The Ulster Unionist Party’s North Down MLA, Alan Chambers, has called on BT and mobile phone companies to do all they can to help the Police to combat phone scams and fraud.
Alan Chambers MLA said:
“The Police have issued a warning that earlier this week saw a large number of scam phone calls seeking to con people into passing on banking details to callers claiming to represent HMRC.
“Many of these calls targeted people in North Down.
“This is not a new tactic. In early July one of my constituents contacted me after he received two phone calls from an automated voice claiming to be from ‘HM Revenue and Customs’
“In the first he was told that legal proceedings had been initiated due to tax avoidance, and in the second he was told ‘do not disregard this message, if we do not hear from you or your solicitor get ready to face the legal consequences.’
“Fortunately my constituent knew it was a scam and did not call the number, but it is clear that the scammers are still at their work and trying to steal money from unsuspecting citizens.
“I believe that BT and the mobile phone companies must give the Police every assistance to catch the fraudsters responsible, given that it is their networks that are being used to try to commit these thefts
“This is a timely reminder to everyone to be extremely careful online and in answering phone calls from anyone claiming to be from a bank or the Inland Revenue. If in doubt hang up immediately, and never give out personal or bank details over the phone or online to anyone whose identity you cannot verify.”