One in 10 Glasgow call centres targeted by criminals

by Joe Lepper, Brand Republic 30-Oct-06, 07:30

LONDON - Police in Glasgow are warning that around one in 10 of the city's call centres have been infiltrated by criminals.

According to information from police chiefs in the city, criminal gangs are gaining access to customers' data by planting staff in offices and, in some cases, forcing employees to disclose information. This is then used to steal identities and commit other acts of fraud.

Detective Chief Inspector Derek Robertson of Strathclyde Police told the BBC's 'Newsnight Scotland' that around 10% of the city's 300 call centres had been infiltrated.

Action being taken by the police to counter the gang's activities, include monitoring job pages and making contact with call centre managers offering advice on how to prevent fraud.

Anne Marie Forsyth, chief executive of industry trade body the Customer Contact Association, said: "CCA is working closely with its members to ensure that all the appropriate steps are taken to minimise the risk of fraud within their contact centre operation."

She added that the CCA has produced a guide for best practice regarding financial transactions within call centres which includes ensuring staff vetting procedures are robust and giving staff access to information on a need-to-know basis.

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