Just a little warning

Thought I'd write a blog for a change (shock horror I know!) after getting a few strange phone calls today and thought I'd warn everyone just in case.

This afternoon Julie got an answer machine message on her mobile saying:

"This is a message for Mr James Buckingham from your Bank. Could you please give us a call on (0845) 8501167 urgently please. This is not a sales or marketing call"

Well firstly why are you phoning my wife's mobile number? I don't remember ever giving that number instead of mine for anything and secondly "Your bank???" come on how stupid do you think I am!!!

They then phoned my house and left the same message.

This number doesn't appear on any of my bank's websites but I thought I'd follow it up with a phone call to the Bank of Scotland. Shock horror they've not heard of it and have said that they wouldn't leave a message on an answer phone because anybody could pick it up let alone say this is "Your bank".

Worrying though how whoever this is has got Julie's mobile number and our house number for somewhere.

Hopefully the search engines will pick this up as well but just a message to "Mr George Agdgdgwngo" out there...go and phone some other mug

James

*UPDATE 05/09*: Thought I'd add that I found this online as well: http://www.talkaudio.co.uk/vbb/archive/index.php/t-144344.html. Looks like they're trying a variety of techniques.

---

*UPDATE 13/09*:Well after the incident at the restaurant yesterday I decided to go down the bank today and find out what's going on. Well it looks like someone did try to use my card after all. They were trying to pay for a subscription to iTunes in America. So that number above is the Bank of Scotland or at least a company that works on behalf of the BOS.

It's awful that they phone up and actually say "The bank" and after confirming the details they did have my wifes number. God knows from where! They actually phoned again tonight as well which I'm assuming is because of me trying to use the card in the restaurant.

I'm getting a new card and card number sent to me in the next 7 days but in the meantime I thought I'd let you know that the number above (although not advertised anyway) is the BOS Retail Fraud department and not fake after all!