Mail Scam

[doitall]

Hello everyone. This has been brought to my attention and I thought that it may be of interest to you all.


Mail/Phone scam - look out!

The Trading standards Office have brought the following scam to our attention:
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 £15 for the phone call.

If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655 or ICTIS (the premium rate service regulator) at http ://www.icstis.org.uk or your local trading standards office.

This is a genuine scam.
This service is under investigation by ICSTIS and Police. Please be aware of this scam and forward this information to as many as possible.

 

[JohnD]

Just to check - did you receive that from your trading standards office, or was it circulated to you? I have a suspicion that it is a FOAF story (especially the £15 bit). It has been put up on a number of websites, mostly forums and Neighbourhood watch/Residents Associations) but I can't find it on Royal Mail's or ICSTIS.

In some of the postings, it begins "The following information has been received from the Royal Mail". None of them seem to show a Royal Mail or a Trading Standards URL.

(sorry - not trying to be rude).

 

[doitall]

It was forwarded to me from my father in law, johnD.

True or false, we are aware of the problem if if happens, otherwise no harm done.

 

[Pensdown]

You have a father inlaw called Johnd, what a coincidence. Does your father inlaw also wear an MEM T shirt, fleece and baseball cap?

 

[JohnD]

I can't tell you how glad I was to get rid of that useless daughter of mine. She's all yours now mate, I'm not having her back.

 

[doitall]

I can't tell you how glad I was to get rid of that useless daughter of mine. She's all yours now mate, I'm not having her back.

Hey if she fancy's an 62yo suggar daddy send her round

 

[JohnD]

You have a father inlaw called Johnd, what a coincidence. Does your father inlaw also wear an MEM T shirt, fleece and baseball cap?

Can't be me then. I've got an Eastern Electricity mug and a Seeboard mug, I might have a SSE mug somewhere, but the only baseball cap and sweatshirts I got are from

(thinks: I wonder if anyone will be able to identify me?)

 

[breezer]

sorry do itall, as john D says it is not true.

ICSTIS have set a limit on ALL premium rate numbers, the provider can charge what they like / min UP TO £1.50 no more sorry.

to see the ICSTIS website click me

 

[JohnD]

Thanks, breezer

 

[Pensdown]

You have a father inlaw called Johnd, what a coincidence. Does your father inlaw also wear an MEM T shirt, fleece and baseball cap?

Can't be me then. I've got an Eastern Electricity mug and a Seeboard mug, I might have a SSE mug somewhere, but the only baseball cap and sweatshirts I got are from

(thinks: I wonder if anyone will be able to identify me?)

It sounds like you need some Pensdown merchandising to improve your street cred and bring you up to date.

Talking of mugs, I think I've still got an LEB/HEAT mug somewhere. You can always judge a company by the quality of their mugs

 

[JohnD]

I've got a HEAT address book. They were handed out to staff when it was closed down.

What are the Pensdown mugs like?

 

[doitall]

sorry do itall, as john D says it is not true.

ICSTIS have set a limit on ALL premium rate numbers, the provider can charge what they like / min UP TO £1.50 no more sorry.

to see the ICSTIS website click me

No probs breezer, best to play safe as they say.

Don't cost nothing whichever way the wind blows

 

[ellal]

Full description..

Summary:
Email forward warns that a card from PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) informing householders about a package delivery is actually a scam designed to trick them into making a premium rate phone call charged at £1.50 per minute.

Status:
True, but the scam has now been shut down.

ExampleSubmitted April 2006)
Very important Information

If you receive a card through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) saying that they have a parcel awaiting delivery instructions and give you the contact number [REMOVED].

DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER IT IS A MAIL SCAM ORIGINATING IN BELIZE - IF YOU DO YOU WILL START TO HEAR A RECORDED MESSAGE AND YOU WILL BE BILLED £15 FOR THE CALL PLUS £1.50 PER MINUTE AFTER THE MESSAGE.

Instead - please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655
Or ICSTIS at www.icstis.org.uk/
Or your local trading Standards Office

Please forward this information to as many people as possible.

Commentary:
This email forward warns consumers about a premium rate phone scam based in the UK. The information in the message is mostly factual, although the scam has now been shut down.

When the scam was operating around December 2005, many UK householders reported receiving a card, ostensibly from a package delivery business named "Parcel Delivery Service" or "PDS". The card advised recipients to phone a number provided in order to arrange delivery of a package, claimed to be a digital camera.

However the contact number was a premium rate line that was charged at £1.50 per minute. A disclaimer in very small print on the bottom of the card informed recipients that the contact number would be charged at a premium rate. Although the cards claimed to originate from Wrexham in the UK, the company responsible for this scam is actually based in Belize, Central America.

BBC Wales reports that those who called the number were asked to answer a number of market research questions before being given a "security confirmation code" to claim their camera. Callers were therefore kept on the line for some time and charged at a rate of £1.50 per minute. Not surprisingly, none of those who lodged complaints about the scam ever received their digital camera.

The phone number used in the scam has now been switched off by ICSTIS, the UK's premium rate services regulator and Studio Telecom, the company responsible, is under investigation. Studio Telecom was previously fined for a similar premium rate phone scheme. Information on the ICSTIS website states that:

During the Christmas period 2005, a number of people across the UK received cards from Parcel Delivery Services (a service run through a service provider called Studio Telecom). When ICSTIS were informed of the content and promotion of this service we invoked our Emergency Procedure - for details click this link - http://www.icstis.org.uk/service_providers/complaints/default.asp) and removed access to the service (operating on 20 numbers) on 29 December 2005.


Although the scam outlined in the message was true, the claim that an immediate £15 fee was charged as well as the per minute cost is unfounded. ICSTIS notes that, "the reference to £15 is an urban myth. It is not possible for a £15 charge to be made on connection."

While this particular scam has now been terminated, premium rate phone fraud is not uncommon. People should watch for similar scams that attempt to trick them into making expensive, premium rate phone calls. UK residents can stay informed about premium rate phone services by visiting the ICSTIS website.

 

[Steve]

Isn't it simple? if you aren't expecting a digital camera, why are they trying to deliver one? Companies dont just send people digital cameras for no reason. So why phone them to chase a parcel thats not even yours even if it does exist?