New scam for agents doing the rounds...

11 December 2009

4677 Reads
5 Comments

Written by rosalind renshaw

Agents are warned to be on their guard for emails asking them to telephone the sender. The number is described as being for a mobile phone, but is in fact a premium rate line.

The following letter, complete with grammar errors and an unlikely surname, was received by the ever-alert Trevor Kent:

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am looking to either purchase or rent a property. My budget is £330,000 if i am buying or around £1,000 a month if i am renting. Ideally i would like a 3-4 bedroom house with a garage (but not essential).
I’m looking to move into the area so im hoping that someone could arrange an appointment with me to view available properties. If you could please contact me by phone later this afternoon or tomorrow with regards to my requirements that would be much appreciated.
You can contact me on my mobile 07024057802.

Thanks

Bob Jonson

https://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:3Er2LaKaktgJ:whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/07024057802+07024057802&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Comments

- Anna Key
Ha, the one we got said they were looking for a new letting agent to manage their portfolio of 45 properties. Unfortunately for them, by extreme co-incidence, they gave an address of a letting agent down the road which was nonsense.

We get loads of these 070s, not had the parcel delivery con yet but I'd probably have fallen for that so thanks for the tip off Ace of Spades!
- 11 December 2009 12:27 PM
- AceofSpades
There's a similar scam at the moment where you receive a "sorry you were out" card for a 'missed devliery' through your letter box. It suggests you call to re-arrange delivery, but the number will charge you £20 as soon as your call connects, even if it just for one second. Probably similar charges here. If it was a £1 per minute, the caller 'should' realise its a dud call within the first minute and hang up, therefore £1 a time isn't much for these crooks...they'll hit hard!
- 11 December 2009 10:56 AM
- Lee Richardson
The Digital Property Group's spam filters have been programmed to pickup emails with 070 numbers for a couple of years now, precisely because of these scams.

Any number that begins with 070, 4470, +4470, etc will be stopped in its tracks until it has been checked by a team member.

That said though, there are some legitimate 070 numbers. The 'dodgy' ones will likely put you on hold or through a labyrinthine menu system, so if that's what you get that's likely the best time to hang up and email them instead.
- 11 December 2009 10:33 AM
- Brian
How long b4 some dim wit blames rightmove?? You blame them for everything else!!!
- 11 December 2009 10:14 AM
- Zingbat
I wouldn't say 'Bob Johnson' is an unlikely name but we had a similar message from 'Harry Smith-Jones'. We'll just have to wait and see how expensive the calls turn out to be!
- 11 December 2009 09:40 AM

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