Snail mail spam

[devonwoody]

Got an official looking letter and pamphlet from these people.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/about

Asking me to accept an appointment to complete a survey, intimating that they are a government information collection statistics bureaux.

Other web addresses I have located.

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/default.asp

Personally I think it is questionable and they are commercial.

Anyone here any knowledge of this outfit or is it really the M.I 6.?

 

[StevieB]

Well if the first question is 'what is your credit card PIN number' then we can assume that as you suggested in your previous post, they are indeed out to get you

Steve

 

[BradNaylor]

I imagine it would be difficult for a spammer to aquire a .gov.uk domain name.


I hope it would be impossible!

 

[Smudger]

It looks kosher to me. Try Googling the addresses, there are no warning flags. As Brad says, it would be quite difficult to set yourself up as uk.gov. All the links I have looked at work, which would be pretty elaborate for a scam, which is not to say that someone couldn't link to the real government agency.
The ONS isn't some 'outfit' it's the whole government statistical branch!

But if you are concerned, say no.

 

[RogerS]

Nothing like a good dose of paranoia first thing in the morning.

Very easy to check if it's kosher.

Here's the WhoIs entry

Domain:
ons.gov.uk

Registered For:
Office for National Statistics

Domain Owner:
Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Registered By:
British Telecom

Servers:
ns0.bt.net
ns1.bt.net
ns2.bt.net

Registrant Contact:
Alan Risely

Registrant Address:
Room D.165
Government Buildings
Cardiff Road
Newport
NP10 8XG
United Kingdom
+44 1633 455557 (Phone)


Renewal date:
Friday 1st Jan 2010

Entry updated:
Friday 23rd October 2009

Entry created:
Monday 17th November 2003

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks above, I think it was a wording in the snail mail that alerts me.

"we are not able to substitute your participation because this would invalidate the random selection process"

So if I disappear from the scene you know what happened to me. :wink:

 

[RogerS]

I just checked, dw, and you're still on the 'Special Watch List'.

 

[devonwoody]

I just checked, dw, and you're still on the 'Special Watch List'.

Roger, I'm not surprised some of the calls and places I have been in my time. :wink: