Author Topic: Spam, Spam - Scam, Scam! (Read 4912 times)

tim · « **on:** February 13, 2004, 15:46:38 »

Just been caught by the latter.
Registered a few days ago with TPS to be taken off the nuisance call list. Free.

Yesterday, caller said they had been passed 'the list' - what list? - the TPS list of folk who want to opt out. That'll be £9 something. What for? 'Handling charge'. Off guard and pre-occupied at the time, I gave them my card no. Just checked with TPS and there's a scam, centred in Pembrokeshire, currently beig investigated.

Tried to get Barclaycard to refuse payment, but all I got from them was a page of disclaimers. B......y great help they are!!

Be warned. Should anyone be approached, please give all info to Trading Standards @ 01437 775634. = Tim

Muddy_Boots · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2004, 15:52:45 »

Sympathies Tim :'(

My MSN offers spam block and I think it's free, might bw worth a try!

Good luck :)

Tenuse · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2004, 17:12:53 »

That sounds like an Inside Job to me Tim if somebody knew you had been added to "the list"!

Don't forget everyone that you can also join the Mail Preference Service to stop people sending you junk mail absolutely FREE (no handling charge!!) and likewise the Fax Preference Service.

For the TPS, MPS and FPS visit http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/mpsR/html/default.asp

Ten x

tim · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2004, 17:54:52 »

Thanks, Ten - often want to stop the junk, but the family say'oh, we like the catalogues!!

MB - yes, we're mostly OK on the net; this was over the 'phone.
= Tim

Piglet · « **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2004, 00:11:57 »

Thanks Ten, had been meaning to do this for a while as someone at work said you could remove yourself from the list(s) but wasnt sure who to contact.

Have reg'd tonight.

Piglet. :D

petmas · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2004, 21:12:24 »

I thought TPS was a great idea until I recentley found out that 1) its use is volountary by sellers 2) the list is sold to sellers. In otherwords if you were a small fish in telemarketing would you pay to buy a list of who not to ring if you don't have to? Lets face it it is usually the small local compaies that are the main pests. As to if MPS is the same I'm not certain but I do know that most of the junk mail I get is unaddressed and delivered by the postman to everyone and it seems you can't opt out. >:(

Tenuse · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2004, 12:33:32 »

Yes you can, by writing to:

Royal Mail Door to Door
Beaumont House
Sandy Lane West
Oxford OX4 6ZZ
Tel: 01865 748768

It may, however, slow down the speed with which your real post gets to you.

Ten x

eileen · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2004, 14:42:47 »

Thanks for posting this address Ten. I'm really sick of getting junk mail through the post.

My 'normal' post couldn't get much slower so I'll give it a go.

Mind you the recycling guys won't be getting such a big contribution from now on!!

aquilegia · « **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2004, 15:08:58 »

Sympathies Tim.

telesales calls are met with much hillarity (if only I could spell the word!) in our house. We have the game of who can annoy the salesperson so much they hang up (I've got the record so far!) Then there's the inventing stupid reason why we are not Mr and Mrs M..... Hubby's favourite when they ask for him is to say that Mr M (ie himself) is in Wales at the moment and he's a very old and sick man.

But the worst is his bank - they send him a letter literally every week trying to get him to get a loan or a credit card. You'd think by now they'd have got the message and given up. grr

Dandy_Lion · « **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2004, 21:29:58 »

Hi Tim, sorry to hear of your misfortune. I registered with TPS about 3 years ago and have found it brill - definitely worth hanging on in there. At first, calls did still come through, but one mention of "have you not checked the TPS list" seemed to put the fear of God in them and they quickly hung up. I was under the impression that callers were meant to check it - not a voluntary thing and from my emperience it would appear that they should have!
Keep smiling
Sally

tim · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2004, 22:24:44 »

Hilarity? Yes, good fun, but having had a son trying to earn money in tele - marketing, I have enormous sympathy for the poor s.ds, and say 'thank you SO much for thinking of us, but our windows are 100 years old and doing nicely!' - etc = Tim

Hugh_Jones · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2004, 22:48:32 »

Just to set the record straight, the TPS list is binding on all telemarketing companies - whether they read it or not - and to cold call anyone on the TPS list is an offence under the Data Protection (Telecommunications) Act, for which a substantial fine can be imposed.

Shirley · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2004, 17:39:06 »

I have managed to reduce the amount of Junk mail received by us by returning the unopened envelopes, etc. marked "gone away - return to sender" and putting them back into the pillar box.

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #13 on:** November 27, 2004, 08:37:05 »

I would recommend opening all junk mail as I nearly threw away a £50 cheque from Ernie (Premium Bond) that arrived in a "Mailsort" (Junk Mail) envelope. :o You can return J/M by sealing with tape and put "Opened in Error RTS Not Required". 8)
I would never put "gone away" on my junk mail as a keen Postie may believe you and return all your important mail. :o

ACE · « **Reply #14 on:** November 27, 2004, 10:32:56 »

Whenever I get a cold caller on the phone, in my best voice i say ' If you wish to speak to heritage, press one.

djbrenton · « **Reply #15 on:** November 28, 2004, 08:58:39 »

Slightly off-topic, but I just couldn't resist replying to this spam email

Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 2:57 AM
Subject: **SPAM** Five minute signup.

Hello again,

This is Brian Clifton. I am writing to you to confirm that we have accepted your mortgage application.

Our office has just confirmed that you are eligible to receive a $380,000 loan for as low as $252.00 per month.

The approval process takes no longer than a minute, so please fill out the form on our website:

Mortgage Application.

Thank you.

Best Regards
Brian Clifton

Account Manager

Gee Thanks Brian

That sounds like a great deal. If it's Ok with you,as I don't really need a new mortgage at the moment, may I take your offer of low payments and bank the money. I'll then repay it at your quoted $252 per month till I'm 80 or so which should still leave me $307,424 for my children to inherit.
In fact, at 4% interest in a Building Society account, it'll earn $1266 a month anyway so I should have no problem making the repayments.

Please send me the money straight away.

djbrenton

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #16 on:** November 28, 2004, 11:19:42 »

Interesting to hear all of your experiences. The things on going with us, are the constant phone calls from India, by very polite people offering us a free mobile phone. As we both have "pay as you go" phones and can survive on just topping up £10 a month, the callers keep trying to convince us that it would be much better for us if we paid at least £25 a month for our phone ??? I have asked them not to bother us, but to no avail, the calls keep coming.

Another is the one that sounds like a pre-recorded message and we are told we have won a huge prize in a competition we have entered (never enter compt), all we have to do to claim the prize, of course, is to ring a number which will cost £1.65 a minute, (as if!) Also, nearly every night around 5.30-6.00ish the phone rings, we answer it and there is no one there. We have been told this is from a call centre and we are dialled automatically - very annoying! >:( busy_lizzie

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #17 on:** November 28, 2004, 15:50:50 »

I have a folder called "junk mail" this is where all that type of mail goes, periodically I'm asked if I would like to read them, I then check to see if there is anyone in there I have asked to contact me, if there's not then I just press the delete button. ;D

Heritage, very rare I get cold callers at the door or on the phone, on the phone I say please wait while I put the dog out and press the secret button and place the phone off the hook for 10 mins.
On the door I have a small notice that reads “NO PASSING TRADERS please ensure that you have made a previous telephone appointment before calling".
Seems to work for me. 8)

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #18 on:** November 28, 2004, 16:38:44 »

I’ve just copied these off the link I have placed at the bottom of this page, it may be worth pointing out again that Tenuse has very kindly already placed a link on this thread with regard to Telephone Preference Services (TPS) for those who are being inundated with nuisance calls may find this service a necessary evil. Here it is again :D
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/mpsR/html/default.asp

Scams
Premium rate phone numbers•   Swindlers can use 090 numbers to carry out many scams, for example, phony prize and holiday offers.
•   They begin when the swindler sends you a letter claiming that you have won something and asking you to ring a particular number. You might be promised a free gift or bargain holiday, but what you actually get is often quite disappointing.
•   If you are told to ring because you are the winner of a sweepstake you will receive nothing at all, except a huge phone bill - sometimes £15 for a single call.
•   If you ring you might have to listen to a long recorded sales message. Remember, the longer you stay on the phone, the higher the charge for the call. You might even be directed to a second premium rate number for extra information or to order your gift.

Mobile phone scam
There is a new kind of mobile phone scam. A missed call will show on your mobile phone. The number is 0709 020 3840! (The last four numbers may vary, but the first four numbers will remain the same)
If you call this number back, you will be charged £50 per minute. Unfortunately, this is completely legal so beware, do not call back numbers beginning with 0709.

http://www.lotsa.org.uk/consumer/scams.htm

Our cable phone company automatically bars us from dialing out premium rate numbers which I am pleased about also. 8)

News:

Author Topic: Spam, Spam - Scam, Scam! (Read 4912 times)

Hugh_Jones