E-mail scam Attacks Worcester Residents

Citizens of Worcester (Worcestershire, UK) are being alerted to protect themselves as a fake e-mail scam by Worcestershire Regulatory Services Team has been making rounds on the internet.

The fake e-mail allegedly reads: "Can you (recipient) circulate this around especially as Xmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail". The Trading Standards Office are cautioning people of this following con: A card is posted on the door of the recipients from a company known as Parcel Delivery Service (PDS) indicating that they were incapable to deliver the parcel and the receivers are required to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number).

Users should never call on this number, as it is an e-mail scam instigating from Belize (America). If users call this number and start hearing a pre- recorded message they would have been already charged £315 for the phone call. However, if users do get such kind of a card with such details, then they are suggested to contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.

As per security experts, this e-mail is absolutely a scam. Describing further about the scam email, a spokesperson for PhonepayPlus, which controls phone-paid services in the UK, stated that the chain e-mail refers to a service (operating on 0906 6611911) which was closed down by ICSTIS (now PhonepayPlus) way back in Dec' 2005. PhonepayPlus consequently fined the company that was operating this service, Studio Telecom (Belize based), £10,000, as reported by Citywire on November 22, 2010.

Further security experts warned netizens that anyone who receives an e-mail alerting them regarding the supposed scam should not forward it to others.

Commenting on the same scam, Steve Jorden, Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services, stated that, they had been cautioned about this issue by PhonePayPlus and local residents had also contacted them. Hence, they are repeating the recommendation offered by the regulator (PhonepayPlus), as reported by eveshamjournal on November 28, 2010.

Furthermore, for more details about the scam and how to evade it, customers can contact on "Consumer Direct" hotline number by Worcestershire Regulatory Services.

Related article: E-Crime Reporting Format To Be Launched in July

» SPAMfighter News - 12/9/2010