This info is circulating through businesses at the mo. One woman has lost £315!!!, so I thought it was worth passing on.
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The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:
A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel
Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and
that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a premium rate number). DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize. If
you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will
already have been billed £15 for the phone call. If you do receive a card
with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655 or ICSTIS (the premium rate service regulator)
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Comments
EDIT: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/pds-phone-scam.html
Caveat Emptor.
You'll be telling me that the three hundred pound administration fee that I sent to Holland because I'd won ten million dollars in the Canadian lottery that I never entered, is somehow a scam, next.
yea, do you want to swap it for some speakers?
Just called it and it still works.
17/11/2010
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, is aware that a chain e-mail about an alleged postal scam is being circulated on the internet. The email refers to the Royal Mail, Trading Standards and ICSTIS (PhonepayPlus' former name).
PhonepayPlus appreciates that recipients of the email may want to find out more information about the alleged scam and has therefore issued the following statement:
The chain email refers to a service (operating on 0906 6611911) that was shut down by PhonepayPlus (then ICSTIS) in December 2005.
PhonepayPlus subsequently fined the company that was operating the service, Studio Telecom (based in Belize), £10,000.
The service is NO LONGER running and has NOT been running since December 2005.
You do NOT need to contact PhonepayPlus, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost four years ago.
If you receive a copy of the email warning you about the alleged scam, please do NOT forward it to others. Instead, please forward this statement from PhonepayPlus.
If you receive a delivery card through your letterbox which you do not believe is genuine and which asks you to dial a premium rate number, you can contact PhonepayPlus on 0800 500 212 (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm) for further guidance.
Please go to http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/output/FAQ.aspx for useful information about how to recognise phone-paid services and understand what they cost, and some simple tips to help you enjoy using services with confidence.
For more detailed information about PhonepayPlus’ work, please visit www.phonepayplus.org.uk.
Yeah, I mean who cares about old people, right.
What hasn't been mentioned is that there's a scam out there for everyone e.g. do you think it's only the elderly who get done by premier rate text based scams or the 14 year old with her first phone? Is it just the vulnerable who get caught out by boiler room telesales rip offs or the 40 year old looking for a quick return on his (and it usually is a him) investment without doing his research? Is it only pensioners who sign up for some dodgy clairvoyant mailing asking for money or the lonely, 30 year old, outwardly savvy, woman (and it usually is a woman)?
The psychology of mass marketing scams and their victims is really interesting and if you think it's only old Mavis next door that'll ever get ripped off because you're way too smart you couldn't be more wrong.
My brother in law is the master of these approaches. If he is the mood he plays the part of the gullable customer and they think all their Christmases have come together. He leads them long for as long as he can making it a competition. When they finally realise, the apparently swear and curse at him.
Also, when he gets the religeous fanatics at the door, he politely informs them that he is sorry but the household worships the all powerful lord lucifer Satan which seems to do the trick -they quickly depart.
I never get caught out by scams, apart from when I almost bought a rug from Ocean Auctions cos he said it was a Liberty design from Iran. Honestly I always thought I was sharper than that, could have kicked myself ten minutes later when I realised putting a price tag on something probably means it's worth nowhere near that. It's great to realise you're a universal dunce with the majority. As John Alford said just say No.
"if you get an email claiming to be able to increase the size of your tackle, don't get involved, it's a scam "
You got one as well? That's a relief. I thought it was just me and someone had blabbed.
From Saigon? Come on, give up with the bs.
And all old people are stupid right.