Notices

Parcel Scam Alert

Kent Police Neighbourhood Watch are aware of a warning Royal Mail have put out. They have advised that there is currently a scam happening due to Christmas fast approaching.

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 09066 611911 (a premium rate number).

If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed for £315 for the phone call.

If you do receive a card with these details then contact Royal Mail Fraud.

Royal Mail’s website has very helpful details in relation to Scam mail.  Please make all family and friends aware that there may be many other scams similar to this. If you are ordering online and getting deliveries, confirm who your item will be delivered by/to

Unwanted Telephone calls

If you keep getting calls from a withheld number, contact your phone provider who should have a dedicated team for handling nuisance calls. Your phone provider can advise you on what to do next, and may even be able to trace the caller to stop them contacting you again.

They may also be able to help you set up caller display, or block calls from withheld numbers. For example, BT Call Protect lets you send blocked calls straight to a junk folder.

Contact your phone company via their website, or by calling their customer service team to find out more.

Register with TPS

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) mainly exists to combat unwanted sales calls and registering with them should help you reduce the number of silent calls you receive.

It is free to register and unwanted calls should stop within 28 days after registration is complete. TPS lets you:

• Stop unwanted marketing calls
• Stop unwanted text messages
• Prevent calls at inconvenient times
• Allow valid calls to get through
• Stop calls about products you are not interested in
• Find out who is calling

UK companies are required by TPS to display their phone number so it is easier for you to report unwanted calls from the same number.

To check the number of the call, screen the call using your handset and make a note of the phone number, along with the date and time of the call. You can then report the company to the Information Commissioner’s Office who will investigate and potentially issue fines for unwanted cold calls.

What is spoofing?

This is where nuisance callers and criminals change their caller ID to hide who they are, or to appear as though calling from a real company. For example, identity thieves who want to steal your bank details will pretend they are calling from your bank or building society. If you think you have been contacted by someone trying to commit identity fraud, you should:

• Not give out your personal details
• Hang up the phone
• Wait five minutes, to make sure the fraudulent call has ended
• Contact the company the caller claimed to work for, to see if the call was genuine
• If you think you have been a victim of spoofing, you can contact Action Fraud via their website or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Complain to Ofcom

You can report silent calls or abandoned calls to the telecoms regulator Ofcom so that they can investigate further. To complain about a silent call:

Visit the Ofcom website

• Enter details about when you received the call
• Confirm what number it came from
• Report a recorded message or silence on the line
• If Ofcom needs more information about your complaint they may contact you, but in most cases this is unnecessary.

Report intimidating calls

If you believe the calls you are receiving are from an individual who is deliberately trying to intimidate you, you should contact the police by calling 101.