Former councillor warns of telephone 'scam'

Jean Ashworth

Former Rochdale councillor, Jean Ashworth is warning local residents regarding a telephone "scam".

Residents get phone calls from representatives of the Telephone Preference Scheme. The representatives then present people with the option to pay to stop them receiving unwanted international calls.

Jean said: “We all get unwanted phone calls and that is why I joined the Telephone Preference Service but they are a free service so they wouldn’t ask me to pay anything.”

Jean said she first received a phone call from a very well spoken gentleman who asked her if she was receiving unwanted calls. When Jean said yes, the gentleman went on to explain that the calls were coming from Asia and Indonesia and that Jean was already on one of their lists for receiving the unwanted calls. The gentleman then went on to say that he would speak to his supervisor and someone would phone Jean back.

Within 10 minutes, Jean received a second phone call from a well spoken lady who also stated that she was from the Telephone Preference Scheme. The lady explained to Jean that the unwanted calls could be stopped for a small fee of £69 which could be split into payments of £1.90 per month. This would be for three years and then the service would be free.

After Jean said no to the 'scheme', the phone was slammed down. Jean received the phone calls at around 5:45pm on Tuesday 18 March.

Jean said: “People need to know about this. Luckily I had my wits about me last night, but there will be people out there who will think it is real. My elderly neighbour is part of the service and if she were to get the call, she could quite easily think it is real and give these people all of her information.”

Jean added: “It seems to have happened to a lot of people.”

John Mitchison, Head of the Telephone Preference Service said: “The TPS is a free service that is effective at stopping live unsolicited sales and marketing calls made by reputable UK companies. It is not a call blocking device, it is the UK’s official opt-out register and once you register a mobile or landline number it remains registered for good. The law requires companies to screen their calls against the TPS ‘do not call’ list. However, there are a number of rogue companies that are willing to break the law and cold call people nevertheless.

“We’re aware of a number of organisations such as the Telephone Preference Scheme claiming to offer a similar or more enhanced service to the TPS. These companies are unregulated commercial organisations or sometimes outright scams that are misleading people about the effectiveness of their service. We have seen a rise in the number of complaints over the last 18 months, which seems to correspond with a sharp rise in the number of these types of companies.

“We ask anyone that receives such a call to never give out personal details and refer the company to their local trading standards office or report it to Action Fraud."

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk