Openreach scam.

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Chippy_Tea

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As the saying goes if it sounds too good to be true it usually is -



Members of the public are asked to be aware of a telephone scam whereby residents are being contacted at their home address by persons claiming to be from BT Open Reach.

The caller is claiming to offer services from BT Open Reach such as increased internet speeds and the calls often come a short time after residents have enquired about genuine BT services.

The caller is offering a refund to residents as compensation for poor internet speeds and in order to make that payment and to improve internet speeds they are requesting remote access to computers /laptops.

This is a scam and no refund or improved service is provided. Instead money is taken from the residents bank account without their knowledge.

Members of the public are reminded to be vigilant, not to feel under pressure, to hang up the call if they are asked for any personal details, or access to their bank account and to report this to the police and Action Fraud.
 
I bank with First Direct and their telephone banking is so good that I made my online account read only. I can't move money in or out so nobody else can either, so if anyone wants to hack my account to see how much I haven't got they're more than welcome but not a single groat will they nick.
 
Hands up if you would allow anyone remote access to your computer, especially if they had contacted you, rather than you contacting them.
Ah, thought so.
 
I would like to think i would not fall for such a scam but you read/hear about people who have been conned regularly there are so many of these scams out there and they wouldn't be doing it if they were not catching people out.

I spoke to my parents shortly after i posted the TalkTalk phone scam earlier in the week (they ring and say something like your internet is going to be temporarily disconnected for a while) and it turns out they had been called luckily they are both internet savvy and didn't press the keypad (to talk to the engineer) i wonder how many older people are not and do.
 
I'm afraid there are always people who will fall for a scam, and then there are the rest of us. You cannot educate or warn most would-be victims, they are sadly always vulnerable through loneliness, infirmity, naivity, stupidity, or mental health issues. How many people still get roped into doing stuff they are ill advised to do by simply answering the phone and engaging with some bloke with a funny accent calling from who knows where on a crackly line, I'll bet a lot more than you would imagine. And how long has this cold calling scam been going on, many years is the answer, and most of us are aware of it, but there are still folks who fall for it.
 
I’ve had numerous messages on my voicemail at home this week, from someone claiming to be a policeman from HMRC. So HMRC have their own police force now then? They are apparently filing a lawsuit against me.

You are asked to press ‘1’ to speak to a case officer. When I googled it, I was amazed to hear that many people have fallen for it and handed over large sums of money.

People’s stupidity never ceases to amaze me, but I do hate it when these fraudsters pray on the elderly and vulnerable.
 
I don't think its stupidity as Terry said above there are vuneralble people out there and those are the ones this scum hope pick up the phone, I have got to the stage where if I do not recognise the number I don't even bother answering the call.
 
I don't think its stupidity as Terry said above there are vuneralble people out there and those are the ones this scum hope pick up the phone, I have got to the stage where if I do not recognise the number I don't even bother answering the call.
Stupidity was only one of five reasons I mentioned that mean people are vulnerable to scamming. And I am sure there will be more.
 

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