Central Bedfordshire Council’s Trading Standards team is warning residents to be aware of a potential telephone scam whereby the caller will offer a large discount off your electricity bill.
We have received a report whereby a resident in the LU7 postal area has recently received a number of telephone calls, where the caller introduces themselves by their firstname and state they are calling from the "Electricity Headquarters". The caller will then claim that as previous electricity bills have been paid promptly, you could be "entitled to 40% off your electricity bills for life". The caller will eventually ask for your credit card details.
Based on the information we have received we believe that this is potentially a scam and we would advise anyone to act with extreme caution when receiving such calls.
Our advice to consumers is to never give your personal or bank account details to anybody over the telephone unless you are absolutely certain of their intentions. Never be intimidated into making a quick decision, for example, because an offer is available for a limited period only. If you express any interest to the offer being made, you may be identified as a possible target for a future scam attempt. If you are ever unsure as to whether the offer being made or the call is genuine, do not be afraid to hang up the telephone.
If you have information about suspect rogue traders or would like to report a possible scam please initially contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06, in order so that all relevant regulatory authorities can be notified.
In the meantime, please visit our website www.centralbedfordshire.gov,uk/bescamaware for advice and guidance on how to spot a scam and how to avoid becoming a victim. (See NOTE below)
Kind regards
Trading Standards
(Community Safety and Public Protection)
___________________________________________________
NOTE: The above link to the web site does not work for me, but you should be able to find it at:
Richard Mason
I had two calls from them yesterday and managed to keep them on line for at least 15 minutes ... just to waste their time and have some fun!
ReplyDeletehahaha! that's what i did, too. got the tip from this site http://www.callercenter.com/articles/14waystoannoytelemarketers.html. Well, the caller told me i got a refund for my electric bill and the'd deposit the amount directly to my account. told her, "Boy, I'm so glad to hear that! i could really use that extra cash. Stay in the line, I'll get my card, " and left the phone hanging. checked at her every 10 minutes, gave her four different reasons why I'm taking time to get my card and then leave her on the line again. she stayed for like 53 minutes before she hung up. hahaha.
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