The Trading Standards team is warning residents to be aware of a potential telephone scam that claims you are entitled to compensation due to the number of “nuisance calls” received.
We have received a report from a consumer who was cold-called by telephone, whereby the caller claimed to be representing the “Office of Data Protection”. The caller informed the consumer that they were entitled “£1850 in compensation following a high number of cold-calls they had recently received”. The caller then informed the consumer that if they were interested in claiming the compensation they should call the following telephone number, “0141 416 1856” and quote a security code which was also provided by the caller.
Having called this number, the consumer was then informed that in order for the compensation amount to be transferred into the consumer’s bank account, the consumer will need to pay a “release fee of £143”. The consumer was then told that a representative could meet them at a local Post Office of their choice to collect the release fee and authorise the transfer of the compensation amount.
Thankfully, the consumer became suspicious and reported the matter to the Trading Standards team.
Our advice to residents is to always act with caution when receiving cold-calls claiming that you entitled to compensation or a refund. Never provide your personal or bank account details to anybody over the telephone unless you are absolutely sure of their intentions. Never be intimidated into making a quick decision and always take a moment to ask yourself whether the offer or claim is genuine. If you do have doubts, then do not be afraid to end the call by hanging up. If you express an interest in the offer being made, you may be identified as a possible target for future scam attempts.
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