Identity Theft vs. Vodafone
(ring)(ring)(ring) Actually, it was the theme from "The Persuaders" but I can't spell that.
"Hello"
"Hello, you haven't had your phone upgraded for a while have you?"
Long conversation ensues between the Wife and "Sam" from Vodafone, and a new package/phone deal is established.
"Can I have your bank details to pay the one off £30 pound for the upgrade?"
"Yes"
"Can I have you date of birth for 'security purposes'?"
"Yes"
"Can I have the three digits off the back of your card?"
"Yes"
"Can I have every other possible detail that I might need to know?"
"Yes"
"Err, shouldn't they know all that?" I asked
"Oh."
"Maybe you should ring Vodafone back and see what 'phone' they are going to give you?"
Long conversation the next morning with some other chap in Vodafone who had absolutely no knowledge about "Sam" or "the upgrade".
The end result is that no money has been taken from my wife's account and she got the card stopped. But it just shows how easy it is to be scammed. To be fair, we don't yet know if this is a scam, or whether it's just "Vodafone A" not knowing what "Vodafone B" are doing, or indeed if it's some other more nefarious identity theft scam, but we had to act quickly in case.
The odd thing is, is that "Sam" left her number on my wife's phone (not caller withheld), and this number doesn't Google at all. Vodafone don't recognise it either. It's 01384 447120 and this is for a number in Stourbridge in the West Midlands.
I guess we'll only know when Vodafone send a new phone and don't get paid.
"Hello"
"Hello, you haven't had your phone upgraded for a while have you?"
Long conversation ensues between the Wife and "Sam" from Vodafone, and a new package/phone deal is established.
"Can I have your bank details to pay the one off £30 pound for the upgrade?"
"Yes"
"Can I have you date of birth for 'security purposes'?"
"Yes"
"Can I have the three digits off the back of your card?"
"Yes"
"Can I have every other possible detail that I might need to know?"
"Yes"
"Err, shouldn't they know all that?" I asked
"Oh."
"Maybe you should ring Vodafone back and see what 'phone' they are going to give you?"
Long conversation the next morning with some other chap in Vodafone who had absolutely no knowledge about "Sam" or "the upgrade".
The end result is that no money has been taken from my wife's account and she got the card stopped. But it just shows how easy it is to be scammed. To be fair, we don't yet know if this is a scam, or whether it's just "Vodafone A" not knowing what "Vodafone B" are doing, or indeed if it's some other more nefarious identity theft scam, but we had to act quickly in case.
The odd thing is, is that "Sam" left her number on my wife's phone (not caller withheld), and this number doesn't Google at all. Vodafone don't recognise it either. It's 01384 447120 and this is for a number in Stourbridge in the West Midlands.
I guess we'll only know when Vodafone send a new phone and don't get paid.
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