Finally there is a lovely new leaflet entitled “Keep Calm and Hang Up” Its all about those phone calls we get, for example telling us there is something wrong with our computers, something wrong with our phone lines, we are entitled to a tax refund, etc.

Of course it is trying to sell us a new bit of equipment that sits next to our phones, but if it offers you piece of mind and you can afford it, it could be worth considering.

Just incase we don’t all get the leaflet here are the main points

IT IS A SCAM IF:

Someone offers you something that seems too good to be true
You are pressurised into agreeing something quickly
You are asked to make a payment using UKCASH or PaySafe
You are asked to hand over your credit card details on a cold call
The leaflet goes onto point out

IF IT FEELS WRONG, IT IS WRONG ...

The fraudsters are very clever – their first job is to gain your trust. They sound convincing, authoritative, and professional, and they may claim to be from your bank or an official government body.

Don’t engage in a conversation with the scammer trying to catch him out – the longer you stay on the phone the more chance he has of persuading you that he is genuine.

There is no government scheme to write off all your debts, you can’t get compensation for an accident you didn’t have, and you are not due a refund on insurance that you weren’t mis-sold. The only person who beats the scammer is the person who just hangs up.

Nuisance call blocking technology can be very effective if you want to protect yourself or your older members of your family from scam calls.

I am forever getting this one, the Caller  phones me up and ask for someone who has never lived at my house & when I say “No doesn’t live here”  they then carry on talking to me trying to get me hooked into buying new windows, new roof, new guttering, new driveway, new telephone line, new mobile contract you name it they must try it at least once a week.

I used to think this was an honest to goodness mistake until I was at someone else’s house and they had the caller ask for EXACTLY the same name, its obviously a ploy to get you talking to them, but don’t be afraid to say firmly I am sorry but I don’t think you should be talking to me about this and then hang up.

Perhaps this isn’t a SCAM call, but anything that starts off by being devious, cant be all that good.