BROADBAND customers across Bromsgrove and Rubery are being urged to be on their guard against a new scam which sees fraudsters posing as BT and other providers calling customers to warn the provider is about to cut their internet and telephone service.
As part of the scam, customers are told their account is about to be suspended due to a ‘security risk’ and given two options. The first is to press one to speak to ‘customer services’ or press two to proceed with the termination.
One of those who almost fell victim to the attempted fraud was Bullivant Media journalist Rob George, a BT customer for a number of years.
“I was stupid not giving the call my full attention, had I done so it’s clear its a scam but the fact I was taken in shows how adept these fraudsters are,” he said.
“The woman on the end of the phone asked whether I had shared either my w-fi password or router password with anyone as Nigerian hackers were apparently piggy-backing on my wi-fi.
“Of course I hadn’t and having told her this in no uncertain terms she hung up the phone, a lucky escape for me,” he added.
The telecommunications giant responded quickly to his tweet asking what was happening and revealed it was a scam they were aware of and taking action to shut down.
In response a BT spokesperson said: “BT takes the security of its customers’ accounts very seriously. We proactively warn our customers to be on their guard against scams. Fraudsters use various methods to obtain your personal or financial details with the ultimate aim of stealing from you.
“We’ll never call a customer to ask for personal information, including bank details, unexpectedly and we’ll never call from an ‘unknown’ number. If you’re suspicious, or uncomfortable about what’s being asked, we always recommend you hang up the phone and call the customer service number of the company which is supposedly asking for access to your computer or your personal information.
“Customers should never share their BT account number with anyone and always shred bills. Be wary of calls or e-mails you’re not expecting. Even if someone quotes your BT account number, you shouldn’t trust them with your personal information,” the spokesperson added.
Anyone who has been scammed or an attempted victim of a scam is asked to report this to Action Fraud – the UK’s national fraud and internet crime reporting centre.
This helps law enforcement agencies build up a wider picture that may help protect others.
Customers can link directly to the Action Fraud portal from BT’s scams website or by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
