CONSUMERS and businesses in the Island have been warned to be "wary" if they receive out of the blue phone calls from callers claiming to represent IT suppliers.
The Office of Fair Trading has issued the warning after a number of people reported calls where they were told their computer had a virus. Following an initial chat the callers turned the conversation to how much they would charge to deal with the virus. Unfortunately some of those who were contacted did agree to pay for the "repair service".
Bill Henderson MHK, chairman of the Office of Fair Trading, said: "Consumers should be very careful to ensure that they know who they are dealing with. It is likely that these people are trying to get you hand over personal of financial information as well as money.
"If this information gets into the wrong hands it can be disastrous for you. Bank accounts can be emptied and your personal details used to set up fraudulent identifies.
"Clearly not all contacts you receive will be of this type but legitimate businesses welcome consumers who take care of their information so do not feel embarrassed to check them out before you do business with them. If you are concerned or unsure put the phone down. Then check. Don't give any details out."
Although legitimate companies may contact consumers by phone it is important to make checks on the company before agreeing to any service they offer.
The Office of Fair Trading has advised the following:
• Don't feel obliged to continue with the conversation – put the phone down.
• If you carry on with the call advise the caller that you do not wish to make an immediate decision. Tell them you will contact them should you decide to take up their offer.
• Ask for full contact details including a telephone number. Be wary of a company which only provides a mobile phone number.
• Put the company's name into an internet search engine to see what you can find out but don't be fooled by professional-looking websites as scammers are good at making their scams look authentic.
• If the company purports to be based in the UK check with Companies House (http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/) to make sure that it is correctly registered.
• Do not provide any financial details until you have taken the above steps and decided to accept the offer - in particular your credit or debit card details as these transactions can be difficult to cancel with your bank.
• Check with your own IT support or someone you know if you are worried.
Consumers who wish to get their names removed from telemarketing lists should contact the Telephone Preferences Service on 02072 913320.
