A woman from Dilton Marsh who is deaf has spoken out to raise awareness of phone scams targeting people over the upcoming transition of landlines from analogue to digital technology.
Lorraine Sencicile has shared her experience of being inundated with calls from scammers who claimed that her landline would be disconnected unless she paid for a digital upgrade. The scammers insisted she needed a new phone for a fee of £60, despite Lorraine already having a digitally compatible phone due to her hearing needs.
“I found the phone calls invasive and softly threatening,” Lorraine said. “I explained that my phone is already digitally compatible, but they still tried to pressure me into buying a new one.”
Lorraine contacted the Hearing and Vision Team at Wiltshire Council, who, she said, informed her that she was not the first person to report such calls.
Cllr Ashley O’Neill, Cabinet Member for IT, said, “We suspect this is a scam, and as with any suspected scam call, it is important not to give out personal information, bank details, and instead hang up.
“If members of the public are not sure if the person, they are speaking to is genuine they can ask for the name of the person, their contact information, along with the company they represent.
“They should then hang up and independently check the information they have been given is genuine, however, if in doubt, hang up.”
Landlines in the UK will switch from analogue to digital by the end of January 2027, but this transition is free, and residents do not need to pay for compatible phones unless they choose to.
Lorraine, who has been deaf since childhood and has used bone conduction hearing devices for almost 30 years, felt it was important to share her story.
“I felt that others should be warned,” she said.
