Old-Fashioned Cold Call Scams Invade UK

According to a new study from the Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK), one-in-four British consumers are in jeopardy of falling victim to a growing telephone scam, reported The Daily Mail. The scam is called “vishing” and has allowed UK fraudsters to obtain about £7 million. Vishing is an older scam in which criminals are making cold calls on landlines and tricking consumers into giving up their financial details. The fraudsters pretend to be bank staff or other trustworthy organizations when asking for personal information.

“Always be wary of cold callers who suggest you hang up the phone and call them back. Fraudsters will keep your phone line open by not putting down the receiver at their end. Remember that it takes two people to terminate a call so try and use a different phone line if you are asked to ring back,” said Dave Carter, head of the dedicated check and plastic crimes unit.

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