Local man’s phone scam warning

A MELKSHAM man is warning local residents against the dangers of telephone scams offering paid services to stop cold calling.

Ian Nockolds of Church Walk did some research after being contacted by a company offering an alternative to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

Ian said, “It was a Saturday afternoon and I received a telephone call from the Call Prevention Service.

“For £89 the Call Prevention Service offered to sell me a bit of kit that would stop me receiving unsolicited nuisance calls.

“Needless to say, after I’d called his own call a nuisance, we didn’t get on, and in the course of a heated exchange the caller challenged me to look up his organisation on the internet.

“I did and the first thing I found was an article from the Northern Times from August last year, highlighting a trading standards warning urging consumers not to respond to calls from the Call Prevention Service. These scams target the most vulnerable in our society, whose irritation at receiving nuisance calls has developed into genuine distress.

“The Telephone Preference Service might not be perfect, but it is the industry standard, which means if you’re called by a company that doesn’t screen against the TPS, whatever they are selling probably isn’t worth buying!

“It’s worth remembering that the TPS does not cover calling for legitimate market research. However, if you don’t want to participate just ask to be added to the company’s “do not call list” and if that doesn’t work, then contact the Information Commissioner’s Office, who’ve recently been given the power to fine companies up to £500,000 if found guilty of making nuisance calls.”

For more information and advice about cold callers go to www.tpsonline.org.uk.

The TPS request that anyone who has been offered a paid call-screening service email them at tps@dma.org.uk with the name, phone number and web address of the company seeking payment.