People in County Durham are being warned not to fall for a new type of scam which claims to offer protection from nuisance calls.
Durham County Council’s fair trading team has issued the warning to make residents aware of a so-called service which offers to stop householders receiving unwanted telesales and marketing calls.
The scam involves a call from someone offering to stop people receiving unwanted sales calls for a fee, payable by direct debit or with a bank card.
In some cases callers have falsely claimed to be from a large, well-known reputable company.
Joanne Waller, head of environment, health and consumer protection at Durham County Council, said: “There are a number of services which offer to stop people receiving unwanted calls and not all of them are genuine.
“We would strongly advise people never to give out their bank account details to anyone over the phone unless they are certain they are dealing with a legitimate company.
“We would urge caution if anyone is contacted by a company offering to stop unwanted calls for a fee.”
People can register with the Telephone Preference Service, which is free, to ensure they do not receive unwanted telephone sales and marketing calls.
People can register online at www.tpsonline.org.uk or by telephone on 0845 070 0707.
Anyone who thinks they have been targeted by such a scam is advised to report it to Action Fraud either online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by telephone on 0300 123 2040.
