XADRIAN Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 If the below is true, does this mean we live in a society where we can't even trust someone to use our telephone?? The bit about not comitting an offence is rubbish, thats why I'm never sure if these things are true or just urban myths. ========== Below are details of a scam, which unsuspecting people are currently being duped by. The reason it works so well, is that it plays on your good will! The police have requested that as many people are alerted as possible. Picture the scene :- You are at home and there is a knock at the door. On answering it you are confronted by a respectable looking woman in a suit, who is distressed. She explains that her car has broken down further down the road and she needs to contact her husband to come to her aid. Is it at all possible to use your phone to call him? You allow her to use the phone, but being the suspicious type you stand with her as she makes the call. She dials the number and asks to be put through to Mr Smith/Brown/Stevens (whatever). She holds the line for about thirty seconds. She continues "In that case can you ask him to leave the meeting for a minute I need to speak to him urgently". She apologizes and explains they are getting him out of a meeting. A couple of minutes go by and she starts to speak to her husband. She explains the situation to him, tells him what has happened to the car, is annoyed because she now can't get to her meeting and asks what she should do now. She listens for a few seconds and then says, "Well as soon as the meeting finishes can you come to Cardiff Road/Leicester Road/Surrey Street (whatever), where the car has broken down. Another few seconds go by, "O.K. I'll see you in about twenty minutes then". She puts down the phone and thanks you ever so much for your kind assistance, even offering you a pound for your trouble, but of course you decline, its no trouble. She leaves and everything is fine. Or is it? Prior to knocking on your door, she has set up her own premium rate line with a telephone company at the cost of about £150, and she has dictated that the calls to that number should be charged at £50 per minute. She has dialled that number. The conversation she has had with her "husband" is entirely fictional, there is a pre-recorded voice message on the other end to give the impression she is talking to someone. She has been on the phone for about five minutes, and that call just cost you £250, the majority of which goes into her pocket and the first you know about it is who you get your bill. To rub salt in the wound, she hasn't even committed a criminal offence. You've given her permission to use your phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 I seem to remember this being an urban myth. Go to snopes.com to check it out. I can't do it at the moment as my company has blocked access to this and many other popular sites such as friendsreunited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Well according to BT (I phoned the operator and asked) there's no cap on the amount a premium rate phone line can charge, so this type of scame would seem likely (at least it is now you've told me about it ) If you are scammed or worried about it, you can try and phone the governing body for premium rate phone lines on 0800 500 212 (calls charged at £75 a minute (joke -it's freefone)) [edit] - I did - and it's a myth. £1.50/minute is the maximum available tariff. deleted mobile phone story Snopes report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBouncer Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 She has committed an offence by falsifying the reason for the call. Although she could argue she told you why she was using the phone and you agreed. Tough one that. Although once BT find out what is going on, they would more than likely withold the money from the scammer. Also add to that the fact that most people credit limit with BT is set to £150, you would have got a phone call straight afterwards to ask whats going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huwj Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Xxxxxxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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