County issues credit card scam warning

Denbighshire County Council is warning people to be aware of a scam relating to credit cards.

A Rhyl resident has been in touch with Denbighshire Trading Standards after receiving an automated telephone call at his home, stating:  “Alert, Alert, your credit card has been compromised, please press 1 to resolve”.

The caller hung up and checked with his credit card provider who advised that was a scam call.

The Council is issuing the following advice relating to telephone scams:

• did the call come out of the blue?
• stop, think and be sceptical. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is
• do not give personal or financial information or pin numbers to anyone, however plausible they might sound. This applies even if they claim to represent a business or organisation you have heard of or where an approach is personalised
• genuine businesses or organisations will never telephone you and ask you for personal or financial information
• think about how much money you could lose responding to a potential scam; it's a risk not worth taking
• if you receive a call that you suspect is bogus, speak to family or friends or seek advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service
• If you receive a scam telephone call, you can report it to Action Fraud. You can also report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service for referral to trading standards.
• If you are conned into phoning a premium rate number, you can report it to PhonepayPlus, which regulates premium rate services in the UK.
• If you enter a contract because a trader misled you or because a trader used an aggressive commercial practice, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 may give you rights to redress: You can report complaints about unfair trading practices to the Citizens Advice consumer service for referral to trading standards. However, it may be difficult to take legal action against a criminal.
• If you think your details have been shared unlawfully you should report it to the Information Commissioner's Office for further investigation.
• If you have been the victim of a fraud you can report it to the police.
• If you think your identity has been stolen please follow the guidance given on the Action Fraud website

* To contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, please phone 03454040506 or  Action Fraud – 0300 123 2040  website www.actionfraud.police.uk