HOW TO TELL WHAT’S A SCAM – AND WHAT’S A GENUINE CALL

It can be difficult to spot a fraudulent or scam website or email — many impersonation fraudsters are very convincing. But, according to those working in fraud prevention, there are a number of tactics you can employ to make sure you don’t fall victim like Helen.

BE CAUTIOUS about unsolicited calls claiming to be from your bank or government organisations — particularly HMRC. ‘We will never ring out of the blue to demand payment,’ says Mike Fell, head of HMRC’s cyber security team. If in doubt, always say you will ring them back. Then hang up and call the bank’s official number, which is on your debit card and online, from another phone.

CHECK where any official looking email comes from — if the email address looks odd, then it is unlikely to be genuine.

BEWARE of a sense of urgency — a common tactic, according to Max Bruce, investigator for the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. ‘Fraudsters often try to create a sense of fear that something must be paid now,’ he says.

LOOK for errors in the timeline. ‘Often dates don’t correlate,’ says Bruce. In Helen’s case, she was told that she had to make an urgent pay

ment before her licence expired on the May 16 — but the email was only sent on May 17.

DON’T be fooled by a paragraph on the web page saying the website is ‘secure’. It may indeed be secure — to the fraudster. ‘It means only that you have a secure link with anyone you’re dealing with on the other end,’ says Bruce.

IF SOMEONE claims you are being defrauded, but warns you not to tell your bank, this could be a warning sign. Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis says: ‘If they tell you someone is trying to defraud you, but don’t tell your bank as we think they’re in on it, that is a major flag,’ he says.

WITH websites, look for a secure padlock next to a website’s URL, which should mean the site is encrypted, so payments can’t be intercepted.