Hoax email from PDS
(Parcel Delivery Service)
I received a printout from an email warning about a postal scam that could leave you £315 out of pocket. It is a hoax. What is worse it has been updated from the original. So someone out there has purposely made this hoax, based on a real email from 2005. It is what we call a “chain email” and it really annoys the Royal Mail as it advises phoning them. The hoax email reads:
“PLEASE NOTE AND PASS TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS
Christmas is fast approaching, Royal mail & The Trading
Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:
A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number).
If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call.
If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655. For more information see the Crimestoppers website:http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/crime-prevention/…….”
I have truncated the URL as it is not relevant. It then goes on to state:
“Please be aware that the premium rate number may change but nevertheless please do not call any number stated on a card from PDS. Can you please make all your family, friends and neighbours aware of the above.“
If you receive this email just delete it and do not to forward it to anyone.
However, in December 2015 the Phone-paid Service Authority (PSA). They are the official UK regulator for content, goods and services charged to a phone bill. Issued its own warning about the online warning.
Describing it as a “hoax email circulating about premium rate postal delivery scam”. The senior communications executive noted how the chain email was circulating about an 09 number that was shut down by PhonepayPlus (the forerunner of the PSA) in December 2005.
The news alert noted: “Despite our best efforts chain emails still sometimes circulate on the internet warning about this number even though it is no longer operating and hasn’t been for some considerable time.”
The authority reassured the public the 0906 number was no longer in service and urged them not to forward the warning e-mail or Facebook post. It stated that If you do receive a delivery card which you do not believe is genuine that asks you to dial a premium rate number (beginning with 09, 0870, 0871, 0872, and 0873) use our Number Checker (https://psauthority.org.uk/about-us/number-checker). This will
allow you to enter any number you are not sure about and then provides you with any information we have about the company running the service.