potential scam ... VOA housing letter...??

[joko]

had a letter apparently from this company, saying they want to view my home to assess my housing benefit...

i suspect its a scam...

the company is a real company but i believe this letter is a fake copy - for a number of reasons -

name is all pixelated and spelt with one missing capital letter - and no logo

the phone number is an 0845 one - which is not the same as the one listed online for the main switchboard or for the durham office - nor is the fax number

it has come from durham - which is miles away from me and after a check online is not even covered by my local authority...my town has their own VOA office

the address on it misses out the flat number - something the housing never misses

it has no signature

the wording, although not too bad, just doesnt ring true to me.

they have written our ref and your ref and given 2 ref numbers - surely my ref number is for me to choose as its for my files?

its describes across the bottom 'territory manager' and 'north territory'...these words do not feature once on the website and the names dont either

i have never heard british areas describes as territories...i maybe wrong though, but again something didnt seem right about that

there is no other business details such as there are on other business letter

the case number does not match my number from the housing either

flat has been checked before


i suspect the idea is that i ring the premium rate number - in fear of having my benefits stopped and get kept waiting for ages racking up a bill

or they are allowed into my home - in order to check it out and steal from me.

they know durham is of course too far for me to go down in person...

any one else heard of this?

am i right?

[bednobs]

dunno, but whe i learnt typing "our ref" was usually the initials of the typist

[boxtops]

There's an 0845 number on here which is local rate - why don't you ring them and ask if they have written to you? http://www.voa.gov.uk/housing_benefit/

You'll know then whether to throw it in the bin, or to call the police if people try to come calling!

[woofgang]

Can I suggest that you phone your benefit office and talk to them? Like you I think it's a scam and the benefit office should know about it in case someone more vulnerable than you gets such a letter

[boxtops]

agree with bednobs, "our ref" is also the case number, which (I would have thought) should have been the same as the number under which you are currently receiving housing benefit.

[Hopkirk]

Google the 0845 number, and see who it might be. It sometimes works.

[joko]

they have a case number
some other code number
an our ref num
and a your ref num

the bit that says 'your ref' is usually left blank because is for me to organise the letter in my files isnt it? in a system i have, not them

i will tell the housing i think

[boxtops]

The bit that says "your ref" would only be filled in if you have already written to them and given them your own ref (as you say, for your own filing).

[theshedman]

What I do with these phone numbers now as I get free calls except these 0845-70 ones is go to "saynoto0870" on-line, put in the name of the company and their phone number and it often comes up with the normal land line number, then I call that one free of charge. I think the same as the others that it is probably a scam as if it was about your benefits it would come from your local authority or DHSS. If in doubt call one of these two.

[squarebear]

Did it refer to you by name or to a generic, "Dear occupant" address?

[joko]

ill try that...no it had my name on it...but i suppose they could get that anywhere

at the moment i actually am on housing benefit....though whether they know this or it was a fluke i dont know...