Sparks Fraud- Warning about Phone Scams

What you need to know

Scammers have been calling our customers and pretending to be from Spark, in an attempt to gain personal details and then scam money from our customers.

The most important thing to know is Spark will never call you out of the blue and ask for personal details like bank account, credit card, or internet banking details.

How to recognize a scam

The scams follow a few different patterns, but the most common story we hear is scammers call claiming to be from Spark’s technical team and say your computer has issues and unless you sort it out over the phone you will be disconnected for weeks or even months. They may ask you to:

• Turn on the computer and look through the computer’s logs
• Go to a webpage (such as Team Viewer) and download remote access software
• Give credit card information or an international money transfer so they can charge you for the phoney services
• They might put a password your computer and refuse to remove it until you pay them.
• If you think you’ve received a scam call and want to let us know about your experience, you can email us at [email protected] or fill out the form below.  We monitor the details you provide us in your emails and use them to block scammers where we can, or if appropriate share them with the Police.

What if I already gave my information to a scammer?

• If you have shared bank details, call your bank immediately to let them know.
• If you have shared any other details, make sure you change passwords for your computer, email, or social media accounts.
• If you’ve done anything on your computer at their request, then you should immediately disconnect your computer from the internet.

How to avoid being scammed

Be very cautious about providing personal details, particularly banking or credit card details, to someone who has called you out of the blue. If you have concerns about the call’s legitimacy or if you feel uncomfortable, hang up. Some other helpful tips for keeping yourself safe are:

• Make sure to keep your software and anti-virus programmes up to date.
• Don’t use the same password for your online banking, email, and social media accounts.
• Change your passwords regularly and don’t go back to old passwords –always set up and use a new one.
• Look out for your friends and family and please spread the word and share ways to keep safe.

How can I report my experience to Spark?

REPORT IT ONLINE                   

REPORT IT BY EMAIL