Thread: Be aware of this scam folks

mollie · 20-10-2008, 11:31 AM

I had this email today

Postal Scam
Can you circulate this around especially as Christmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail. 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) at www.icstis.org.uk

Molls xxxx

pejay · 20-10-2008, 01:13 PM

thanks mollie, there seems to be so many around these days,

there are some sad people about, if they have nothing better to do!

Pauline1 · 20-10-2008, 04:00 PM

Thanks for letting us know Mollie. Will heed your warning

Flood · 20-10-2008, 04:19 PM

Aren't there some nasty people out there? Thanks for the warning, Mollie.

Sally

wixonuk · 20-10-2008, 06:30 PM

This is very old and out of date news and refers to a scam which was closed down in 2005. Every year this chain-email makes the rounds. For the definitive answer see this from PhonepayPlus (the new name for Icstis) :-

A STATEMENT FROM PHONEPAYPLUS ABOUT THE CURRENT 'POSTAL SCAM' CHAIN EMAIL

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 that was shut down by us in December 2005.

• We 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.

• The email refers to a £15 charge for simply being connected to a recorded message. This is NOT TRUE – a £15 connection charge does NOT exist. The service in question actually cost £1.50 per minute and lasted six minutes, making a total cost of £9 if callers stayed on the line for the full six minutes.

• You do NOT need to contact us, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost two 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.

• Please go to http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/pdfs_...sumerGuide.pdf 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 our work, please visit www.phonepayplus.org.uk.

19 October 2007

There is also no current warnings about this particular scam on either the Trading Standards website or the Royal Mail website.

In fact, as noted above, the phone numbers used in the scam were switched off by ICSTIS in December 2005 and Studio Telecom, the company responsible, was investigated and subsequently fined.

mollie · 21-10-2008, 01:36 PM

Hi wixonuk. Thank you for this information. I didn't realise it was an old one doing the rounds. Still better to be safe than sorry. Thanks again xxx

Pauline1 · 21-10-2008, 01:52 PM

Hi wixonuk.

Thankyou for your posting, until Mollie had posted about the scam in the forum I hadn't heard of it
It's like every other scam in the run up to christmas we all need to be on our guard and more vigilant. If anything looks too good to be true, then it isn't.

wixonuk · 21-10-2008, 04:09 PM

But there is no scam. It was closed down three years ago. The so-called "warning" is just a chain-email warning about a non-existant threat. As the Hoax-Slayer web-site says :-

A real problem with emailed warning such as this is that they often continue to circulate for months or even years after the described threat has disappeared. They also tend to mutate as they travel, further diffusing the truth and relevance of the information they contain.

Before forwarding scam warnings, recipients should always check that the warning is genuine and current. False or outdated warning emails such as this one do nothing more than add to the clutter in our already junk-ridden inboxes and spread misinformation.

Starlight · 22-10-2008, 12:08 AM

Hi wixonuk,

You beat me to it. I just found the information.

20-10-2008, 11:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
mollie Ancestry Aid Staff Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Isle of Man Posts: 1,686 Total Awards: 2	Be aware of this scam folks I had this email today Postal Scam Can you circulate this around especially as Christmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail. 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) at www.icstis.org.uk Molls xxxx
	Mollie Ancestry Aid Moderator The UK's No 1 For Genealogy & Family History. Top Tip: Use the forum search page to find surnames!!. Dunne,McManus, McCann,O'Dowd, Higgins, Smith, Traynor, O'Byrne, Lamond/t Henry/Nicolson/Bowman/McCafferty/Keelan and more....did I say Smith...oh yes I did...we all have one.........lol

20-10-2008, 01:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
pejay Advanced Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: lincolnshire Posts: 421 Total Awards: 2	Re: Be aware of this scam folks thanks mollie, there seems to be so many around these days, there are some sad people about, if they have nothing better to do!
	pejay looking for Brown, Twizell, Storey, & Fenwick from Northumberland. Parkinson from Lincolnshire & Kelly, Kinsella & Mcguire from Ireland

20-10-2008, 04:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
Pauline1 AA SUPPORTER Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nottingham UK Posts: 1,342 Total Awards: 4	Re: Be aware of this scam folks Thanks for letting us know Mollie. Will heed your warning
	Researching! Beswick Staffordshire-Cheshire Hulme's and Heathcotes Cheshire & Lancs and Hatton's of Cheshire

20-10-2008, 04:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
Flood AA SUPPORTER Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: A great place in Devon called Tiverton. Posts: 5,022 Total Awards: 4	Re: Be aware of this scam folks Aren't there some nasty people out there? Thanks for the warning, Mollie. Sally

20-10-2008, 06:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
wixonuk New Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2	Re: Be aware of this scam folks This is very old and out of date news and refers to a scam which was closed down in 2005. Every year this chain-email makes the rounds. For the definitive answer see this from PhonepayPlus (the new name for Icstis) :- A STATEMENT FROM PHONEPAYPLUS ABOUT THE CURRENT 'POSTAL SCAM' CHAIN EMAIL 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 that was shut down by us in December 2005. • We 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. • The email refers to a £15 charge for simply being connected to a recorded message. This is NOT TRUE – a £15 connection charge does NOT exist. The service in question actually cost £1.50 per minute and lasted six minutes, making a total cost of £9 if callers stayed on the line for the full six minutes. • You do NOT need to contact us, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost two 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. • Please go to http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/pdfs_...sumerGuide.pdf 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 our work, please visit www.phonepayplus.org.uk. 19 October 2007 There is also no current warnings about this particular scam on either the Trading Standards website or the Royal Mail website. In fact, as noted above, the phone numbers used in the scam were switched off by ICSTIS in December 2005 and Studio Telecom, the company responsible, was investigated and subsequently fined.
wixonuk New Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2

21-10-2008, 01:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
mollie Ancestry Aid Staff Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Isle of Man Posts: 1,686 Total Awards: 2	Re: Be aware of this scam folks *Hi wixonuk. Thank you for this information. I didn't realise it was an old one doing the rounds. Still better to be safe than sorry. Thanks again xxx*
	Mollie Ancestry Aid Moderator The UK's No 1 For Genealogy & Family History. Top Tip: Use the forum search page to find surnames!!. Dunne,McManus, McCann,O'Dowd, Higgins, Smith, Traynor, O'Byrne, Lamond/t Henry/Nicolson/Bowman/McCafferty/Keelan and more....did I say Smith...oh yes I did...we all have one.........lol

21-10-2008, 01:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
Pauline1 AA SUPPORTER Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nottingham UK Posts: 1,342 Total Awards: 4	Re: Be aware of this scam folks Hi wixonuk. Thankyou for your posting, until Mollie had posted about the scam in the forum I hadn't heard of it It's like every other scam in the run up to christmas we all need to be on our guard and more vigilant. If anything looks too good to be true, then it isn't.
	Researching! Beswick Staffordshire-Cheshire Hulme's and Heathcotes Cheshire & Lancs and Hatton's of Cheshire

21-10-2008, 04:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
wixonuk New Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2	Re: Be aware of this scam folks But there is no scam. It was closed down three years ago. The so-called "warning" is just a chain-email warning about a non-existant threat. As the Hoax-Slayer web-site says :- A real problem with emailed warning such as this is that they often continue to circulate for months or even years after the described threat has disappeared. They also tend to mutate as they travel, further diffusing the truth and relevance of the information they contain. Before forwarding scam warnings, recipients should always check that the warning is genuine and current. False or outdated warning emails such as this one do nothing more than add to the clutter in our already junk-ridden inboxes and spread misinformation. Last edited by wixonuk; 21-10-2008 at 07:20 PM.
wixonuk New Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2

22-10-2008, 12:08 AM	#9 (permalink)
Starlight Ancestry Aid Manager Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Essex Posts: 16,355 Total Awards: 8	Re: Be aware of this scam folks Hi wixonuk, You beat me to it. I just found the information.
	Starlight Ancestry Aid Manager Hampshire:- Barks, Bartholomew, Carpenter, Cousens, Cousins, Dumper, Gallagher, Goodchild, Glasspool, Hoskins, Light, Mason, Monday, Mundy, Pearce, Pitt, Shepherd, Spreadbury, Staniford, Terrill, Thornton, Warne, Webb, Woodford & many more. Top Tip: Use the forum search engine