Sue’s Guide To Winning Without Being Scammed
Competitions can mean the chance of winning fabulous prizes – however 7 in 10 of us risk being scammed.
In our excitement to bag a prize, we spill the beans and share our personal details like name, address and date of birth before checking if the offer is genuine, according to Nationwide Building Society.
It found that only one in three of us turn detective and do some investigating. This is worth doing because if your personal details fall into the wrong hands, it can give fraudsters a head start if they’re looking to impersonate you and get their hands on your money.
Be careful how much you give away over the phone, too – especially in public places. I was on a packed train recently and overheard a chap loudly giving his name, address and credit card details to someone on the other end. Yes he may have been making a genuine purchase, but reeling off your personal details on a crowded train is not the best way to shop!
Also, never look twice at emails claiming you’ve won a gift card that claims to be from the likes of Tesco, Morrisons and M&S. I’ve had no shortage of these which encourage you to click on a dodgy link to “activate” it. NEVER click on the link.
If you want further proof that it’s a dodgy email, just scroll down and check the address at the bottom – typically somewhere in the Philippines or India!