I was sure a call from Currys was a scam … but it wasn’t what it seemed

I almost fell for what I believe is a scam when I was contacted by someone saying they were from Currys offering an insurance policy for a cooker that I had ordered in January 2019, but which I cancelled to buy elsewhere. The caller asked my details for “security”, then offered me an extended five-year warranty for £115 or £4 a month. They told me I had to pay by direct debit and asked for my account number and sort code.

I Googled and discovered your article mentioning a huge Currys data breach. I fear the caller was using a stolen list of orders to obtain bank details and Currys confirmed it was a scam.

JF, London

Believe it or not, this was not a scam, although Currys’s sales tactics are so concerning it’s unsurprising you, and its own staff, assumed it was.

Last year, I reported on a customer who was called hours after ordering a Currys TV from a number flagged as “dangerous” on number-checker forums.

Again, customer service staff agreed it was fraudulent, before Currys told me it was a genuine call to offer new customers what it calls a “care plan”. This is despite the fact that these pricey plans are offered at the point of purchase online and in store. Now, it seems, customers are called again, a year or more after purchase, with yet another offer of a warranty. Currys blames “human error” for not realising that you never went through with the purchase in the first place.

But it is unapologetic about its tactics to sell warranties which, any follower of this column knows, can open up a whole new can of worms and are often not worth the outlay.

Currys said: “Our aim is to help everyone enjoy amazing technology and for our customers to come away feeling fully supported. To help, we offer follow-up services in store, online and over the phone.”

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