Scam alert - Mobile Phone account takeover
Date: 13 February 2025
Time: 12:00
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Orkney Islands Council’s Trading Standards team has had reports of locals receiving calls to their mobile phones from scammers claiming to be from their service provider.
The scam caller offers a reduction on their monthly charges either for long custom or to make up for poor mobile service, and may even promise a free gift.
But the red flag for consumers is being asked to provide their security information such as email addresses linked to the account.
Gary Foubister is Manager of Trading Standards at the Council:
“Scam cold callers will try extract passwords and email addresses from you, under the pretence of confirming that you are the contracted individual.
“However the offers of free gifts and discounts is not genuine, and it is the security information that the caller is after.
“Often, one of their accomplices is on another line at the same time, talking to the genuine service provider and claiming to be you - and using the security information you provided to get into your account.
“At this point, they change the security information with your service provider, using their own username and email to effectively take over the account.
“Locals who fall for this scam could in due course discover their monthly charges have gone up by as much as £50 because the scammer has upgraded the package or treated themselves to a new iPhone - at the Orkney resident's expense.”
To add to the frustration, when victims of this scam contact their mobile service provider to report it they cannot get through security checks - as the scammer has changed the information connected to the account.
If you receive a cold call from anyone with an offer that seems too good to be true, hang up – and check on the relevant website or call them on their published customer service number to check the offer is genuine.
To report a suspected scam of any type, or for free and confidential advice if you think you’ve been targeted, contact the Council’s Trading Standards team on 01856 873535 or email trading.standards@orkney.gov.uk . The team may be able to help you get a refund if you are a scam victim. You can also contact the Orkney Scam Action Group via Messenger, at their Facebook page, or orkneyscamactiongroup@gmail.com .
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Category:
- Trading Standards