OUTSIDE LINE SCAM

Another similar kind of fraud but different only the way it was being done.

An employee of a corporation was called by a telephone company. This corporation had many telephone lines connecting to each of their department. A technician of the telephone company called someone in that corporation that they are conducting line testing to inter-connectivity adjustment they are making as part of their monthly service to client members. He asked the employee of the corporation to dial 6 numbers as dictated and then hang-up. The purpose is to test the performance of their main switchboard. The said employee did what she was told. The action of dialing gives the caller instant access to an outside line making it an operator-assisted call for the purpose of charging the call to the corporation being called.

Such mistake put the corporation in a difficult situation to settle the bill charges without delay as not to hamper their normal operation. Although the amount they paid is only minimal but such experience put their company in a risk position for another scam. The company immediately done a precautionary measures to avoid repetition of the same error.i

What you can do to avoid them?

-If someone called you introducing himself as an employee of your telephone carrier and requested you to dial a number not known to you, never allow and don't heed their instruction.

-Questioned him why asking an outline just to make a line test. Ask his name, his number and the number he used to call. If it is a fraud, he will not give his name or the number he used. If he give it to you, call you telephone carrier about the call you received, the name of the person if is an employee to their telephone company. Ask them if there is a line testing made by their men in the field. Don't delay. Investigate immediately.