ShoutingInDigital

118 got your money!

Posted by James | Filed under branding, news

Every week our newspapers, radio shows and consumer watchdogs warn us of the latest scams to be aware of. Combined with the looming credit crunch, consumers are becoming even more cautious with their cash and it seems 89 of us definitely don’t believe there’s any such a thing as a free lunch.

This is a finding that nearly a third of all those who were unknowingly entered into the 118 directory enquiries prize draw rejected the £118 prize for fear that it was a scam. In a desperate effort to actually give people their winnings, 118 have posted the winners on their website and ‘warned’ people that they will be giving away more money next month.

The story follows the revelation that we Britons are being constantly harassed by scamsters and prank callers all looking to take our money and waste our time. Research group MORI recently revealed that a staggering 70% of British residents have been subject to a phone scam at least once in their life. These figures do not take into account the 1.5 million malicious calls and 1.5 billion silent calls that occur in these isles every year. It is statistics like these that have spurred ex-telemarketers Steve Smith and John Price to develop the scam-resistant Truecall device.

The Truecall device interprets phone calls, only allowing phone numbers from pre-saved ’safe’ numbers to ring through. Unknown phone numbers or numbers which have been blacklisted are directed to an answering service, meaning the phone never rings and the owner won’t need to be harassed by unwanted phone calls.

Users can add ’safe’ numbers to the true call device at any time ensuring relatives or friends can still get through. Inventors Price and Smith also have plans to link the device onto a national network via the internet which will create a central hub where the device can update itself with all of the latest blacklisted numbers.

Although the 118 prize draw was a genuine competition, the statistics suggest there are far more scams than genuine competitions. While a phone-barring device may not be necessary for everyone, a little discretion goes a long way. In any situation simply remember the old adage; “if something is too good to be true, it probably is”.

Tags: ethics