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Is this a scam?

(65 Posts)
MissAdventure Wed 25-Sep-19 21:27:58

I just got a text telling me that EE have been unable to process my payment. (I paid my bill yesterday, and not without a lot of faffing around, as usual, using their automated system)

It told me to click on the link provided and fill in my details (name, address, bank card details)

Stupidly, I did click on the link but stopped dead when I saw what they wanted to know.

It must be a scam, yes? blush

I'm ashamed to say I don't know!

Madmaggie Thu 26-Sep-19 10:40:55

MissAdventure dont beat yourself up about opening up the message, its so easy to do especially if youre busy - its what they bank on. It is a scam, dont play. I regularly get very official looking ones purporting to be HRMC, TV licensing, banks I dont bank with, computer etc etc they all try and scare you with "you must act now". They are generated overseas and they dont come under uk law.
I particularly dislike the phone calls that are "not trying to sell you anything" but are. They call you by your first name all pseudo friendly & know your address etc. I freeze them out, tell them to cease calling my number as theyre breaking the law & end the call & block the number if its given. I have in the past gone all basil faulty on them & then its they who put the phone down! They get your info from seemingly harmless quizes etc on internet sites.

janipat Thu 26-Sep-19 10:44:41

HootyMcOwlface I had that email from TV licensing too, which is amazing as I pay by lump sum each year. The threat of sending in the debt collectors would frighten some into clicking the link sadly.

TrendyNannie6 Thu 26-Sep-19 10:45:18

I had a text yesterday like that but will never pay online I go into bank or post office n pay

jaylucy Thu 26-Sep-19 10:52:00

I always wonder what sort of brain these scammers must have to come up with the ideas in the first place!
I read yesterday that people have even been getting phone calls from people claiming to be from Thomas Cook and asking for bank details so that they can action a refund !
Only thing is, that most of the people contacted have never booked through TC in the last 12 months!

Shropshirelass Thu 26-Sep-19 10:52:23

It is a scam. They would not ask you to send your details in this way. Contact EE if you still have the message they may ask you to forward it to their fraud team.

jenni123 Thu 26-Sep-19 10:59:31

Never click any link in an email. I've had them supposedly from PayPal saying my account is to be suspended. I always come out of the email and open the site ie PayPal in the way I would normally. Send any spoof emails to the company concerned.

BusterTank Thu 26-Sep-19 11:19:23

He there is also one going round saying they are unable to take funds for your TV licence .

Craftycat Thu 26-Sep-19 11:30:19

If you think it may be a scam, chances are it is every time.

moggie57 Thu 26-Sep-19 11:39:01

SCAM SCAM SCAM ... i just had one from my bank saying account ending in **. em thats an old bank account....surely bank should be up todate with my details..

Hellsgrandad Thu 26-Sep-19 11:39:23

SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!!!!

Delete anything that asks for bank details and always be very wary of anything that starts 'We are having difficulty in processing your payment'

Megs36 Thu 26-Sep-19 11:41:51

Ive just had a call - recording, American voice- telling me my Amazon Prime account is being renewed from my bank account, I haven't got one but do use Amazon quite a lot, just put the phone down without going further.

moggie57 Thu 26-Sep-19 11:42:53

i got a supposedly call from tv people .i dont have a tv with digital output havent done for 3 years now, i play pre -recoreded dvds,and my brother puts anything on dvd that i want to watch..any way .i let him ramble on...... and after a while i said your name doesnt happen to be wayne kerr.? w****r ? lol. phone call was ended by him. my brother told me to do that .made me laugh though....

Magrithea Thu 26-Sep-19 12:00:54

run a software check (such as Avira) for bugs that may be on your system.

MaryXYX Thu 26-Sep-19 12:11:03

Scam emails usually contain links that look like genuine ones, but if you "mouse over" the link you see it actually goes to a similar but different address.

NannyG123 Thu 26-Sep-19 12:30:26

Also, if someone ring you,and your not sure if it's a scam, we was informed by someone from the police who came to talk to us at the wi about scams. Don't use the phone they called you on to ring, anyone ie bank, as they keep on the line for a while afterwards. Even tho you wouldn't know it. Eithet leave it for about 5 mins, or use a different phone. Hope this advice might help someone.

NannyEm Thu 26-Sep-19 12:47:24

I'm in Australia and it seems that every day there is a new sophisticated scam that we are being warned about. It has got to the stage where I block unfamiliar telephone numbers and delete emails that look a bit suspicious or I don't recognise the name. It has made me extremely paranoid. The other day I had a call that threatened to cut off my land line if I didn't press 1 to talk to a consultant. I thanked the person very much and said that saved me the trouble of doing it and hung up.

Riggie Thu 26-Sep-19 13:04:39

I was totally appalled to get a text from my bank about a card payment that had not gone through, giving a number to call. This is a bank who print on their statements all sorts of stuff about not clicking on links etc.

I rang them on the number I normally use and it WAS genuine!! They got a bit if an ear bashing from me about that

Paul270656 Thu 26-Sep-19 13:07:47

Just a heads up to everyone as there are people making calls purporting to be from your isp provider bt, sky, virgin, ee, Vodafone are the main culprits saying you have illegally accessed the Internet and can be easily resolved by giving your card details and the calls are from UK numbers police have been inundated with complaints here in Lancashire but warned they are targeting everywhere.
Where they get your number from simple everyone we deal with have our contact details in some form or another these are sold on but companies won't tell you that.

Saggi Thu 26-Sep-19 13:15:11

Why not just pay by direct debit?!?

MamaCaz Thu 26-Sep-19 13:16:18

Today 01:03GabriellaG54
Why not set up a DD and the appropriate amount will be taken every month and you will be notified of the amount via email a few days before payment is taken, giving you time to check it.
That will save you worrying about scams.

Unfortunately not, Gabriella - I have always paid bills like this via DD, but regularly used to get exactly the sort of email that the OP has described, claiming that there had been a problem with my payment.
I never fell for them, but if by chance a scam email happens to arrive at around the time of month when the DD should just have gone out, it's easy to see how people do, despite all the warnings.

Camelotclub Thu 26-Sep-19 13:25:41

EE mobile150Free during our opening hours* (25p per call on pay as you go)
EE landline07953 966 250
Please refer to the pricing guide for calling costs

Camelotclub Thu 26-Sep-19 13:26:31

I had an email from someone called Mohamed purporting to be about our TV licence! They're getting quite personal all of a sudden.

MissAdventure Thu 26-Sep-19 13:42:50

I haven't paid by direct debit up till now because I'm never sure i'll have enough to pay, and under no circumstances do I want to pay bank charges, so I might have to bite the bullet.

Barmeyoldbat Thu 26-Sep-19 13:42:51

SCAM

MamaCaz Thu 26-Sep-19 14:02:46

And I had a call last week from "your bank". Apparently, a questionable transaction for £600 had been made on my account, and if i hadn't authorized it, I was to press ... (I ended the call at that point, so don't know what number was meant to be my downfall).

The bank' was nameless, as was the recipient - in this case, me. I knew instantly that it was a scam, but catch a slightly more trusting person on the wrong day, for instance when they just happen to have made a transaction not too dissimilar to the one suggested, and I can see how people get taken in!