 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
Hints and Things does not use any 1st Party cookies - more information .
|
HOAX SCAMS These hoax scams have been on site for some time but may still be of interest in some parts of the world although I fear hoaxes and scams have become more sophisticated in recent years. I posted a scam on the "Crafty Cons" page, only to be advised by a visitor that this was yet another hoax. The original scam is shown, followed by the comments from Mr. Steve Elliott - to whom I am much obliged. As it is all too easy to be taken in by these hoaxes and scams I thought you may be interested in a site www.snopes.com where you can check to see if they are true or not. Also recommended by Stephen Baines I have also been advised by Joe (a regular visitor) of another similar site www.truthorfiction.com which is also worth a visit. Both sites are both informative and entertaining. NEW SCAM - Volcanic Ash Compensation Richard Jones has been brought to my attention that there is an email scam circulating purporting to be from the CAA offering travellers compensation for their disrupted travel due to the volcanic ash. As always they request personal details and copy passports etc. and, in some cases, a fee in order to acquire the compensation. I expect there is, or will be, more than one doing the rounds so it pays to be vigilant. These are scams and should be immediately deleted - DO NOT divulge any personal information or part with any money. More detailed information is widely available from reputable online sources.
HOAX 1 POLICE BULLETIN (HOAX) We have been informed of the following scam which is targeting females in particular. They receive a phone call from the Post Office asking them to confirm their postcode. When this is given, they are told that 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 women who have provided this information have been burgled, as it is assumed that their homes are empty during office working hours. The police are aware of this scam and the Post Office have confirmed that they are NOT conducting any postcode surveys. Also, it has been reported that if you receive a telephone call from an individual who identifies him/herself as being an BT Service Technician who is conducting a test on that line, or if anyone else asks you to do the following DON'T. They will state that to complete the test the recipient should dial nine, zero (90) then the hash key and then hang up. This will give them full access to your phone line, which allows them to place long distance, international or chat-line calls. These are then billed to your account. The information which the Police have, suggests that many of these calls are emanating from prisons. The information has been checked out by the police and is correct. DO NOT PRESS 90 FOR ANYONE. Comments received from Mr. Steve Elliott:- This is a well-known hoax, originating in the US about 5 years ago, when it was an AT&T technician that was testing the line! I have been in touch with the Police, and they have confirmed that this *is* a hoax. HOAX 2 Another hoax going round at the moment (and even mentioned in Mirror Money - I have contacted them about it!) is the "£20-a-minute phone call scam", where you are told that you have won a holiday, and asked to press 9? If you hear about this one, here are the places refuting this: According to ICSTIS (The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services), not one person who claims it has actually happened to them has been able to produce a telephone bill that supports their story. HOAX 3 On a personal note, I recently came across yet another "hoax" - I received an email confirming an order for electrical equipment at a cost of nearly £400. It advised that this amount would be taken from my credit card and gave a customer service telephone number to call in case of problems. As I had not ordered this equipment I telephoned the given number only to find it was a UK Local Police Station who had had to install an electronic answering system explaining that this was a hoax. What will they think of next?
Copyright © 2000-2020 Hints and Things cannot be held responsible for any information given on this site nor do they necessarily agree with, or endorse, the views given by third parties. |