Lock down the scammers
Tips to help you look out for fraudulent callers who are trying to exploit the coronavirus crisis
I’M HEARING real horror stories at the moment of thieves using lockdown and the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to steal money from people, coming up with ever more inventive scams as they do so. Some of the statistics are awful. According to Lloyds Bank, 37 per cent of Scots have worried about someone they know falling victim to fraud in the past six months, and nearly one in four are worried about their elderly relatives being scammed.
Despite almost half of Scots saying they have never spotted a fraud or scam taking place, the majority are confident that they would recognise the signs of a fraud attempt.
Almost a third of Scottish adults have spoken to someone in their family about fraud and/or scams within the last month.
But most Scots don’t talk to friends or family about money, even though they want to.
When asked why not, nearly a quarter said that they feel too embarrassed to talk about it, or they are ashamed of their own financial situation and don’t want their family to know.
Paul Davis, retail fraud director at Lloyds Bank, believes that keeping customers’ money safe if vital for the bank.
He explained: “Helping to keep our customers’ money safe is our number one priority – being a victim of fraud can have devastating effects not just on people’s finances but also their lives.
“It’s important for people to remember that their bank will never contact them out of the blue and ask them to transfer money to a different account for security reasons.
“If anyone has any suspicions about activity on their account, or a message or call they have received, they should terminate the call and ring their bank on the number on the back of their bank card or visit a branch.
“A genuine bank or company will never rush you into making a payment or mind if you hang up and call back later using the number on the back of your card or on their website.
“Fraudsters have also been turning to payment scams during lockdown, so it’s important that people act with great care when using bank transfers to pay for products and services online and to pay by card whenever possible.
“If a seller is insistent on receiving a payment by bank transfer, or wants to circumvent official payment mechanisms on sites such as eBay and PayPal, this can be a red flag.”
Here are some things to look out for if you think a call is suspicious:
●Unexpected calls – If you didn’t
expect the call then it could be a scam. If you’re not sure, you can call back. ●Pressure calls – Fraudsters want to hurry you into making a quick decision. They may also ask you to “keep it quiet” and not tell anyone about the call. Don’t trust anyone who does this.
●A need to transfer money – Scam calls can try to get you to transfer money for “security purposes” or to a “safe/secure/ holding account”. Do not do this.
●Refunds – If your bank calls to offer you a refund, it’s a scam.
●Calls from the police – It’s very rare for the police or Scotland Yard to call. If they do call, they will
always follow up with a visit from an officer with photo ID and a warrant number. ●You’re asked to log on to your
computer – A scam caller may tell you there’s something wrong with your computer or ask you to download something. They could pretend to be from your broadband provider or a trusted software company. But if you didn’t ask for this call, it’s a scam.
And here are some tips to help you stay safe: ●Hang up the phone – If you’re not sure who’s calling, hang up. ●Tell them you’ll call back – But use a number you trust, not the number they use or give you. If they
say it’s the police, you can call back on 101.
●Do not transfer any money – Your bank or the police will never call and ask you to move money from your account. ●Do not log on to your computer
– Unless you called for help, do not log on to your computer for an unexpected call. ●Do not let anyone take control of your computer – Unless you called for help, do not let anyone take remote control of your computer. ●Do not tell anyone what is on your computer screen – A real call would not ask for you to tell them what’s on your computer screen.