How to spot if a loved one could be falling victim to a scam

Worried a relative or friend is being targeted by scammers? Vicky Shaw seeks expert advice on tackling this tricky topic

As Christmas draws nearer, many of us are looking forward to having a catch-up with family members or friends we haven’t seen in a while.

But with fraudsters targeting people with cold calls, by post, online and even on the doorstep, mutual insurer Royal London is urging families to keep a lookout over the festive season for signs that loved ones may have fallen victim to a scam.

While people of all ages can be targeted, those who may be suffering from loneliness could be particularly vulnerable, says Royal London.

Helen Morrissey, a personal finance specialist at the firm, says: “Families have become increasingly geographically dispersed and may not see each other as often as they would like, and so telltale signs might be missed. Making visits over the festive season can prove to be an important opportunity to make sure all is well with a loved one.”

So how can you spot signs that a loved one may have been targeted by scammers – and what can you do about it? Here are some tips from Royal London, who’ve produced a “Good with your Money” guide on the issue…

WHAT SIGNS SHOULD YOU WATCH OUT FOR?

While many of us get unwanted junk mail from time to time, victims of mail scams can receive large quantities of letters from scammers, promising fake prizes, for example.

Similarly, once a scam target’s details have been passed around criminals, they could also find themselves receiving lots of cold calls.

If someone mentions a “great investment opportunity” they’ve been told about, this could be a warning sign, as many scammers reel their victims in with promises of “high returns”, often in unusual assets or based abroad. A general rule of thumb is that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

HOW DO YOU TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT YOUR SUSPICIONS THAT THEY MAY BE BEING SCAMMED?

This can be difficult, as they may feel they have chosen a great invest-

ment opportunity or have built up a good relationship with the scammer. They may also feel defensive or embarrassed, so you could be worried about an argument being triggered.

Royal London says it’s important the person you’re concerned about doesn’t feel they are being judged. One way of tackling the subject could be to find a recent news story about a scam as a way of starting a conversation about how people can protect themselves.

By keeping the conversation relatively light and neutral, you may find the loved one you’re concerned about starts to open up. You may not get the whole story from them at once, but try to keep the conversation flowing, rather than bombarding them with questions.

HOW CAN SCAMS BE REPORTED?

Scams can be reported to Action Fraud (actionfraud. police.uk), the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, as well as Trading Standards.

Royal London suggests you could also encourage your loved one to tell their family or close friends what has happened, to help them get the emotional support they may need.

WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE?

Unwanted marketing information can be cut out by signing up to the Mailing Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service. More information on reducing nuisance correspondence and reporting concerns can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website (ico.org.uk).

You can also help your loved one in contacting the bank to stop any suspect transfers that may be about to go through and have a chat about how to protect their account further.

If a fraudster has a lot of details about your loved one and the victim is worried about identity fraud, they may need to change information, such as passwords, to protect themselves and check their statements for bank transfers they didn’t authorise.