News
People in the UK Warned of Latest 鈥楢mazon鈥� Phone Scam as Shocking New TV Drama Highlights Problem
Posted 28/11/19
With Channel 5鈥檚 new 鈥楥old Call鈥� drama bringing home the human destruction that telephone scams can leave behind, people in the UK are being warned of the latest phone scam to sweep the UK.
听
Call blocking specialists, CPR Call Blocker, are urging people in the UK to hang up if they receive an unexpected phone call which claims you鈥檝e just been charged for an Amazon Prime subscription. The recipient is often then told fraudsters have hacked their account to authorise the transaction, but the payment can be cancelled if they press 1. You are then connected to an 鈥榓ccount manager鈥� who claims to be able to undo the hack if given access to your bank account. Also, pressing 1 connects you to a premium rate number that you then start paying for.
听
The warning comes as viewers of 鈥楥old Call鈥� on Channel 5 have seen the horrific aftermath of falling victim to telephone fraud unravel for the main character, June, played by Sally Lindsay.
听
CPR Call Blocker Development Manager, Chelsea Davies, said: 鈥淪ally Lindsay鈥檚 characters story in 鈥楥old Call鈥� is hard-hitting, but sadly it does portray the reality that many people are being targeted by scammers and the sophistication of telephone scams in the UK is ever-increasing. We hope that by highlighting the latest and most common types of scams out there, people will be more savvy when it comes to saying 鈥榥o鈥� to unwanted callers.鈥�
听
A survey by CPR Call Blocker, which won the Queen鈥檚 Award for Export earlier this year, revealed that 15 per cent of people in the UK lost money to scams in a 12 month period, with 4 per cent losing more than 拢10,000, so the negative impact portrayed by the Channel 5 drama is real.
听
As well as warning people about the latest Amazon Prime scam, CPR Call Blocker is reminding consumers of the top scams which are currently causing problems for consumers in the UK:
听
1.听听听 Bank scams - someone claiming to be from the bank informs you of a problem with your card or account and may ask for security details or to transfer money to a safe account.
听
2.听听听 Computer scams 鈥� someone claiming to be from a well-known IT or telecoms company and tells you that there is a virus on your computer and asks you for access to your computer, or asks you to pay for anti-virus software which turns out to access your personal details.
听
3.听听听 Compensation calls 鈥� someone claiming that you are entitled to compensation, for example, a car accident you鈥檝e had recently.
听
4.听听听 HMRC calls 鈥� someone calling from HMRC claiming that there is a problem with a tax refund or that you have an unpaid tax bill.
听
5.听听听 Number spoofing - you are tricked to think that the number that comes up on your caller display is from a legitimate business, like your bank, when in fact it is a scammer. If you are in doubt, hang up and call back from a different phone number, or leave at least 10 minutes before making the call.
听
6.听听听 Pension scams 鈥� someone calling you with a great investment opportunity or the chance to access your pension earlier than planned.
听
7.听听听 Anti-scam scams 鈥� someone calling you claiming that they are working to conquer the fraudsters and maybe selling you some anti-scam technology or demanding money on some other premise.
听
Chelsea Davies continued: 鈥淥ne of the best ways to protect yourself against telephone scams is to register on the Telephone Preference Service and purchase a call blocker device such as a CPR Call Blocker which simply plugs into any landline phone and features a 鈥楤lock Now鈥� button which ends unwanted calls and permanently blocks numbers. The device is already programmed to block 10,000 of the most notorious scam phone numbers and can store an additional 2,000 nuisance numbers which can be added by the customer.
听
鈥淚n the meantime, if you suspect you may have compromised your bank account, contact your bank or card provider as soon as possible. It is also advisable to check your bank and card statements regularly for unauthorised charges as a matter of course. Also, if you think you have been scammed, you should report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via www.actionfraud.police.uk.鈥�
听
CRP Call Blocker is the best-selling and most trusted call blocker brand worldwide and is available from Amazon or www.cprcallblocker.com. Alternatively, call CPR Call Blocker on 0800 652 7780.
听
Ends
听
For more information please contact Natasha Fulford at MGB PR on 01792 460200.
