Leicestershire Police has received reports of residents receiving a telephone call from British Telecom (BT) informing them that they were being disconnected because of an unpaid bill.
The caller who is reported to have an ‘African’ accent, demands a payment immediately or it would increase at a later date to reconnect your telephone.
One resident told the caller her line rental was with another company, at which point the man offered to demonstrate that he was from BT.
He went on to apparently ‘disconnect’ the resident’s telephone to prevent her making another call. For operational reasons the process of how this effect is achieved will not be disclosed. The Police would like to reassure the public that bogus callers are not able to disconnect phones.
The man stated he wanted payment by credit card, there and then, but the resident refused to pay as she didn’t believe his name or that he worked for BT.
The resident dialled 1471 which showed that the number the male had called from was withheld and the number the male gave as BT was incorrect.
This scam is all about getting credit card details which include the security number, to be used for future larger purchases.
Police and Trading Standards always advises residents never to confirm personal details over the telephone, even if the caller seems to have some knowledge of them or their personal circumstances.
If you receive any reports of similar activity or callers please contact, Trading Standards on 08454 040506 or telltradingstandards@leics.gov.uk