Not Another Scam ??

SteveL
SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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edited July 2016 in General Chat #1

Just received an official looking bill ( until you look closely ) from British Gas for £452.11 for our gas and electricity account. Apart from the fact we don't have any gas in the house and don't use British Gas, I don' think it very likely anyone would
be taken in. It therefore begs the question why they do it. There could be something in the links I suppose, I have no intention of looking. I have reported it to BG, difficult in itself as they don't seem to think a non customer would want to report anything.

Comments

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited July 2016 #2

    Well it was a nationalised industry and probably still thinks like one!

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #3

    You may well be right. I just received a reply from customer services, who's address I obtained independently, not from the fraudulent email. They replied saying they were not sure why I had been sent a bill as they could find no record of my email. They
    seemed to totally ignore the fact that I had labelled it fraudulent and that it came from a gmail account, not from BT.

    unbeleivable.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited July 2016 #4

     ..... It therefore begs the question why they do it. ....

    Because it only needs a few to fall for it to make it worthwhile for the scammer ..... plus if you were to pay electronically, they'll have your payment details & scam you for more than the £400odd on the original scam email.

    A few years back 'BT' phoned me to tell me that they were upgrading our phone exhange to digital ..... I knew we'd had a digital exhange for years. I said to just go ahead & do what you want to do ......"Ah!'' he said, "there's a £6 admin charge" I asked
    if he thought there was a zip up the back of my head at which stage he blew his cover by telling me to go forth & multiply. Just 5 mins later the phone went again & his mate tried to start the same scam.

    I reported it to OFCOM, they took a few details etc A few hours later OFCOM phoned back again to inform me that someone a few names down in the phone book had fallen for the tale and given their credit card details .... needless to say they'd taken more
    then £6

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #5

    I was so disgusted with the BG reply that I looked for other reporting avenues. It would seem there is a  National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting
    Centre    , run by city of London Police. The Web site and reporting tool was very easy to use, and at least you know that reporting it will go towards building a bigger picture in fighting this sort of crime.

     

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