billwill
Friday 27th November 2009 2:52am
North London
6,162 posts
Quote: KJSmyling @ November 26 2009, 8:54 PM GMT
Mrs Smyling recieved this warning at work today, because of the nature of her job and the origin of the warning we know it's real and worth heeding.
Subject: FW: Postal Scam
Can you circulate this around especially as Christmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail. The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:
A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number).
DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize.
If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call.
If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.
Please pass this on
kjs
'The chain email refers to a service (operating on 0906 6611911) that was shut down by PhonepayPlus (then ICSTIS) in December 2005. PhonepayPlus subsequently fined the company that was operating the service, Studio Telecom (based in Belize), £10,000.
' The service is no longer running and has not been running since December 2005. You do not need to contact PhonepayPlus, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost four years ago.
' If you receive a copy of the email warning you about the alleged scam, please do not forward it to others. Instead, please forward this statement from PhonepayPlus.'
This just goes to show how these chain emails can be still circulating YEARS after the problem is resolved and how you should ALWAYS do some independent research before passing on any warning that you receive by email.
