TalkTalk customers hit by scammers

Scammers pretending to be calling from phone provider TalkTalk are conning customers out of thousands of pounds.

In one case, they were prepared to spend hours on the phone to convince their victim, Paul Hirst, to hand over his bank details.

Mr Hirst, 58, told the Huddersfield Daily Examiner that the conmen claimed to be calling about the poor service he'd been experiencing with his phone and broadband service.

Promising him a £200 refund, they persuaded him to hand over his bank details.

"The caller told me he was ringing from TalkTalk and knew my name and number. He said there were serious problems with the phone line and broadband and he needed to do checks to clear out any bugs or viruses," says Mr Hirst.

"He kept me on the phone for ages, supposedly checking lots of things, and then offered me compensation for taking up so much time. When he said he wanted to transfer £200 into my account I gave him the details. I feel so stupid but he was so clever."

In another case, elderly Kent couple Barbara and Harold Manley lost £8,700 in a similar scam.

Following a major hack last year, TalkTalk customers have been warned to be particularly on their guard. The personal information of 157,000 customers was hacked, along with 15,600 bank account numbers.

But, says TalkTalk, it will never ask for a full password or bank details - TalkTalk customers will already be registered on the system.

Always be wary, says the company, of unsolicited links or attachments prompting you to download software directly onto your computer or mobile device.

"If there is software we would like you to install as part of a service you have subscribed to, you will always be able to find information and download links on the TalkTalk website," it says.

Another warning sign is a request to switch off your mobile phone or remain on your landline for a long period of time, something scammers do to stop your bank calling you to verify a transaction.

If the government gets its way, such scams could become even more plausible, as the draft Investigatory Powers Bill sees broadband providers required to keep detailed records of their customer's activity online.

If that data were to get into scammers' hands - which it probably will - it could give them a wealth of information with which to fool the unwary.