You could almost be convinced! The sad thing is that it is so simple that it will certainly fool the elderly and vulnerable."


Please pass this own to friends and family and be on your guard.


This is verified at http://www.scamtypes.com/0800-0800-152- ... -scam.html

Al

 

[hog&bodge]

I can see a ot of people falling for this one...specially if they
depend on the phone for health reasons...
Thanks for the heads up Blister..
alex.

 

[bugbear]

Never heard of scam types, but...

Snopes confirms it.

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/btscam.asp

BugBear

 

[matt]

He blocks your line but staying on the line but hitting the mute button at his end.

 

[devonwoody]

I have heard before that if you dont put your receiver down after making a call the other end is locked, but I think there is a time limitation?
Is there?

 

[les chicken]

This is a very interesting post.

A few months ago a friend rang to ask me some advice, I told him I would check up and ring him back. However he did not replace his phone correctly, so therefore did not hang up. When I tried to ring him back I had no dial tone but could hear him talking in the background. In the end I used my mobile to ring his and told him to hang up his bl***y phone as he had blocked my land line.

I immediately rang BT and told them what had happened, their reply "that's how it works, the caller has to end the call unless they are phoning through a switch board."

So I asked them if I was planning a robbery and dialled the house I was going to burgle, if I did not not hang up, I would render their phone useless and they would not be able to dial 999. Their answer was "that is correct".

In a rather irate tone I commented that in this day and age that it was a ridiculous situation. Their answer "that is the way the phone system works". I commented that I should be able to cut of an unwelcome caller, their answer "we agree with you, but it does not work that way."

It just goes to show how easy it is to perform a phone scam.

Les

 

[Smudger]

After a short time our phone (Virgin) starts to make a loud noise if we haven't replaced the handset properly. Don't BT phones do the same?

 

[matt]

After a short time our phone (Virgin) starts to make a loud noise if we haven't replaced the handset properly. Don't BT phones do the same?

I think that only happens if the caller to your phone has ended the call at their end, otherwise the phones just assume you're still talking.

 

[Smudger]

Ah. Makes sense.

 

[pren]

Also happens if you leave your phone off the hook for a while. Get a loud siren sound from the earpeice.

Cheers for the heads up. Not heard of that before.

 

[devonwoody]

And the caller gets a big phone bill, perhaps that is why BT dont want to update the system. :twisted: :wink:

 

[RogerS]

And the caller gets a big phone bill, perhaps that is why BT dont want to update the system. :twisted: :wink:

Not at all, dw. It really is 'how it works'. When you pick up your receiver to make a call, you complete a dc path back to the exchange as you go 'off-hook'. You then dial your number and when the connection is made...even with all the digital stuff in the way...while your phone remains 'off-hook' that ties up the line at the destination end.

 

[devonwoody]

And the call still gets charged whilst unhooked?

So BT dont need to change the system they are making money?

 

[RogerS]

And the call still gets charged whilst unhooked?

So BT dont need to change the system they are making money?

](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) Yes the call is still charged. So you're suggesting that BT spends several billion pounds replacing every single phone, exchange, line reception equipment in the country ? That every single business in the country with a PBX or PABX replaces it to take account of BT's changes ?

And while you're about it, Einstein, perhaps you can come up with a system as simple as the one that we currently have but which is able to miraculously realise that the caller has left the phone off the hook and so disconnect the call?

 

[devonwoody]

Simple disconection of a call with no sound vibrations after so many minutes, they do listen in to calls so I bet something could be done IF THEY WANTED TOO.

 

[RogerS]

Hey..well, perhaps while you're re-inventing the wheel, dw, you could come up with a viable fusion generator and also stop global warming)

 

[devonwoody]

Here we go.

BT go completely mobile telephone, pull down all there overhead and underground wiring on an area basis.
The copper reclaimed would pay for all the change over.

Simple if they wanted to do it , but they dont.

 

[RogerS]

Yeah..right.

 

[jlawrence]

DW, and we get a broadband connection how exactly ???
Mobile ? I don't think so - there's barely a signal in my house.
I often have to listen in on telecalls - where I have to listen to the meeting but often have nothing to add. In that case I'll have the phone on speaker phone and muted - this can sometimes last 2 or 3 hours. How would BT know that I've just no left the phone off the hook.

 

[devonwoody]

Yeah..right.

Thats what I like agreement on this forum.

JL. I had a 3 system mobile phone that would not let me use it from my home, changed over to Virgin and perfect, no reception problems at all.

However as I am not a director of BT, I'm not going to help them to make bigger profits with anymore helpful suggestions.