General Chat

First heard this one about a year ago. It is another "Urban Legend" but still better to be safe than sorry. Kathleen

Thanks everyone, thought I'd better pass on just in case, if i'd heard that it had happened to someone then I would have felt really guilty. But that's the problem, that's how theyse things spread like wildfire and we all become mistrusting and reluctant to help genuine people. Good idea to ring the number yourself. Kxx

You can always put a premium rate number block on your phone. But as previously stated, I think it's an urban legend, I'll try to check it out later.

To be safe say yes but only if you ring the number. That way you will know if it is genuine. Bob

The worrying thing is that people will stop helping others. A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way to pick up my son from nursery when my car broke down. I had to knck on someone's door and ask to use their phone, to call the nursey and a taxi. Thankfully a very nice woman let me use her phone. She even drove me to my sons nursery. I was so grateful that she was a 'good citizen'. Pat

They (including Northants Police) seem to now believe it's an "Urban Legend" http://www.theregister.*co.uk/2002/08/09/pc_plod_fills_email_inboxes/ (remove *) NB: the maximum rate for Premium Rate calls is £1.50/min

Below are details of a scam currently going the rounds. The police have requested that as many people are alerted as possible. Unfortunately it is a genuine scam. Police Report. The reason this is working so well is it plays on your good will! Picture the scene:- You are sitting at home and there is a knock at the door. On answering it you are confronted by a respectable looking woman in a suit, who is slightly distressed. She explains that her car has broken down further down the road and she needs to contact her husband to come to her aid. Is it at all possible to use your phone to call him? You allow her to use the phone, but being the suspicious type you stand with her as she makes the call. She dials the number, and asks to be put through to Mr Smith / Brown / Stevens (Whatever). She holds the line for about thirty seconds. She continues, "In that case can you ask him to leave the meeting for a minute I need to speak to him quite urgently." She apologises again and explains they are getting him out of a meeting. A couple of minutes goes by and she starts to speak to her husband. She explains the situation to him, tells him what has happened to the car, is annoyed because she now can't get to her meeting, and asks what she should do now. She listens for a few seconds and then says, "Well as soon as the meeting finishes can you come to Cardiff Road / Leicester Road / Surrey Street (Whatever), where the car has broken down. Another few seconds go by, "OK, I'll see you in about twenty minutes then." She put the phone down, and thanks you ever so much for your kind assistance, even offering you a pound for your trouble, but of course you decline, it's no trouble. She leaves and everything is fine. Or is it? The day or week before knocking on your door she set up her own premium rate line with a telephone company at the cost of about £150, and she has dictated that calls to that number should be charged at £50 per minute. She has dialled that number. The conversation she has had with her "husband" is entirely fictitious, there is a pre-recorded voice message on the other end to give you the impression she is talking to someone. She has been on the phone for about five minutes, that call just cost you £250, the majority of which goes into her pocket, and the first you know about it is when you get your bill a month later. To rub a bit of salt into the wound,she hasn't even committed a criminal offence. You've given her permission to use your phone. 5 occasions in Luton where this has been reported in the last couple of weeks . Would anyone reading this please pass it on to friends and colleagues etc. otherwise it could cost someone a lot of money. PC Paul Toseland Corby Business Anti-Crime Network Administrator

Just received this from a friend. Don't know if it's a hoax or not but sounds feasible so thought I'd let you all know. Kxx