I have recently received the following note circulated by Hampshire Constabulary.

There are many scams where companies will ring mobiles for up to two rings leaving a missed call on your phone. If you dial the number to find out who it is you may well get an answer phone message which will cost you anything up to about £10.

One of the latest companies doing this is one called management15, the answerphone states they are MI5.

If you are not sure who the call is from do not ring it back especially 0800 numbers.

And another issued by trading standards

“I received a call from a ‘representative’ of BT, informing me that he was disconnecting me because of an unpaid bill. He demanded payment immediately of £31.00 , or it would be £ 118.00 to reconnect at a later date.

The caller wasn’t even fazed when I told him I was with Virgin Media, allegedly VM have to pay BT a percentage for line rental!

I asked his name – the very ‘English’ John Peacock with a very ‘African’ accent – & phone number – 0800 0800 152. (this could change of course).

Obviously he realised I wasn’t believing his story, so offered to demonstrate that he was from BT. I asked how & he told me to hang up & try phoning someone – he would disconnect my phone to prevent this.

AND HE DID!! My phone was dead – no engaged tone, nothing – until he phoned me again. I think they keep their phone off the hook

Very pleased with himself, he asked if that was enough proof that he was with BT. I asked how the payment was to be made & he said credit card, there & then.

I said that I didn’t know how he’d done it, but I had absolutely no intention of paying him, I didn’t believe his name or that he worked for BT.

He hung up.”

Please be very cautious when speaking on the telephone.  You have no guarantee they are who they say they are.  If you are left anxious after a call, use one of your own bills to obtain the telephone number of the organisation and ring them to ask if they made have tried to make contact with you.