Warning of telephone scam caller claiming to be ‘Talk Talk’

The public is being warned of a recent telephone scam, involving a caller claiming to be from the Talk Talk telephone provider.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “They start the conversation asking if you are a Talk Talk customer. If you say no then they end the call, if you are a Talk Talk customer, they ask if you are satisfied with your internet connection.

“Most people will say they are not 100% happy with it, and are promised £200 compensation. The caller asks the resident to download an app called ‘Team Viewer’ to assist with a quicker internet connection.

“The ‘Team Viewer’ app then gives the caller access to the resident’s computer and files. After taking bank details for the £200 refund, the caller then uses the information to apply for an instant loan. The loan is paid into the resident’s bank account ‘by mistake’ plus the £200 compensation.

“After re-contacting the resident, the caller states there has been an accounting error and can the resident pay the loan amount back, but keeping the £200.

“Please avoid any calls mentioning the ‘Team Viewer’ app.”

A spokesperson for Talk Talk said: “We are sorry to hear that people are being targeted by telephone scammers. We do believe we have a responsibility to help protect our customers from these crimes and their security is a key priority. To help customers protect themselves from the threat of scams we launched Beat the Scammers, an education and awareness campaign from TalkTalk and Get Safe Online."

Beat The Scammers is designed to help you protect yourself from the growing threat of scams.

Talk Talk has also outlined information it will never ask customers for including:

• Ask for your full password – they will only ask for two digits.
• Ask for your bank details to process a refund.
• Ask you to send money through services like MoneyGram or Western Union. 
• TalkTalk will never quote the customer’s account number in an attempt to prove that the caller is genuinely from TalkTalk.