Post by rosegriffin on Nov 26, 2013 16:33:38 GMT
At today's South Benfleet U3A meeting a member told us that she had had a phone call from the "Ministry of Defence" during the week. The caller told her that if she phoned a telephone number and quoted a reference that the Ministry would pay £60,500 into her bank account. She was told that the ministry already had her bank details. 
The lady phoned Trading Standards instead. This was obviously some kind of scam although they couldn't work out exactly what 
as the lady had not made a note of the telephone number she was to call. She was more concerned that somebody had her bank account details and could only remember that it was an 0203 number. However, the local community police officer was informed and U3A members have been asked to make sure that everyone knows about this scam in case they get a bogus phone call too. South Benfleet Community Police have asked us to reiterate that no one should give out their bank account details to unknown callers over the phone. 
At the same U3A meeting, Rev. John Robinson who was our guest speaker and musician for the afternoon told us that 9 weeks ago his son's house had burnt down. Last weekend his son travelled from Cornwall to Essex to visit his parents. Whilst he was travelling someone phoned the Rev Robinson's wife and said that her son had had an accident and urgently required money to get home. She was asked to take the money to the local filling station where a courier was waiting. She phoned her son's mobile and found that there had been no accident and that he was still en route What a terrible scam so soon after the tragedy of having his house burnt down!!!!....and so few people would have known that he was on his way to visit his parents in Thorpe le Soken.
Do you know of any more scams which local people should be made aware of? If so please let us know so that we can all be aware.
The lady phoned Trading Standards instead. This was obviously some kind of scam although they couldn't work out exactly what 
as the lady had not made a note of the telephone number she was to call. She was more concerned that somebody had her bank account details and could only remember that it was an 0203 number. However, the local community police officer was informed and U3A members have been asked to make sure that everyone knows about this scam in case they get a bogus phone call too. South Benfleet Community Police have asked us to reiterate that no one should give out their bank account details to unknown callers over the phone. 
At the same U3A meeting, Rev. John Robinson who was our guest speaker and musician for the afternoon told us that 9 weeks ago his son's house had burnt down. Last weekend his son travelled from Cornwall to Essex to visit his parents. Whilst he was travelling someone phoned the Rev Robinson's wife and said that her son had had an accident and urgently required money to get home. She was asked to take the money to the local filling station where a courier was waiting. She phoned her son's mobile and found that there had been no accident and that he was still en route
What a terrible scam so soon after the tragedy of having his house burnt down!!!!....and so few people would have known that he was on his way to visit his parents in Thorpe le Soken.Do you know of any more scams which local people should be made aware of? If so please let us know so that we can all be aware.
