Christmas and the Postal Service Scam

[Damian]

Just had this through from our local Trading Standards and thought it may be helpful to share, especially at this time of the year:

Postal scam

Once again with Christmas upon us we have the return of the Parcel Delivery Service Scam. A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service). The card informs you that they have attempted to deliver a parcel to you but no one was at home. They ask that you call them on a premium rate number (0906 6611911.

DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER – it is a scam originating from Belize. Calling the number will result in you receiving a minimum bill of £315 for the phone call.

If you receive a card with these details, please contact royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.

 

[Philspadders]

this keeps on being reported around the web. Some keeps trolling through old SNOPES stuff and someoneat trading standards must have picked up on it again , and again, and again.his is not a hoax it was circulating around 2006 but still may hold true today.

Full information can be found at: -

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/pds.asp


Be Aware.
Postal Scam
Can you circulate this around especially as Xmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail. The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:

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 ICSTIS (the premium rate service regulator) at www.icstis.org.uk

Have a great day,

Dexter

BE WARNED - BE AWARE!!! Postal ScamLikes (0)

by Lydia "under construction" Bates on 22-Oct-07 10:51am

Oh for the love of god!!

a) It has nothing to do with Royal Mail, so calling them would be utterly pointless
b) icstis doesn't exist any more.
c) the scam in question was shut down and the phone number doesn't work
d) it is not possible to be charged a £15 connection fee, you would only be charged £15 if you were on the phone to the number for 10 minutes as it is a premium rate number (much like any other premium rate number)
e) circulating out of date warnings like this is about as useful as suggesting that women in Yorkshire should be careful at night because there is a serial rapist known as 'the ripper' attacking people.

 

[Dustydog]

Damien
Looks like your Local Trading Standard boys are dinosaurs.

Phil is correct. No wonder people get sick of Civil Servants

 

[Damian]

I will agree with you DD about TS being dinosaurs (but then we do have quite a lot of Dinosaur stuff here), but as they say,
"Once again with Christmas upon us we have the return of the Parcel Delivery Service Scam"

So they are not saying it is new, just it is on the rounds again, and maybe, just maybe, as not everyone is as net savvy as some seem to be, it may just save someone from being conned.

 

[B4bill]

Postal scam chain email 2010 – PhonepayPlus’ statement
17/11/2010 00:00:00

PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, is aware that a chain e-mail about an alleged postal scam is being circulated on the internet. The email refers to the Royal Mail, Trading Standards and ICSTIS (PhonepayPlus' former name).

• 
  PhonepayPlus appreciates that recipients of the email may want to find out more information about the alleged scam and has therefore issued the following statement:
• 
  The chain email refers to a service (operating on 0906 6611911) that was shut down by PhonepayPlus (then ICSTIS) in December 2005.
• 
  PhonepayPlus subsequently fined the company that was operating the service, Studio Telecom (based in Belize), £10,000.
• 
  The service is NO LONGER running and has NOT been running since December 2005.
• 
  You do NOT need to contact PhonepayPlus, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost four years ago.
• 
  If you receive a copy of the email warning you about the alleged scam, please do NOT forward it to others. Instead, please forward this statement from PhonepayPlus.
• 
  If you receive a delivery card through your letterbox which you do not believe is genuine and which asks you to dial a premium rate number, you can contact PhonepayPlus on 0800 500 212 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) for further guidance.
• 
  Please go to http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/output/FAQ.aspx for useful information about how to recognise phone-paid services and understand what they cost, and some simple tips to help you enjoy using services with confidence.
• 
  For more detailed information about PhonepayPlus’ work, please visit www.phonepayplus.org.uk