Telephone scam warning
14 May 2010
Police have issued a warning urging the public not to be caught out by fraudsters asking for their personal details over the telephone.
The warning comes after police have received a number of reports from across Northern Ireland, about householders being contacted by bogus callers.
Head of Crime Prevention, Inspector David Connery explained: "These calls are not genuine. Utility companies, Bank, credit card and other financial institutions will never telephone and ask for confirmation of your details. Most companies have a system in place whereby customers will have previously agreed a password or some security questions for use in telephone transactions and this is what they will use to confirm your identity.
“Thankfully in each of these recent incidents, householders have recognised that the calls were bogus and did not reveal any personal information.
“In this instance the callers have asked how the homeowner pays their electricity bill, for their bank details, the age of their partners and how much they pay each month.
“Sadly this type of scam can come dressed up in a variety of different formats, whether offering to refund fees, supposed lottery wins, or suspect holiday giveaways etc.
“These criminals are inventive and can be very convincing, but each scam is designed to tempt you to drop your guard with a seemingly attractive offer. Don't fall for it! Stop and think - If you haven't recently challenged your utility bills or bank fees-why expect an offer of a refund, particularly over the phone with nothing in writing? If you haven't entered a competition for a holiday or if you haven't entered a foreign lottery, then how would it be possible for you to have won a prize?”
Always guard your personal and banking details and never disclose them to any unauthorised person. If you have received a call of this kind or are concerned by the intent of a financial promise, report it to police on the non-emergency telephone 0845 600 8000.
Chris Bell, Customer Relations Coordinator from NIE Energy added: “Receiving a bogus call like this can be very distressing. NIE Energy is working closely with the PSNI, but unfortunately, incidents of this sort are happening more often.
“If any customer is worried that the caller isn’t legitimate, just end the call – hang up the phone if needs be. Legitimate companies won’t have a problem with you calling them back. In the case of NIE Energy, you can contact our Customer Helpline on 08457 455 455 (Local call rate. Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday 9am-1pm).
