The fake bailiff scam

[Retro]

These scammers rely on creating a great deal of fear to con people out of their money to the tune of thousands of pounds. It's perhaps just a bit better than the romance scam in terms of scuminess. Don't fall for it and just rudely tell them to fuck off should you get such a phone call.

A man has described how criminals pretending to be bailiffs almost tricked him into paying thousands of pounds to settle a fictitious debt as part of an elaborate scam.

In what has been reported as a growing problem, people are phoned up and told bailiffs are on the way to their home to remove their possessions and that the only way to call them off is to settle the debt with a local court.

A convincing fake of the court's phone service then tries to take payment with the criminals hoping the panic of the approaching bailiffs will persuade them to part with their cash.

Scams: 'Fake bailiffs said they'd take my furniture'

Criminals pretending to be bailiffs are tricking people into paying thousands of pounds to settle fictitious debts.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Mars]

These scammers rely on creating a great deal of fear to con people out of their money to the tune of thousands of pounds. It's perhaps just a bit better than the romance scam in terms of scuminess. Don't fall for it and just rudely tell them to fuck off should you get such a phone call.

Scams: 'Fake bailiffs said they'd take my furniture'

Criminals pretending to be bailiffs are tricking people into paying thousands of pounds to settle fictitious debts.

www.bbc.co.uk

I don't understand how, after all the warning we hear, people still fall for scammers; and it is not only the elderly, the 'young ones' do as well.
I guess it is the kind of environment we live in; too much reliance on gadgets, anonymous, faceless voices; no wonder people tend to mistake the phony for real. Sad.