Parcel Scam

[Steve Pearson]

"Parcel delivery scam

Companies have been advised by the City of London Police and the Royal Mail of a genuine scam which is currently happening.

They have advised that if you receive a card through your letterbox from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) saying that they have a parcel awaiting delivery instructions and for you to contact them on 0906 6611911, DO NOT call the number. This number is a mail scam originating from Belize and if you call the number and you start to hear the recorded message you will be charged £15 for the phone call.

Should you receive a card with these details, please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 0207 239 6655 or ICTIS at http://www.icstis.org.uk or your local trading standards office. "

[Nigel Hewitt]

Parcel delivery scamNot this one again...
It's fiction.

[Ben Panter]

Seems not Nigel - although out of date (the line was shut down in December) apparently it was real:

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/pds.asp

Ben

[David Walker]

See I really don't understand how these scams can work. I've heard that this particular one isn't necessarily an accurate report (you can't be charged £15 for the call unless you hang on for 10 minutes, for example). But regardless, many similar scams use a UK premium rate number... which are supposed to be regulated. The police know about many of these scams, so do trading standards etc, so why isn't the number shut down within minutes of it being highlighted as a scam?

David

[Janos]

There is another scam doing the rounds. A man calls round at the houses of vunerable women and asks to see their boobs.

If this happens to you DO NOT SHOW HIM YOUR BOOBS.

He is just trying to see your boobs.

Janos

[PeteM]

See I really don't understand how these scams can work. I've heard that this particular one isn't necessarily an accurate report (you can't be charged £15 for the call unless you hang on for 10 minutes, for example). But regardless, many similar scams use a UK premium rate number... which are supposed to be regulated. The police know about many of these scams, so do trading standards etc, so why isn't the number shut down within minutes of it being highlighted as a scam?

The trouble is that historically ICSTIS have not had the authority to shut down a number that quickly and the premium rate number people not had the rights to hold on to the money. So by the time ICSTIS have investigated and issued a closure notice and a fine the conmen are long gone with the money.

There were moves afoot to give them the power to immediately close a number down and to force a provider to hold on to the money for a period of time (A month springs to mind) so that ICSTIS could grab it in the event of a fraud. I think the legislation has been passed and is due to come into effect but would not swear to it and it was a long time ago that I read it

[PeteM]

Not this one again...
It's fiction.

No its not, it is documented on the ICSTIS site, last item on this page
http://www.icstis.org.uk/news/latest_news/icstisin_jan06.asp

[Andy Wade]

There is another scam doing the rounds. A man calls round at the houses of vunerable women and asks to see their boobs.

If this happens to you DO NOT SHOW HIM YOUR BOOBS.

He is just trying to see your boobs.

Janos

Damn!
I already did. Twice. :D :D

[Nigel Hewitt]

Seems not Nigel - although out of date (the line was shut down in December) apparently it was realThen I must apologise.

The fact that I'd seen the identical trick listed before made me think it was the same one resurfacing again.