Possible Data Breach

[Khaleesi]

Hi

So on friday I received a call from a Bristol number 01179112390  They knew my name and address and said they were calling to do with the price rises coming up and they were calling to ensure I wasnt over charged.  When I tried to say I wasnt with BT they said it didnt matter everything went through BT to do with phone lines and internet.  Told them I dont have a phone line and I was with Virgin who I know have there own Infrastructure (I used to be but am now with BT) and I hung up.

Just got a call today from a Leeds number 01138344403 and the lady again knew my full name and address and again Mentioned BT and proceeded to say she was calling about me being over charged for my services.  She asked how many people use my internet so I said 5 then she asked how many people use my Landline.  Again I asked her if she was from BT she would know exactly what services I had and if I even had a phone line in which I dont. She started talking over me saying she was a company checking people were not being over charged.   I shouted at her it was a scam and hung up.

Now what I want to know is how have these people got my full name and address and Know I am with BT? 

I am careful with what information I put online.  I dont do surveys that ask for personal details accept email address, I never give my phone number out or my address.

Like seriously How have they got my name and address and know who my provider is?

[imjolly]

it can't be difficult finding your name and address (voters roll for example) and the knowing you are with BT is just a guess.  If you had just said 'not with BT' they would hang up.  had calls like that before I went to broadband only

[Khaleesi]

Not on the open Electoral role due to DV so that is very doubtful this is why I am very very careful as had to run for years  

[rbz5416]

As above, just think how many companies & web sites have had their databases hacked over the years, & that's just those that have admitted it. Then there's publicly available data like the electoral roll.

Again as above, they're just phishing using BT as the biggest supplier. If it continues you may want to think about investing in a call screening phone.

Edit: Posts crossed but just because you've opted out doesn't prevent mistakes. We had a couple of instances reported here recently of others that had their details published.

[iniltous]

I’m a little confused, are you a BT customer or not , your post suggests you are not ( in which case it cannot be a really be a BT data breach ) , as already stated, as a big provider there is a reasonable chance the person receiving a scam call will be with BT , and even if you state BT are not your provider, they obviously had a ‘reason’ ( how ever untrue ) to tie BT into the conversation.

You have done the correct thing in not giving any information to them , but TBH , it’s not really anything to do with BT , even if you were a BT customer, it would still just be a speculative scam call , and not evidence of any data breach 

[Khaleesi]

Definitely no mistakes due to my past everything has to be done differently and properly.   Things must be checked and secure by the police.  

yes I am with BT. I did state that in my post I put in brackets used to be with virgin but now BT. 

I answered as I am actually waiting for BT to sort the Xbox issue out and also my mobile company and housing are both to be calling as waiting for an issue to be sorted with my mobile and an emergency repair so because I’m expecting calls I’m answering calls I don’t know the number of.  

seems very strange they have my name and address and it’s only happened since I posted on here about my Xbox issue with the gold account still being attached to BT.