Stuart H

Just had this e-mail from a contact:

We have been advised of a new confidence trick which tagets individuals at their place of work.

This is a phone call from 'The Post Office' asking them to confirm their company postcode. When this is given, they are told they have become eligible for some gift vouchers for their co-operation and are asked to provide their home address and postcode in order to receive the vouchers.

So far 90% of the people who have provided this information have been burgkled as it is assumed homes are empty during office hours. The police are aware of this scam and the Post Office have confirmed that they are <B>NOT</B> conducting postcode surveys.

Also - it has been reported if you receive a telephone call from an individual who identifies himself/herself as being an AT & T Service Technician who is conducting a test on the telephone line - <B>DON'T</B>(or for that matter anyone who asks you to do the same). They will state that to complete the test the recipient should touch nine, zero, hash and then hang up. To do this gives full access to your phone line, which will allow them to place long distance international calls, or ISP calls, which will be billed to your account.

Message ends



[This message has been edited by Stuart H (edited 15 September 2000).]

simes

Thank you Stuart for the info.

I have taken to ignoring anything unsolicited whether it be phone calls, emails etc.

Sad really

Cheers

Simon

boomer

Stuart,

i think that the second scam is a hoax that originated in the USA. It relied in certain switchboards/private exchanges security holes - NOT private lines (and NOT the UK). I think that Scotland Yard got hit by hackers a couple of years ago using a similar (but more advanced) mechanism!

See

sasim

I had this happen to me some time ago, a woman called the office and asked to speak to the person who does the puchasing, so they were put through to me (not really my job but....).

she spouted off some story about having my details on file (from a previous contact) and that her boss had told her to send me a gift. She asked for my name, which I gave her, and then she asked for my home address, so she could send the gift, I told her to send it to the office but she said that she could not do that.

dodgy points.

1)They had my details of file, but did not know my name
2)They could only send the gift to my home, yet they called me at work

So, I told her to take a flying ****.

The second one is a fake, I think!!

SS

Stuart H

The e-mail message came from a colleague at NCIS (National Criminal Intelligence Service) so I trust its content. I'm also aware of a couple of instances of the second one being pulled off (there was a similar thing going round with Vodafone's last year I think). However I'll check on Monday morning.

Unvelievable what these little sh*ts get up to now.

[This message has been edited by Stuart H (edited 16 September 2000).]