Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
Comments
Beware of these methods that are being used to obtain our money:-
(1) A card appears through your letterboxe from "Parcel Delivery Service" advising a package is awaiting your collection. It advises that you must telephone 0906 6611911 to arrange collection/receipt of the item.
THERE IS NO SUCH DELIVERY but a convoluted message system that bleeds you via excessive 'phone charges.
(2) A telephone message from the "Information Team" advises that a message is awaiting your retrieval by telephoning 0871 240 9000. Dialling this number accesses a recorded message stating that there have been problems with their systems, for which they apologise, and your message can be retrieved by dialling 0871 208 9408 ...........
When I was researching my call centre article, I looked into call costs from 0870/71 numbers, and they can soon mount up.
If you are contacting a legitimate number (you know the source is reliable)you should never contact any of these 08 numbers on a mobile- the cost can be £'s a minute not pence. Always use a landline.
And if you're not expecting a package assume it's a scam. If you are expecting a package(and this type of message arrives) contact the organisation it is supposed to be coming from and check if they have sent it, and how- parcelforce, courier or delivery company etc.
However if they'd check on the internet before forwarding them, they'd find the majority are hoaxes.
The Urban Legend website gives a comprehensive history of hoaxes. Some of them have been going for years but people send out warnings as if they'd just been discovered.
Today we received an email from a relation about a sick child where some big organisation was supposed to donate money depending on how many emails were sent. As if.
She said her son had checked and it wasn't listed as a hoax. I don't know where he looked because I put the child's alleged name into Google and the full history of the hoax appeared.