MAKE SURE YOU DON’T FALL FOR THESE 10 SWINDLES
PARCEL DELIVERY:
Text and email-based, the criminals try to cash in on consumers’ changed shopping behaviour. One message has said a parcel is awaiting delivery by Royal Mail and a fee is required for redelivery via a link – this sends the user to a copycat site that steals payment and personal details. Variations feature DPD, UPS and Hermes.
ONLINE SHOPPING:
Genuine businesses say criminals are setting up new versions of their websites and operate under a similar domain in order to steal customers’ details and cash. Consumers often don’t receive goods, or what they get is of inferior quality or not the goods expected. They then find it impossible to contact the company.
TRAVEL:
A fraud takes advantage of the desire to go on holiday and is related to the new Global Health Insurance Card. As many as 70 per cent of adults don’t know what the rules are, so copycat sites are popping up appearing to give the correct advice to help with applications, for a fee. In many cases, the official service is free, or consumers simply don’t need the documents.
PPE:
Automated calling scams have been on the rise since the first lockdown as more people work from home. One of these uses an AI message that urges consumers to press button 1, for example, to buy PPE and sanitisers, which people are told is a UK/ NHS requirement.
COVID CURES:
Trade watchdogs have seen an increase in mailings from criminals offering health products which are claimed to cure the virus.
ENTERTAINMENT:
TV licensing copycats are cashing in on the increased reliance on TV, particularly by the elderly.
FINANCIAL:
Complaints about illegal websites for investments have soared. Criminal sites are mainly cloned from respected investment companies to aid authenticity, but website addresses are slightly different versions.
PROPERTY: Fake listings use stolen photos from genuine websites to try to entice buyers into paying a holding deposit in order to view a property. As restrictions on travel ease, experts expect to see a rise in the number of fake listings as overseas students consider returning to the UK.
VACCINE:
Texts claiming to be from the NHS tell the recipient they are now eligible for vaccination. The message comes with a link to a site asking for the personal details and payment. Covid jabs are free and the NHS will never ask for payment.
TESTS:
Culprits have been caught selling fake or unreliable testing kits online. The Government provides packs of lateral flow tests for free.