"Water Board" Bank Account Scam
Residents are warned to be aware of the latest telephone scam that has occurred in South Warwickshire over the last few days. The scammers are getting very clever and sound very plausible. It's really important not to fall for their trickery.
The latest scam involves a person who calls the householder about their water bill. A very convincing person who gives a Christian name rings saying they are from Severn Trent/water company and they state the signature on the water bill direct debit is out of date. They say they will be sending out a new Direct Debit to sign but in the meantime they ask the householder if they could pay the "January arrears of £19" or a similar small sum as it had been declined by the bank.
The scam is to get the householders to give out their bank details. If householders do give out bank details they are likely to have their bank account cleaned out. In addition, if persons provide their bank details to a third party, even if it is to a criminal, the bank is highly unlikely to reimburse the householder of any loss from their bank account.
The key message is:
• NEVER give your bank details to anyone, however plausible they or the circumstances might seem.
• Banks, Building Societies, water, gas, electric companies DO NOT ring customers and ask for bank details - so if you get such a call just put the phone down and stop the call.
• BE AWARE that if you do provide your bank details to another person then your bank is unlikely to replace any money stolen from your accounts.
• VULNERABLE or elderly persons can be especially at risk from this type of crime, if you look after a person who lives in their own or who maybe in one of these groups then please make sure they know to say nothing, just put the phone down and stop the call.
The latest scam involves a person who calls the householder about their water bill. A very convincing person who gives a Christian name rings saying they are from Severn Trent/water company and they state the signature on the water bill direct debit is out of date. They say they will be sending out a new Direct Debit to sign but in the meantime they ask the householder if they could pay the "January arrears of £19" or a similar small sum as it had been declined by the bank.
The scam is to get the householders to give out their bank details. If householders do give out bank details they are likely to have their bank account cleaned out. In addition, if persons provide their bank details to a third party, even if it is to a criminal, the bank is highly unlikely to reimburse the householder of any loss from their bank account.
The key message is:
• NEVER give your bank details to anyone, however plausible they or the circumstances might seem.
• Banks, Building Societies, water, gas, electric companies DO NOT ring customers and ask for bank details - so if you get such a call just put the phone down and stop the call.
• BE AWARE that if you do provide your bank details to another person then your bank is unlikely to replace any money stolen from your accounts.
• VULNERABLE or elderly persons can be especially at risk from this type of crime, if you look after a person who lives in their own or who maybe in one of these groups then please make sure they know to say nothing, just put the phone down and stop the call.
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