Dyno-Rod bogus caller scam warning

Police and Dyno-Rod have issued a warning following suspected bogus caller incidents in the last few weeks. [24 August 2010]

The scam came to light after a number of householders contacted Dyno-Rod to say that they had received a visit from someone claiming to be a Dyno-Rod engineer, who quoted very high costs for simple jobs.

Dyno-Rod bogus caller scamHow to recognise genuine Dyno-Rod engineers

Dyno-Rod has issued some advice to help people recognise genuine Dyno-Rod engineers. All Dyno-Rod engineers wear a navy blue uniform, carry an ID card and drive the bright orange Dyno-Rod vans. It is also rare for Dyno-Rod engineers to call at someone’s house without an appointment. The only time they would do this is if they were working on a neighbouring property and require access to the drainage system.

Dyno-Rod has launched a national hotline which people can call free of charge, where they can check if a caller is a genuine Dyno-Rod engineer. The Dyno-Rod hotline number is 0800 316 1858.

So far, the incidents have been reported in the Swindon area. As fraudsters move and change the geographical areas they operate in, all UK residents should also be vigilant about this type of fraud. Any UK resident who has lost money to a fraud like this should report it to Action Fraud.

Wiltshire Police has released some simple rules to help avoid bogus caller crimes:

• ask yourself: Am I expecting someone to call?
• don’t open the door to strangers and check first – look through a window or door-viewer to see who the caller is
• always put a chain on before opening the door
• always ask to see the caller’s ID and refuse entry if you are in doubt – bona fide callers will be happy to call back at another time if you request
• if you are alone, ask the caller to come back later when a friend or neighbour can be with you
• if in doubt, keep them out.

Read more about the suspected Dyno-Rod scam on the Wiltshire Police website.

Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on external websites.

To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

See also: 
Bogus tradesmen fraud
'Your Doorstep, Your Decision' campaign
Counterfeit goods fraud