Hoax email circulating about premium rate postal delivery scam
10 December 2015, David Owen, Senior Communications Executive
With Christmas fast approaching and gifts being delivered to homes across the UK, a delivery scam hoax that surfaces each festive period is doing the rounds once again. As has been reported by Action Fraud, and PhonepayPlus, a chain email is circulating about an 09 number that was shut down by PhonepayPlus in December 2005.
The number was originally part of a postal scam where a card was posted through consumers’ letter boxes telling them to call a premium rate number,
09066611911
in order to find out how to retrieve a parcel. On dialling the number the consumers could be charged up to £15 for the call.
Despite our best efforts chain emails still sometimes circulate on the internet warning about this number even though it is no longer operating and hasn’t been for some considerable time.
What to do
If you do receive an e-mail referring to this we would like to reassure you that:
-
the number,
09066611911 is not in service
and should not be a cause for concern
-
You don’t need to send the warning e-mail on to others
-
Instead, please forward this information.
Know your numbers
If you do receive a delivery card through your letterbox which you do not believe is genuine and asks you to dial a premium rate number (usually beginning with 09, 0870, 0871, 0872, and 0873) you can use our
Number Checker
.
Our
Number Checker
allows you to enter any number you are not sure about and provides you with any information we have about the company running the service.
We have further advice and information for the public about how to recognise premium rate services and their costs on our
website
.
If you have an issue with a premium rate service, first contact the service provider. If you need further information or assistance you can contact
PhonepayPlus online
or by calling us on
0300 30 300 20 (Mon - Fri, 9.30am - 5pm) for further guidance.