If you are a BT customer, be on your guard!

BT is warning customers about a series of phone scams involving people claiming to be calling from the company.

If you are targeted, the scammers will call you and warn that your account is in arrears.

They then ask for bank or credit card details to settle the account.

If you ask for proof or refuse to pay, the fraudsters then offer to prove who they are by disconnecting the phone line then and there.

When you put the phone down, the scammer stays connected to their line, creating the impression that your line no longer works.

These places have all been affected:

• Suffolk
• Sussex
• Kent
• Nottinghamshire
• Shropshire
• Warwickshire
• North Yorkshire
• Devon
• West Midlands
• Pembrokeshire

If you get one of these calls, you may notice poor line quality, and a lack of background chatter and no call centre noise in the background, which there usually is when someone from a big company calls you.

This type of phone scam has been happening all over the country.

The Trading Standards Authority admits this type of phone fraud is around.

So if somebody calls you, keep your wits about you, be cynical and mistrust them if you have to, or don’t trust them, particularly if they are asking for money.

If they want your bank or credit credit card details don’t be afraid to say no!

BT says it does sometimes make calls to customers about debt – but they stress that they never carry out disconnections during a call.

They advise customers never to give out any banking details over the phone unless they are absolutely certain who they are dealing with.

Back to Free Telecom Support home