Magic Finance - scammers, be warned.

[HeyWayne]

Just thought I'd post this as a warning to my fellow grapes - it seems that folk like these are being increasingly unscrupulous in these difficult times.

A few weeks ago we started receiving calls from a company called "Magic Finance" who were asking for someone who doesn't (and never has) lived at our address regarding a loan application they had received. We replied to the first few calls with, "no, sorry, I think you have a wrong number". As I said, the name they were giving wasn't of anyone who has lived at our house, but oddly the first name was the same as someone who has lived there. Then we received more calls, and the name changed to my first name, but again with a surname that we didn't recognise.

Alarm bells started to ring.

LadyWayne, working in banking, took the next call and requested that they confirm the postcode of the contact on their database was indeed the same as this property. She was informed it wasn't - so we ruled out identity fraud. She asked at that point if they would remove this number from their database as it was clearly a mistake in the telephone number.

Since then, we have received a few more calls and have repeatedly asked for them to remove the number.

They haven't as yet (several calls later).

So, I made a complaint via TPS as our number is registered, and on looking them up, it seems we're not the first to have heard of them:

Magic Finance - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

Magic Loans Secured Loan Reviews | Home Improvement Loans | Review Centre

Magic Finance Complaints, Reviews - Scam

Thankfully we are not in need of their services, but I know there are people out there who are finding things very difficult at the moment, so please be warned.

I have also reported them to trading standards, and the financial ombudsman.

I might email Ann Robinson next...

[buzzingtalk]

do it! This is a prime reason I have, and never will, have a landline number. the amount of junk mail and calls we get in this country is obscene, and I can't believe nothing is done about it.

[HeyWayne]

Granted it's been a number of calls, but it's by one unscrupulous company. We registered with TPS some years ago, and I can count the companies that have called us unsolicited on one hand.

The same can be said of mail - registered with the Mail Preference Service and we rarely get anything through the letterbox that isn't generated in some way by us.

TPS

Mail Preference Service

[its hilly]

Sounds like they were fishing for info so they could check you out and make a pitch to suit you. There are too many like this out there.
We are ex-directory, and registered with TPS but that didn't stop companies from phoning us. When I phoned BT to complain they pointed out that although we are ex-d it doesn't stop our number showing up when we call..say..the builders merchants. They log numbers and pass them on to other companies in their group, or others who ask for such lists.
The guy very nicely set us up so our phone number no longer shows on outgoing calls. I do this on my mobile when I make calls to shops and stuff like that, but never thought to see if my land-line was set for privacy. I just assumed that as we are ex-d it wouldn't show.

[Newton]

Thanks for the referral to mps TPS....registered for both......now looking forward to a more peaceful time

[Potstubsdustbins]

The other day I noticed a new member registering, forum name something like Loans-On-Line. It seemed a funny name for a gardening forum but I have seen no further activity.

Colin

[HeyWayne]

We are ex-directory, and registered with TPS but that didn't stop companies from phoning us. When I phoned BT to complain they pointed out that although we are ex-d it doesn't stop our number showing up when we call..say..the builders merchants. They log numbers and pass them on to other companies in their group, or others who ask for such lists.

I think they'll find that's illegal without your prior consent to do so:
Processing personal data for specified purposes (Principle 2)

[arpoet]

How i deal with the odd Junk call that gets through is to not speak, or listen (our lass says i'm good at that) and put the phone next to the tv speaker for a few mins with the connection open... i sure p****s them off.
another tip i was given is the press # and * repeatedly several times and that screws their computer dialing up..

[hamamelis]

At my parent's work, we had a spate of calls from a phone company, who would not take 'we are not interested' as an answer.

After 2 weeks, my Dad told the whole staff to answer them by saying 'Sorry, we don't have a telephone here', then hanging up.

They quit calling.

I live in a rental flat, which has had a lot of previous tenants, some of whom are being chased for money, so we get a lot of calls for them (one did a moonlight flit apparently, so he has a lot of companies chasing him)- lately, I've been getting a few calls asking if I'm 'Miss Wright'- and I'm really fighting the temptation to answer 'I might be, who's asking?'
I know it wouldn't help though...

[alex-adam]

Hi Hey, Thank you for this post. To all members PLEASE make your older relatives and friends aware of these scam calls. I think that older folk are to polite to just tell the caller to P*** **F so are drawn into conversation and may fall for the smooth talk.

Do tell eveyone you know to register with TPS (telephone Preference) - it won't stop all cold calls, but certaily thin them down a bit.

You may respond to my post here, but please don't phone me as you could be offended !!!!!!!!!!

a-a-

[buzzingtalk]

Best one was at my mums old house (council, tower block) we had these idiots keep calling about windows. One day I decided to go the whole hog, listen to the spiel, and say 'oh yes, some blah blah blah would make a lovely feature out of the fetching london skyline...how many windows on my property, that would be 46...etc" you could hear the man dribbling down the phone and dreaming of the commission. he then asked a few more questions, 'yes thats (address), yes its a council flat...no i don't own it, oh sorry i got it wrong! tell you what, next time, don't f££££g bother calling a council flat!'

never rang back.

[HeyWayne]

Best one was at my mums old house (council, tower block) we had these idiots keep calling about windows. One day I decided to go the whole hog, listen to the spiel, and say 'oh yes, some blah blah blah would make a lovely feature out of the fetching london skyline...how many windows on my property, that would be 46...etc" you could hear the man dribbling down the phone and dreaming of the commission. he then asked a few more questions, 'yes thats (address), yes its a council flat...no i don't own it, oh sorry i got it wrong! tell you what, next time, don't f££££g bother calling a council flat!'

never rang back.

Could have cut it short.

"I'm an Apple man."

[salome2001]

.. and then you could mention the "I'm calling from Microsoft and we have registered an error message from your computer" people. They are malicious. After getting three calls in 15 minutes I finally answered the phone with "Hello, it's Mr Scam calling again" and the b******d called repeatedly for the next 45 minutes until I left the phone off the hook.

[salome2001]

(btw, a friend (computer geek) suggested three ways to get rid of these guys:
1. "I have an Apple"
2. "I don't have a computer"
3. listen for about 60 seconds then stage whisper "How long did you say I had to keep this guy on the line to trace the call?"

[Glutton4...]

We don't have a land-line - sooooo much easier!