This article is from page 27 of the 2011-06-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 27 JPG
AN POST customers are asked to be on their guard against a new scam email, after Clare businesses were targeted.
The mail contains the subject line “RE: Information TV License #12488340238” and claims to come from service@tvlicence.ie. The email offers a refund of € 58.00 on an overpayment for a TV Licence.
Confirming that they have had complaints from “mostly business customers” a spokeswoman for An Post said that anyone getting the mail should delete it and under no circumstances click on the accompanying link.
“Anyone who provided personal information in response to these hoax emails should contact their bank or credit card company immediately,” she added.
John Halloran, from Westbury, who runs his own web-design company was one of the businesses who received the email.
“It was offering me a refund on my TV licence fee and I smelled a rat straight away because my wife is the one who always looks after renewing the TV licence and the mail cam to my business email. But I might have been drawn into it, at least to a certain point otherwise. I can see how people go along with it, thinking that if it comes from An Post, then it must be genuine. In fact I got a call from a customer of mine asking did I think she should reply and I told her no way. That’s why I contacted you, [ The Clare People ] in case anyone else is fooled.”
It’s understood that a number of businesses were targetted.
“An Post TV Licence never send emails which require customers to send personal information via email or pop-up windows. This was not a particularly sophisticated scam but if these people get even a tiny percentage of the people they contact to cooperate, then they have made money and it costs them nothing to email people,” the spokeswoman said.
She added that customer should also be on the alert about mails which inform customers that they have won a prize.
“These mails are just about legal. If you ring the number, you’ll be on hold at a premium rate for 20 or 30 minutes. If you persist and claim the prize, then there will be something like a book or a magazine. But we have to deliver these letters because they are paid for an mailed legally.”