TRADERS in Stockton are being warned to watch out for a premium rate fax scam being used in the area.
A bogus customer telephones the business and asks to have specific information faxed to them, claiming they are from out of the area.
However, the fax number is a premium rate line and any trader who faxes the information faces a charge of around £1.50 per minute.
Stockton trading standards service was alerted after the scam was attempted on one business in the town, which could have faced a bill of £20 if the information had been faxed.
David Kitching, Stockton trading standards and licensing manager, said: "Anyone who receives a request to fax information must check the number does not begin with 090 as this is likely to be a premium rate number."
Anyone who does receive a request of this nature should contact trading standards or report the incident directly to the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Services free on 0800 500212.
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