To warn you of a new scam?

[catgirl1976]

I've just had a missed call from 0203 298 8156

A man with an African accent said he was "Stephen Hendry" from Johnsons Law Firm and the there were 3 warrants out for my arrest for "serious criminal acts" and that I needed to phone back or "face the legal consequences"

A quick google shows this is a new scam. If you call back, apparantly the say you need to pay money (appears to be around the £500 mark) or be arrested by the police.

Some people have paid money :( believing it to be about unpaid loans and then these feckers have called them, said it didnt arrive in time and scammed more off them.

I'm sure no one on MN would fall for this but if people are eldery or vulnerable then it could be scary

If you do get this call, ignore them and report to your local police. FWIW they all have famous sportmens names. I got Stephen Hendry, but Kevin Pieterson and Michael Johnson are also used

If you know anyone who get this, please let them know it is a scam and to report it

On the scam note I was nearly scammed last month - I was looking for work and applied for a generic admin role on a recruitment site, got a call the next day saying they were working on behalf of my local council and recruiting temp admin staff and wanted to interview me.Yay I thought.. they set up an interview in a local cafe (first red flag), I needed to bring passport, proof of address, bank statement, passport photos (kind of red flag but it is council) and if I was succesful in this 15minute interview I would get the job and would have to pay for my own CRB at £52 odd quid. Was sufficiently worried enough to ring my council and check and they had never heard of them..

What utter bastards preying on the unemployed...

Wow, that's shocking!

Mumtoone mogwai I had to take all those things to an interview at our local school-they did however pay for the crb check.
I'd be so scared to get a call like that :(

I'm tempted if they ring again

Mumofones is scary as it's fairly plausible. If they rented a conference room in a hotel I bet loads of people would fall fpr that and they'd have your identity, your money and no doubt your card details

:(

I'd love to get a call from Stephen Hendry as I'd have a nice long list of potential crimes for him. That or ask him on what date, year etc. they were committed. Or tell him that I had already paid £1000 to Detective Inspector Jack Regan.

The interview one sounds far more dodgy and disturbing. Have you advised the recruitment site about the call you got, Mumto, I'm assuming that it was a scammer calling you?

I had a very official looking email (in my inbox! Not spam) from hmrc a few months ago, official logo and everything. It had loads of spelling and grammar mistakes in. I knew it was a scam by that, but rang them anyway. They told me to forward the email to them so they could investigate. They told me that they never contact anybody via email.

I cross check all unsolicited calls or texts and report any spam (and unsolicited calls/texts ) to OFCOM and or my mobile carrier.

It is so easy to check potential fraud online.