A WORLD-WIDE hoax which warns of a new mobile phone scam has made its way to Kent.

The hoax claims fraudsters are using the scam to make expensive calls at owners’ expense.

The warning is, in fact, not new but has been circulating for some years, principally in the United States and Australia.

It is not a financial con but “a pointless hoax,” according to the hoax-finding website www.hoax-slayer.com.

The hoax scam details a claim that if you receive a mobile phone call from any person saying he or she is a company engineer checking your line and you must press #90 or #09, you must end this call immediately without pressing numbers.

According to the hoax: “There is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your SIM card and make calls at your expense.”

Often the warning hoax call or e-mail will mention the name of a police officer or police force in an attempt to give the message added credibility.

This supposed warning for mobile phone users, says hoax-slayer.com, “simply combines two other hoaxes. “

Another version of the hoax claims the same trick can be used to hijack fixed phones. Although such a scam is theoretically possible on certain types of business telephone switching equipment which requires users to dial 9 to get an outside line, normal home phones or mobile phones are not vulnerable.”

KentOnline and the Medway Messenger reported on the "scam" last week but at the time were unaware it was a hoax. Our apologies for any incovenience caused.