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Scams: Telephone, email, texts, other 2021

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Bob Davis said:
Western Power do have an at risk register for the elderly etc, but it shouldhave come from Western Power DISTRIBUTION.

Bob
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Apologies it did come from DISTRIBUTION but the reason I was suspicious is I have no reason for them to know the email address they used. It was not to my Father's email address and nor was it the one I used to contact them about his pension. Maybe I am just too suspicious and it was genuine. This is how it began - but neither my husband nor myself would be on the register.
1626698097608.png
 
pjmburns said:
Apologies it did come from DISTRIBUTION but the reason I was suspicious is I have no reason for them to know the email address they used. It was not to my Father's email address and nor was it the one I used to contact them about his pension. Maybe I am just too suspicious and it was genuine. This is how it began - but neither my husband nor myself would be on the register.
View attachment 159229
Click to expand...
Odd, beware

Bob
 
Just the other day I had an email that looked very official from Royal Mail......picture of the Royal Mail van on it with postie walking from it all official Royal Mail logos and so on.......the day it said this item couldn't be delivered was a day when I'd been chatting to our postman so I knew this mail was rubbish anyway....looked at the URL...copied it and investigated it's origin.......Mozambique would you believe !!.....so be aware !!! they're getting very clever
 
I was out this morning for 40 min and on return I received a text apparently from the Post Office about an undelivered parcel with the following link to arrange a new delivery. I have inserted two commas to kill the link
h,ttp,s://postoffice-undelivered.com/orderid=54345767gb

I looked to see what my Ezviz camera had recorded while I was out ...
No postman or van seen and anyway it is Royal Mail who deliver parcels.

In my laptop I let Microsoft Defender Smartscreen have a look at the link and it stopped and blocked it completely ..
Scam.jpg
So texts showing 'postoffice-undelivered' should be deleted without reading them.
 
Think of it this way. When you send mail through the post office, where is the option to provide the email address of the recipient? A supplier who has sent you something on the internet might have your email address but not the post office.
 
Maybe the scammers (probably overseas) might be reading our posts and realise that they have to use the words RoyalMail instead of PostOffice in their links ... :)
 
A new scam/fraud?

Received a letter addressed to company at my address. Didn't think too much about it. Put back in postbox endorsed "not known at this address".

Then received another letter, this time from Companies House which is the gov agency for registering companies etc. Checked on line and yes a new company with that name was registered at Companies House using my address a few days ago. Warning bells rang this time. Clearly some sort of fraud going on. Returned letter to Companies House suitably endorsed. What else could I do?

This is the advice I was given:
1. Go on Companies House website and report illegal use of my address which I have done.
2. Go on Action Fraud which is the UK/GOV website for reporting fraud which I have done.

Will update if further developments.
 
Last edited:
This one has popped up twice in the last few days.
--
Charitable funds to help the less privileged!!
Hello,

I am sorry to encroach into your privacy in this manner, my name

Margarita Louis-Dreyfus , a nationalist of Zurich, Switzerland(Swiss),

a businesswoman known for chairman, Louis Dreyfus Group. I find it

pleasurable to offer you my partnership in business, i only pray at

this time that your email address is still valid. I want to solicit

your attention to receive money on my behalf humanitarian project.

The purpose of my contacting you is because my status would not permit

me to do this alone. Given my current state of health, I have decided

to donate Ninety -Eight Million United State Dollars to establish a

foundation with your help to reach out to the less privilege, orphans,

sick and homeless people in your country who will receive their

blessings as i promised my God before i leave this earth.

I got your contact through my personal search, you were revealed as

being quite astute in private entrepreneurship, and i have no doubt

that you can handle this huge financial transaction. Please contact my

executor for more information:

Mr. Ford Spencer(Attorney at Law).

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Office:970-414-1400

Fax: 970-414-1433

® Property of Steven C Spence PA.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.



Kind Regards,

Mrs. Margarita Louis-Dreyfus.

Chairperson of Louis-Dreyfus Commodities,

Zurich, Switzerland.

[email protected]

[email protected]
 
I had an email yesterday which I deleted immediately. It was a name I did not recognise. It said something to the effect ' I sent you an email recently but got no response. Is this email address still valid'. As I said I deleted it immediately.
 
superdad3 said:
A new scam/fraud?

Received a letter addressed to company at my address. Didn't think too much about it. Put back in postbox endorsed "not known at this address".

Then received another letter, this time from Companies House which is the gov agency for registering companies etc. Checked on line and yes a new company with that name was registered at Companies House using my address a few days ago. Warning bells rang this time. Clearly some sort of fraud going on. Returned letter to Companies House suitably endorsed. What else could I do?

This is the advice I was given:
1. Go on Companies House website and report illegal use of my address which I have done.
2. Go on Action Fraud which is the UK/GOV website for reporting fraud which I have done.

Will update if further developments.
Click to expand...
Update:

Companies House:
1. Filled in two forms, had to provide proof that I actually live at my address [but the fraudser registering a company at my address didn't need to!!!].
2. Companies House then sent me two replies [one to each form], ditto to the company to my house, ditto to the named person at my house - six letters in total!!! Yes, really.
3. Companies House say that the regulations require them to wait 28 days to see if they get a reply from the company to the letters sent above. Not going to happen, but rules are rules.
4. Contacted them yet again to say I was elderly, at risk etc etc and as they had accepted that my address was being used fraudulently surely they could remove my address immediately. You guessed it - no they couldn't - that's the rule.
5. Asked what info company had supplied to register at my address. Refused to supply - it's confidential they say.
6. Sent in a Freedom of Information request - turned down as they don't give out personal information on companies. Have appealed.

Action Fraud:
Insufficient info to do anything. Suggested to them they contacted Companies House to ask for "confidential" info they have. No reply.

Information Commissioners Office:
Received a letter today addressed to company. Rang up to see what it was about. Told it would be an offence to open letter not addressed to me & declined to tell me what it was about. Told me to return it with a covering letter.

Well there you have it. No support or help from a bunch of bureaucratic government agencies - utterly useless and unhelpful. The saga continues......................

Apols for this - not really Brum History but might be of interest.
 
Today the Scamazon American lady returned, first call for some time and a bit more refined, "Thank you for renewing your Amazon Prime account." and the usual "Press one."
 
I had two calls yesterday from 08000803242 saying they they were market research about TSB. the first mentioned PIN numbers so I was obstructive and told him nothing. The seond was a woman who asked my opinion of TSB so I told her in no uncertain terms my opinon of her, she said she would remove me from her list, she may as well, I'm not that gullible!!
rosie.
 
superdad3 said:
Hi, yes checked on Companies House website. Only gives name of company, address [ie my address] and name of [only] director & nothing else of any use. That's it.
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There is an article in today's Mail on Sunday about this type of scam. The paper article suggests emailing the reporter - I can't see the address in the online article but if you want it I will PM you.
www.dailymail.co.uk

Why is Companies House helping fraudsters?

Tens of thousands of people are having companies set up in their name by fraudsters who then use the details to take out loans or swindle consumers.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
pjmburns said:
There is an article in today's Mail on Sunday about this type of scam. The paper article suggests emailing the reporter - I can't see the address in the online article but if you want it I will PM you.
www.dailymail.co.uk

Why is Companies House helping fraudsters?

Tens of thousands of people are having companies set up in their name by fraudsters who then use the details to take out loans or swindle consumers.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
Click to expand...
Hi, many thanks for details of article. Yes, please PM name etc of reporter. The situation is every bit as bad as the article suggests. Looks like the company will be removed from register at my address. That then leaves the company director registered at my address. Yes, really. To remove that I will need a court order [and of course a fee]. Just unbelievable. Have written to my MP but unless the law [ie Companies House rules] are changed there is nothing anyone can do.

Incidentally I don't know if you remember me. We met near Moseley Bog a few years ago and you asked me if I was a Forum member. I was surprised until you explained that you had recognised my dog from my avitar!! Sadly, Bella is no longer with us. Died peacefully at home back in January.
 
Just received this seconds after a text for verification of a doctor’s appointment. The scary thing is the timing ! Do they have the ability to monitor NHS messages ?

NHS: You are now eligible to apply for your COVID-19 Pass. If you do not apply, you may be fined. To apply……..
 
About an hour later….

MyHermes: Hi there, please reschedule delivery of your item immediately at………before your item is returned to sender.

The start of the number of the sender is 44 7305 being the same as the NHS text above.
 
I had a missed call on my mobile yesterday from a Crewe number. The only person I know in Crewe is someone whose email contacts were hacked many years ago and I still occasionally get emails purporting to come from her which I delete.
 
My husband had a text about an undelivered parcel - headed "post office" - I thought they were Royal Mail these days.
Forwarded it to 7726 and then sent the number as well to our mobile provider. That number works for any provider.
You can also forward suspicious emails to the national cyber security centre.
 
I blocked the one I had but I couldn't work out how to report it.
Mine said this is from your GP Practice we think you will be needing a Covid Pass, go to etc etc. Well they didn't end it.

I just ticked my friend off for answering a complete stranger that posts regularly on Facebook.They wanted anybody's grandmother's Christian Name, and she has been hacked before.
I see questions like, What was the first car you passed your test in?, your first pet?, the name of your teddy?, people are so gullible and think everyone is their friend
 
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