Warning on bogus callers

SCHOOLS and businesses in the City are being warned to be wary of unsolicited phone calls asking them to advertise in magazines they are not familiar with.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Oct 2011, 11:46 BST

The advice follows a report at the start of this month when a school was asked to advertise in a police ‘Crime Prevention Magazine’. Fortunately the school realised it was a scam and hung up. This scam has been used by fraudsters throughout the UK, and the ‘crime prevention’ angle is used as a ploy to gain a degree of credibility. Genuine magazines, including those that cater for the interests of police officers, will not hesitate to tell you who they are and where they can be contacted.

“Our advice is that you should never disclose financial details or make commitments to pay by credit card to cold callers. Reputable organisations will give you the chance to think about your response. Do not let anyone pressurise you into making a commitment. Take your time in coming to a decision,” a PSNI spokesperson said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Useful tips include: Always note the time and date of any call and the name of the caller; ask for an address and a landline telephone number; establish exactly who the caller is acting for. If it is a charity, ask for the Charity Commission registered number.

Clarify exactly what you are getting for your money. Ask for clear details of the publication, how many copies will be circulated and where they will distributed. Ask to see a copy of the publication and never agree to an advertisement on the first call just to get rid of the caller.

Pay close attention to any invoice that you receive. Some fraudsters send out invoices in the hope that a busy accounts department will not query it.

Anyone who has been approached in a similar nature, or needs advice, should contact their local Neighbourhood Policing Team. The telephone number to ring is 0845 600 8000.