A friend confided in me that he has been getting almost daily calls to his mobile number telling him that he has an account with clothing retailer with an outstanding balance.
The caller asks him to "go through security" and as friend does remember receiving a leaflet/very small brochure from the clothing company he is concerned but also sensible enough to not be happy to provide the security question information that will be asked so stalemate ensues with caller stating "we will have to take this further" as you refuse to co-operate.
Friend is concerned re identity fraud but will obviously can't risk giving his details as a security check as it appears that all the caller has at present is his name and mobile phone number.
He used 141 to hide his number and has rung back the caller's landline number. He was in a holding system which did not mention the name of the company at all but told him his call was important and would be answered shortly but gave up after 10 minutes. Sometimes the calls come from a mobile number but he says he hasn't rung that one.
I've advised him to tell the caller(s) to put it in writing and if they ask for an address, to tell them that an account can't have been set up if they have no address and that if goods have been ordered on-line they must have a delivery address so they can use that to put it in writing and then to mention referring this to the police if the calls keep coming.
Playing amateur detective here a little but does it sound like fraud ? Would the police be interested ? How did these people get his name and mobile number to start with. Does the previous receipt/arrival of the clothing leaflet in the name of the people referred to in the call have any bearing on the matter ? (He thinks he threw it away).
Has anyone come across anything like this before