Urgent Help Needed On Bogus Callers Saying They're My Site

6 replies
Hello Everyone,

I'm at my wits end - I run an ethical and reliable financial services site in the UK of which the domain is creditsolutions4all.co.uk.

I had some trouble a few years back with a company working off the domain creditsolutions4all.com and people used to telephone me complaining, thinking I was the .com too - that domain came available just recently and I was able to buy it up to put a stop to that problem.

Now, a new problem has developed - people who fill in multiple forms for unsecured loans online and even people who have not filled in a form, here in the UK are getting calls saying they've been accepted for an unsecured loan.

Trouble is, the foreign sounding caller says they are from creditsolutions4all.co.uk and tell the recipient to visit my site to check it out and see it is real etc ...

They are told the money offered is some government backed scheme.

This is not us at all - we never make calls like this and the services we promote (as we're affiliates) do NOT charge upfront fee's for unsecured loans.

The person being called is then asked to pay money via U Kash or something like that - they are then told to ring the number 0203 455 4199 to say the money has been paid.

Then they get either no answer or they are told the loan doesn't exist.

People then find out site online whilst either researching Credit Solutions and come to us - telephone us ... etc ... the whole saga goes on.

Now what I'm concerned about (worried sick to be frank) is that this is giving my site a TERRIBLE name and reputation which is unwarranted.

Can anyone help me or advise me on what I should do.

Any help much appreciated.

I'm a one man band working purely as an online affiliate.

Thanks
Jane
#bogus #callers #needed #site #urgent
  • Profile picture of the author Sire
    It's obviously someone running a scam and they're using your site to con people into believing they are legitimate.

    I would post a disclaimer on your site saying that you would never contact someone in such a fashion and that they should disregard any such emails.

    Also there should be someone over there in the UK where you can report this site, some sort of consumer affairs group. I'm sure you have one as we've got one way Down Under
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  • Profile picture of the author Karen Barr
    Hi Jane,

    Have you contacted your local Trading Standards office to see what advice they offer? I would make that my first port of call. I'd also consider putting in a call to the FSA (who I assume you're regulated by) - this may well be a problem that other lenders are also experiencing and have reported, and there's always strength in numbers.

    Have you encouraged your "customers" to contact the police to report a fraud? If you're not confident that any of them have done so, start capturing names and details and pass them on to the police.

    Definitely publish a disclaimer on your site, and if you have an email list, send an email to your list warning them of the situation.

    If you have a call centre, then I'd put a message on the IVR as well to try to avoid irate callers wasting your agents' time. If you don't have an IVR, consider getting one purely to deal with this problem.

    You could also consider contacting the Martin Lewis site Moneysavingexpert.com - if they could do a little piece on this scam it would give you a great link to send people to if they then are complaining at you. Also consider contacting Watchdog, they might well pick it up.

    This is obviously a major problem for your site but also for the consumers who are being taken in. If you can position yourself as trying to put a stop to it, even though it's nothing to do with you, you could actually turn the situation to your advantage.
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  • Profile picture of the author saxatwork
    Yes, that sux. What I can suggest is probably you can put a running marquee text on your website for people who visit your website for the first time - just to let them know that "if you have been led here asking to make a payment upfront, it's not us. Click for more info" kind of thing so that visitors get the idea. I just saw your website, maybe you can put a running red text right below that green navigation band below the header. And, invite them to submit their queries through an online form on your site so that you can deal with them directly.

    Maybe when it's put there for sometime, the scammer will get the idea and would have no way but to stop.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mar
      Hi - I would agree that you should contact Trading Standards, the FSA and also the Police.

      I would also modify your home page to make it clear that you have no association with the telephone number, will never make a call and you regard privacy and security issues as paramount .....

      However, something you said also worries me -
      people who fill in multiple forms for unsecured loans online and even people who have not filled in a form, here in the UK are getting calls saying they've been accepted for an unsecured loan.
      I think you should also contact your affiliate programme company(s) because if people have already filled in a form and their details have been acquired by a hacker/scammer, then there is a security issue with the form(s). I do realise that there may be a numbers issue with the cold calls - make enough cold calls and you'll no doubt come across someone who has applied via your site for a loan - however, my feeling is that there might be more to it than that.

      Someone must have bought the 0203 number - and that "ought" to be traceable back to a credit card or genuine person - also, it may be that the number is forwarded to a mobile - so that might also be trackable .... I don't quite know who should be told about this but it's another line of attack.

      I hope you get this sorted out ok.

      Best
      Mar

      ... are there UK government backed loan schemes for people??
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  • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
    My guess is that people doing this scam are not based in the UK. Telling the FSA, Police or Trading Standards will be pointless - they won't be interested.
    (I run an anti-scam blog and have twice got scammers to the point where they have sent me their, alleged, payment details. The Police, Action Fraud and even Visa are not interested.)

    Right across the top of your site you need to add bold, large words saying that you NEVER phone anyone. You do not employ anyone with a non-English accent and that anyone who receives such a call is being called by a scammer.

    Say that the only legitimate way to receive a loan from your site is to visit the lenders site directly. Even add a page called "safety centre" and explain to people how to tell if the link they clicked on has taken them to a legitimate page.

    Be totally up front and bold about informing visitors about these scammers. Your legitimate users, and potential victims, will appreciate it.

    PS - if you like, I could add something to my anti-scam blog. PM me if you're interested.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jane Newman
      Hello Everyone,

      A very BIG and massive thank you for all your help and comments.

      Just reporting in to inform everyone of what has happened this morning - more telephone and e-mail complaints for one.

      I then left my desk to visit my local Trading Standards and I was told they'd moved but the Council Offices on Chester Street in Wrexham placed a call to Trading Standards for me.

      I spoke with Trading Standards and I came out of it feeling that they were not interested - as I was not financially hit and the scam was not against me, they didn't feel they could take things up for me.

      I then visited Wrexham Police Station and they too felt there was nothing they could do.

      As I'm an affiliate only and do not offer financial advise etc ... I am not registered with the FSA but the products and services I market on my site are registered with them.

      I'm just about to add a bold notice of some kind to the front page so if anyone has any advice on how to word it, it would be greatly appreciated.

      I know I have to make it bold and really inform visitors that there is a scam where my site is being used to promote it but I don't want to frighten my valued visitors away either.

      Really feeling at my wits end.

      Thanks everyone.

      Jane
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      Jane Newman.co.uk
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