Halton Borough Council has issued a warning after an elderly Runcorn resident who uses the Lifeline personal alarm system received a call yesterday from somebody pretending to be from Lifeline.
The caller said that the man’s monthly payment was due and he would be calling round to collect it from him.
Fortunately the gentleman decided to check with Lifeline who told him that the call had nothing to do with them and that they don’t collect payment in this way.
If you receive a call like this it is a scam. Put the phone down and don’t open the door to anybody that you don’t recognise.
Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Trading Standards, Cllr Dave Cargill, said: “If you receive any calls offering to fix a problem that you didn’t know you had, or somebody claiming they are from your bank or an official organisation, don’t give the caller any details.
“Explain that on the advice of Trading Standards you need to check first that the call is genuine and then put the phone down. Wait for 5 minutes and then contact the company they claim to be from on the usual number you have for them, DO NOT USE any numbers that the caller has given you. ”
If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a scam please contact one of our specialist officers, Linda or Sue on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775, who are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams.
If you need advice on anything else please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or 03454 04 05 06.