Scam Alert

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

This afternoon's little teaser...  Using local phone numbers and seeking to give the impression of being from the LA.

 

Calling from a Looe number 01503 635006…. Or so you’d think!

 

Purporting to be compiling an updated “building regs handbook” - odd I thought…

 

Why phone me?

 

Are you Cornwall council?

 

No…

 

What are you then? What is your business name and what is the nature of your business?

 

We’re contacting planning agents and tree surgeons to see if they want a full, ½ or ⅓ page advert in our updated “building regs handbook.”

 

What is a “building regs handbook” and why do you think I’d have any interest in it?

 

Lots of tree surgeons are reporting great success from being listed in our handbooks….

 

So you are selling advertising then? Whats your conversion rate?

 

I don’t really have that info…

 

Why are you phoning me?

 

We’re looking at any agents that have planning applications.

 

So you’re trawling the LA planning pages and harvesting business contact details in an attempt to sell advertising and then sending your so-called “hand book” as unsolicited mail to planning applicants?

 

Er, yes.

 

Well what use would it be to me if the TPO or s211 application is already submitted and validated?

 

I don’t really understand what you mean - you’d get more business.

 

You’re an idiot. Where are you PHYSICALLY calling from? What is your ACTUAL location?

 

I’m working from home covering SE Cornwall.

 

Where are you PHYSICALLY calling from? What is your ACTUAL location?

 

I’m in Couch End London.

 

This is a scam masquerading as something it isn’t in order to sell advertising. Remove my number from your data base and don’t call me again!

[Stubby]

22 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

This afternoon's little teaser...  Using local phone numbers and seeking to give the impression of being from the LA.

 

Calling from a Looe number 01503 635006…. Or so you’d think!

 

Purporting to be compiling an updated “building regs handbook” - odd I thought…

 

Why phone me?

 

Are you Cornwall council?

 

No…

 

What are you then? What is your business name and what is the nature of your business?

 

We’re contacting planning agents and tree surgeons to see if they want a full, ½ or ⅓ page advert in our updated “building regs handbook.”

 

What is a “building regs handbook” and why do you think I’d have any interest in it?

 

Lots of tree surgeons are reporting great success from being listed in our handbooks….

 

So you are selling advertising then? Whats your conversion rate?

 

I don’t really have that info…

 

Why are you phoning me?

 

We’re looking at any agents that have planning applications.

 

So you’re trawling the LA planning pages and harvesting business contact details in an attempt to sell advertising and then sending your so-called “hand book” as unsolicited mail to planning applicants?

 

Er, yes.

 

Well what use would it be to me if the TPO or s211 application is already submitted and validated?

 

I don’t really understand what you mean - you’d get more business.

 

You’re an idiot. Where are you PHYSICALLY calling from? What is your ACTUAL location?

 

I’m working from home covering SE Cornwall.

 

Where are you PHYSICALLY calling from? What is your ACTUAL location?

 

I’m in Couch End London.

 

This is a scam masquerading as something it isn’t in order to sell advertising. Remove my number from your data base and don’t call me again!

Dealt with Kev . 👍

[Dan Maynard]

They also don't say how many handbooks they will actually send, maybe one or two? Similar form to the fire service, education service etc scams.

[Mark Bolam]

You’re an idiot Kevin.

I went for a full page.

 

I’ll throw you some soup from the window of my Range Rover when I’m next in Cornwall buying my 10th property, you loser!

[eggsarascal]

4 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

You’re an idiot Kevin.

I went for a full page.

 

I’ll throw you some soup from the window of my rotten old Transit when I’m next in Cornwall buying my 10th property, you loser!

Fixed that for you mate.

[JaySmith]

There are a lot of these type of scams going around at the moment. One of the bad things of every bodies info being in the public domain.

Some will be genuine cold callers working for a real publication who get their leads from the planning portal. Probably similar to the way that some tree surgeons ring up people who have submitted tpo applications on the council site to see if they can get the job.

Should have gone for the front cover@mark bolam and I’m with that extra work you could of upgraded that Chelsea tractor for a shinny Bentley and some champagne!

[Rac man]

I like the one on YouTube tech guy hacks the hackers in India activates the camera and tells them what he can see messes with there heads big time

[Ben Pinnick]

I get the 'Your company has been nominated for an award' one a lot. Seems you have to buy a table at an overpriced event to collect your 'award'.  hmmm...
We also trade a lot of currency, so that causes many calls too as forex people seem to move companies very often.
They get the same treatment as anyone else that calls. 'Sorry I don't buy from cold callers. No exceptions.'

This  often provokes a surprisingly robust reaction - 'How is anybody supposed to sell you something/introduce themselves then!?!'

'Err, you're not. Thats the point.' Click.

[Billhook]

Of course I read these wise words from Arbtalk so naturally am ready when I receive a phone call while I am in the middle of the woods asking to help clarify my name and address.

Was not in a great mood and surprised myself by being calm and polite.

”Who am I talking to?”

”Its the Daily Mail here and I was hoping to clarify some details”

I thought that they were going to ask me what I thought about the new ELM scheme on the farm or similar

”So what do you want to know?”

 I would just like to inform you that you have just won the Sudoku competition “

I thought  here we go , next thing he will want my bank details, but I could see no harm in giving my address 

He said that the cheque would be in the post  where have I heard that before!!!

My wife gave me a billhooking “ You idiot you gave them our address, we will be burgled now etc etc”

Anyway a week later a cheque turned up for £500 and I. Paid it in and it cleared and my name appeared in the paper as the winner!

I have never heard of anyone winning these competitions.  I only buy the Mail really for the code word and Sudoku which are more difficult than other papers, to try and keep the old brain going.

I shall try and be less hasty with my torrent of abuse in the future when I receive these calls!

The sad part is that the money of course has not bought me new chains and bars and fuel, just a new pair of shoes for my beloved who apologised for calling me an idiot

So Billhook has brains as well as beauty!

[Dan Maynard]

Well done, I'd definitely have hung up.