BEAT THE SCAMMERS
A whopping thir ty-six million of us were targeted by scammers last year according to Citizens Advice – here’s how to stay safe
Dodgy doorstep calls were once the way in for scammers, but now they’re moving inside our homes, with phishing, vishing and smishing tactics – fake emails, calls and scam texts. Impersonation, where a fraudster pretends to be someone official, like your bank, the police or a courier company is the most common scam.
Smishing is the text version of this. One doing the rounds now claims to be a courier company, saying they’ve a parcel for you but you need you to pay charges first. There’s a link to click, where you’ll be asked for bank and personal details, which opens the door for fraudsters to drain your account!
Never click on links in random emails or texts, especially for payment, and be on your guard for unexpected prize offers or ways to claim random vouchers or discounts.
Financial Scams
Fraudsters rely on the panic factor to dupe us into handing over our cash and Authorised Push Payment (APP), cost us £479 million over the first half of this year alone. Here’s how it works…
Out of the blue you get a call from someone claiming to be from your bank’s fraud team, saying your account’s at risk. While you’re in a spin, the caller talks you through a way to transfer your money to a new “safe” account, but in fact you’ve moved your savings into the fraudster’s bank!
Another one to watch for is fake emails claiming to be from HMRC about tax rebates. HMRC never email, text or WhatsApp you about tax refunds so ignore them.
Action Stations
Got a suspicious text? Never reply, for ward it to 7726. This spells “Spam” on the keypad and means texts can be investigated by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Got a scam call? Call the Police at Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit the website www.actionfraud.police.uk
If you’ve paid money, tell your bank immediately. The quicker you act, the more chance of getting your money back. There’s a new emergency hotline to report scams. Just put down the phone and dial 159.