TMCnet News
PARCEL SCAM, CARD ALERT(Sunday Mercury Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) A CRUEL premium rate telephone scam could have netted tens of thousands of pounds in the Midlands. Cards have been popped through letterboxes across the region, telling householders that they have a parcel which could not be delivered. The cards, which appear to come from Royal Mail, carry a telephone number so that delivery can be re-arranged. But anyone ringing the 0906 premium rate number is charged pounds 1.50 a minute for a six-minute call - a total of pounds 9. The scam was operated by a firm called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service), which is thought to be based in the Central American country of Belize. Attempts to untangle the complex network of companies involved have proved a headache for telephone watchdogs, The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS). It is thought that PDS may have ripped off hundreds of thousands of pounds in charges although the telephone lines have now been shut down. The company's income from the calls has been frozen by service providers and network operators. It is not known if PDS was targeting victims only in the UK or in other countries, too. Because of fears that the scamsters may have been operating internationally, the case is being raised with the watchdog International Audiotex Regulatory Network (IARN). Kate Belson, for ICSTIS, said nearly 700 complaints had been received about the activities of PDS and that the number of victims 'could be incredibly high'. She explained: "These days - with so many people out working in the day - it is quite common to arrive home to find a postcard from Royal Mail or a courier company saying that an unsuccessful attempt has been made to deliver a parcel. "People have become accustomed to ringing the contact number given to arrange for re-delivery. In this case, there was, in fact, no parcel. "Instead, it was a competition in which the prize was claimed to be a camera. "Members of the public should be aware that 0906 numbers are premium rate and that reputable companies which use these numbers comply with the requirements to publish the cost and duration of the call." It is hoped that a British representative of PDS can be located because taking action against overseas tricksters is fraught with difficulties. If the firm can be brought to book in the UK, it could be fined up to pounds 250,000 by ICSTIS. PDS could not be contacted for comment last n ight. [email protected] |