Fraud: Phone Scammers Debate

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Department: Home Office

Fraud: Phone Scammers

Baroness Sharples Excerpts
Thursday 4th December 2014

(9 years, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Bates Portrait Lord Bates
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I apologise on behalf of the Government that the noble Lord has not received his cheque yet. It may be in the post, as they say. In terms of what the Government are doing on this very serious issue, which has received publicity in the run-up to Christmas, when some 75% of people will undertake online sales, it is very important that people think of their own security. In preparing for this Question, I was thinking that the system is very complex and difficult to remember—but it is incredible, the audacity of people ringing up and asking for PIN numbers. Amazingly, people actually do give them. Part of it is law enforcement, but another aspect is having a bit of common sense in dealing with our security.

Baroness Sharples Portrait Baroness Sharples (Con)
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Would my noble friend agree that on television virtually every day there is a warning that you should never give out your PIN number or your account number?

Lord Bates Portrait Lord Bates
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My noble friend is absolutely right. It is a fact that your bank, the Government and the police will never ask you to reveal your PIN number or your online password, and that message needs to get out to people.