Phone Scam!

[Abi1]

I dont know if this is the place for this but thought i would post here to alert people bout something that is targeting the vulnerable.
Recently my dad received a phonecall (unfortunately I dont have the number the call was made from) asking him if he gets lots of irritating phone calls, which he does, despite TPS being in place.
I wasnt there to warn him that this too was a 'scam.' Anyway to cut a long story short he ordered a landline handset which will block nuisance calls.
The handset has now arrived. It is a BT 4600 with Truecall technology. The handset itself seems legit. However dad paid WAY over the odds for this. I found some on Amazon for £48. Dad was charged £150!
I told him to keep checking his bank account as these people now have his card details.
They called themselves Infinity call blockers and gave him a "helpline" number to ring if he has any problems with the phone. I instructed him NEVER to ring that number! I have googled and cannot find this company.
He seems resigned to the fact that he has been fooled. I just hope there is nothing worse coming!

[bowlingbun]

As he bought it over the phone, I think it's covered by the Distance Selling Regulations, he has 14 days to return it for a full refund. Be sure to send it back with a proof of delivery though!

[Melly1]

Hi Abi,

Are you sure it hasn’t come via BT?

I too have googled Infinity and found a website, how to use guide and phone number to call https://www.infinity.co/knowledge-base/ ... nformation

Of interest though is the number is an 0808 so I looked that up too and it apparently it’s free like 0800 but mainly used by government departments and BT … https://www.numbersupermarket.co.uk/typ ... 8-numbers/

Maybe worth contacting BT in the first instance.

Melly1

[Rahatul Ashiq_2110]

This kind of scam happened with elder citizens as they don't know about this scam. My friend's mother also suffered this thing.

[Denis_1610]

I had a phone call recently, claiming to be from Telephone Preference Service. After rabbiting on for a while about "nuisance" calls, the caller asked me for some card details "to check against their records". Just the last four digits of my payment card, and the expiry date - that was all they needed.

Why would the TPS need that information?

I can think of a reason. If a card is expired or cancelled, usually only some of the last four figures change on the new one. So if they had got hold of old card details, by giving this information I was giving them enough to "construct" my present card details.

I didn't give the information, of course.

[Melly1]

Denis, also TPS scheme is free.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the UK's only official 'Do Not Call' register for landline and mobile numbers. ... It's free and quick to register a telephone number.

Melly1

[Denis_1610]

Exactly! Another reason to believe that that call did not come from the TPS.