Fraudsters claiming to be from BT

Following a report from a Chearsley resident, a reminder that not all telephone calls are what they seem.

From BT's Help pages:

We're aware that some customers are being contacted by individuals fraudulently claiming to be from BT or acting on behalf of BT. This type of fraud is an industry-wide problem that we're actively working to tackle. For the latest developments please check www.bt.com/scams

Please be very careful as criminals have been trying to trick customers into giving out their bank details.

•  They might try to convince you that you owe money on your bill and threaten to disconnect your phone line immediately if you don't pay them over the phone. BT will never disconnect a phone line during the call
•  They might say that you have a fault or virus on your computer and then try to scare you by suggesting that your computer will stop working if you don't take action. They then try to persuade or coerce you into installing software, or ask you to perform commands on your computer with the intention of gaining remote access to your device

These fraudsters 'spoof' the number they're calling from so if you dial 1471 you might see a fictitious number that masks the real destination. They may also offer you a call-back number to confirm the legitimacy of their call and will then answer as if you're calling BT.

Please remember that you can always check your account online to see if there are any problems. Just go to www.bt.com/mybt

If you're unsure about the caller, here's what you can do:

• Be suspicious of unsolicited calls relating to a security or system problem, even if the caller claims to represent a respected company
• If we’re getting in touch about your bill, it’ll usually be from either 0800 328 9393 or 0800 028 5085
• Ask security questions about your account before continuing the call. If the caller can't answer, they are not legitimate
• Never give out personal information, such as credit card or bank details, to an unsolicited caller
• Don't type anything into a computer, install software, visit any websites or follow any other instruction unless you are confident that the call is genuine
• Don't agree to sign up for anything and under no circumstances let the caller take control of your computer system. This allows them to gain access to your personal files and harvest information
• If you use a public or shared computer, be security conscious. Remember, each time you exit your account you should sign out completely by clicking the Sign out link. This means anyone using the computer after you won't be able to access your account

If you suspect you've been a victim of a phone scam or are concerned about the security of your accounts, please see our Scams advice to see who to contact.

We constantly monitor the network to safeguard our customers. If we detect suspicious account activity, which makes us believe that your account may be compromised or at risk, we'll act to secure the account immediately. We'll prompt you to change your password when you next log in. We never charge for support of this kind.

Remember: this doesn't just apply to BT - fraudsters and scammers operate using a range of false identities.

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