Money Talk
Fraudsters have been fast in crawling out of the woodwork to prey on our sense of vulnerability during the pandemic. Over one million adults have lost money to Covid-19 scams according to the Financial Conduct Authority, and 1 in 10 of us has been targeted by a Coronavirus vaccination scam, according to research from financial and insurance company Canada Life. The Vaccination Scam comes as a convincing looking email or text offering you the chance of a vaccine, and asking for your bank card details to verify your identity.
Fraud prevention group Cifas warns of the danger of the current trend of posting vaccine selfies and appointment cards on social media, as this oversharing can leave you open to scams.
A whopping 84% of us post on social media each week and often share everything from our birthdays to pets’ names, which can all be valuable information to criminals.
Check social media privacy settings regularly, and ask a friend to look you up and see if they spot any personal details you’re giving away.
Be on your guard with phone calls. Over the last year, the National Trading Standards Scams Team has seen a 250% rise in reports of nuisance calls. Most common include:
◆ Selling fake insurance for white goods like fridges and washing machines.
◆ Fake callers pretending to be from organisations including the NHS, or service providers like Amazon and Netflix.
◆ Fraudsters posing as tradespeople offering to carry out home repairs.
SUE’S TIPS:
◆ Over 70s are being specifically targeted by Covid-19 scam calls according to Cifas.
◆ If you get an unexpected call the advice is to always to stop and think. Take a number so you can report it to Trading Standards, and hang up.
◆ If you think you’ve fallen for a scam call your bank immediately to report it, along with telling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.