News

  Gentlemen
 
Thank you to all of you who responded sending your selection for a new motto for the Halton Paver.
 
The clear winner is "Skills for life".
 
Your committee thought the reasoning sent in by Malcolm Taylor was exactly right.
 
"No matter what profession or undertaking we embarked on post Halton, at some time we called upon the skills we learned in our Apprentice days. In that I am including many factors besides the obvious trade skills".
 
Geoff Munge will arrange with the Halton office to get the Paver engraved.
 
Yours
Geoff P...

 From: Peter Cuningham:
  The new telephone 'scam' has arrived.

  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 re-connect at a later date. The guy 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 the guy's name - the very
  'English' John Peacock with a very 'African' accent - & phone number - 0800 0800 152. Obviously the fella realized 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. 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.
  I dialled 1471 & phoned his fictitious 0800 number that was not recognised. I then phoned the police to let them know. Apparently I wasn't the first! It's only just started but it is escalating.

  Their advice was to let as many people know by word of mouth of this scam. The fact that the phone does go off would probably convince some people it's real, so please let as many
  friends & family aware of this.

  This is good but not that clever. He gave the wrong number - it should have been 0800 800152 which takes you through to BT Business. The cutting off of the line is very simple , he stays
  on the line with the mute button on and you can't dial out - but he can hear you trying. (This is because the person who initiates a call is the one to terminate it). When you stop trying he
  cuts off and immediately calls back. You could almost be convinced! The sad thing is that it is so simple that it will certainly fool the elderly and vulnerable. Obviously, if this scam is real,
  once they have your credit/debit card details, there is nothing to stop them cleaning out your account.

  17 Sept 2009