Fraudsters posing as ISP representatives have been contacting broadband users and accusing them of illegal filesharing in an attempt to extract cash and personal information.
The latest ISP crackdown on illegal filesharing has provided opportunistic criminals with yet another means of defrauding the public.
Fraudsters, posing as representatives of internet service providers, have been cold calling individuals at home and accusing them of downloading music illegally. They then attempt to extract personal information and funds from the individual and threaten them with court action if they do not comply.
ADSL provider UKFSN have been the first ISP to go on record and warn homeowners about this new channel of exploitation. They have experience of the scam first hand as a member of their support team this week received a distressed call from a customers who had been contacted by the fraudsters.
Posting on The Register forums Jason Clifford from UKFSN warned:
"I've just had a phone call from one of our customers in which he told me that he has received a phone call from someone claiming to that he had been illegally downloading music from the Internet.
"Fortunately my customer didn't trust the caller and refused to reveal any information about himself or his internet connection.
"In case anyone else received such a call please be aware that nobody is able to obtain your phone number from your internet usage (unless you post it!) so any such call is certain to be a scam of some kind."
While the magnitude of this emerging fraud is not yet know, its occurrence has not come as a great surprise to those in the broadband industry.
Even since Topware International won their landmark £16,000 court case against a broadband user who had illegally shared copies of their Dream Pinball 3D game online, many have been waiting for reports of this attempted exploitation to surface.
The issue lies with the fact that Davenport Lyons, the lawyers that represented Topware International in the much publicised court case, made it public knowledge that they were going to pursue 25,000 other internet users who they suspected of illegal file sharing.
After publically announcing to the media that those found to be in breech of copyright would be required to pay a £300 settlement fee to avoid being taken to court, the law firm opened the flood gates and gave scammers their window of opportunity.
While both Davenport Lyons and ISPs contact anyone found to be in violoation of movie, film or game copyright via post, the scammers took the initiative to contact innocent members of the public by phone instead.
In an attempt to curtail the deception UKFSN have warned:
"Do not, under any circumstances, reveal any information about yourself or your internet connection to anyone who calls you with a similar story.
"If Enta or your reseller need to contact you they should be able to verify themselves to you. Never respond to any request for you to verify who you are to a cold caller."
Compare broadband packages via money.co.uk
