BT Mobile and cold calls asking for account numbers

[PeckhamRose]

So I was at home and an Indian male rang asking if I was happy with BT. Since I have had a few problems with broadband recently I assumed it was a follow up call and said yes, all is good. He then said he was calling from a company called Global and said that (to cut a long phonecall story short) they were contracted by BT to do the following. This company have been given a list of customers' names by BT who have been long term customers who have always paid their bills on time (how can one not if there is enough money in the account serving direct debit account?!) Those customers were being contacted by this company to make an offer of a free BT mobile.

The first month is free - but after that it is ?15 a month and ?6 line rental for the BT landline, and you make all your calls through it AND it can be used to receive landline calls when you are out the house, and also you get all the minutes and so on, and they had decided looking at my account that I would save a lot of money on my regular land line call charges.

Fair enough, I thought. Send me everything and I'll have a shoofty.

He then said that before sending me the package and all the information and so on, he would ask me to confirm my name and address and then asked for my account number. Why? I said, since you already know it, or if you don't you know I have one since you have confirmed I am a good custoemr who always pays on time. He insisted I give it. I said no. He said he would call me in 10 mins when I have thought about it (so he's on commission, right?!) He did ring and MrPR answered and said I was unavailable and to call in the evening. He called twice more and was told the same thing. I have done a search on BT.Com but there is no information about any such offer.

Yet this man knew my name and address so I assumed it was genuine.

Anyway, sorry to go on but you lot are very helpful and knowledgeable so thought I'd ask if anyone else has had a similar call or if it was genuine and I missed a deal, or what! Thanks folks.

[PeckhamRose]

I made a complaint to BT about this yesterday (Sat 11th July 09 if you're reading this next year!) and BT rang me back today confirming it was a hoax/phishing call. I am already on Telephone Preference Service.

So be wary, guys.

[giggirl]

Whenever we phone any service provider to discuss our account, they take us through their security process so they can be sure they are talking with the account holder. If they phone us then we need to do the same thing in reverse - ask enough questions about our account until we are sure we're talking to the real McCoy. My friend does this as a matter of course as she's had a lot of identity theft and takes nothing at face value. If she's still in doubt she asks them to put it in writing.

[PeckhamRose]

He did, he took me through stuff.

I think he was working for BT but on the make.

I stopped when he asked me my account number. 'That's a new one', I thought.

Anyway, it's all been reported.