Lagan Valley Alliance Chair Stephen Martin has called on the public to be increasingly vigilant concerning telephone scams.
Stephen Martin stated: “We have had a number of complaints from local residents regarding telephone scams attempting to take advantages of people in the Lisburn area.
“Residents must be vigilant against these scams. I have been particularly alarmed at several reports of a company asking unsuspecting residents to turn their computers on to check for viruses only to attempt to gain remote access to it. We are aware of one such situation where a senior citizen was very nearly taken advantage of before a visiting family member stepped in to end the conversation.
“The advice to the public is that you should not respond to a telephone call that asks you to do something such as to call a premium rate number or to send a cheque. While most of us will catch on, there will be those who will be taken advantage of. As a community, we need to ensure that all sensible steps are taken to safeguard against fraudsters. If a company is calling to insist that there is a problem with anything in your home, they can take the time and write you a letter. Never agree to anything over the phone unless you have already seen what the situation is in writing and understand the details of what is being offered.”
ENDS