Chess issues fraud warning to channel
Chess claims phone calls purportedly from Zoom Telecom are demanding payment from customers over the phone
Comms reseller Chess Telecom has warned customers of fraudulent attempts to obtain payment from people claiming to work for an outfit calling itself Zoom Telecom.
In posts on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Chess said that some of its customers have received phone calls threatening to cut off their services if they do not make a payment over the phone.
The Chess post on Facebook said: "Our customers have been contacted via telephone by somebody who identified themselves as calling from Zoom Telecom. Our customers were further advised that Zoom Telecom was calling to collect a payment on behalf of Chess and were therefore our authorised agents. This is false.
"In some cases, our customers were advised that their direct debit relating to Chess services had been rejected, and that services would be suspended within five days if they failed to make an immediate payment.
"In all cases, our customers have been led to believe that payment is due and have been forced to provide their banks details over the telephone to avoid services being affected. This has led to their bank accounts being fraudulently debited."
According to its website, Maidenhead-based Zoom provides "top-class" phone and broadband services to SMBs for BT Openreach, but claims to offer the service cheaper than BT does.
It charges £9.89 for line rental compared with BT's £19; and £7.28 for broadband compared with BT's £17.
CRN tried multiple times to contact Zoom through the two phone numbers on its website - an 0844 number and a number with a London area code - but the calls were not answered.
Zoom seemingly has a sister company, Guaranteed Telecom, which is registered to the same address and has the same two phone numbers on its website.
Companies House records show that Zoom was incorporated in January this year, and an application to strike the company off the register was made in October.
In November a First Gazette notice to voluntarily strike the company off the register was also made.
Complaints about Zoom can also be found on the forum of financial advice website moneysavingexpert.com.