Advice to beat the fraudsters

Ashbourne Rotary Club

ACTION Fraud – ever heard of it? You should, because it affects every one of us, no matter what your lifestyle is, whether you use computers or not. THEY are out there trying to take your money one way or another.

This was the message given recently by Tony East as he addressed the Rotary Club of Ashbourne. Tony is a volunteer ambassador for Action Fraud.

Citizens’ Advice operate Scam Watch and assist victims of fraud but in the UK it is estimated that between £10 billion and £20 billion is obtained by fraud each year and the most vulnerable people are those over 75 and those who lead a very busy life, are in debt or are ill.

The ways of the fraudster: Postal – there are fewer of these than there used to be but in the Ashbourne area in recent times operators have raided post boxes to obtain people’s bank details and then apply for credit cards in your name. They return to the same post boxes after a delivery and collect the cards and go on a spree at your expense.

Doorstep – plumbers, roofers, tarmacadam layers all operate by persuading the home owner that work is required and then charging high prices or can become aggressive to extract cash.

Telephone – we all get calls claiming to be from a phone company, Microsoft, pension companies and offering refunds even from the Revenue. In order to obtain the refund you give them your bank details and before you can phone the bank they have emptied your account.

Online – opening an email that you are uncertain about can lock your computer or encrypt it and then a message appears asking for a ransom payment of one kind or another to restore the software... Of course on payment of the ransom nothing happens other than more demands.

Holiday offers that when paid for never exist; tickets to events and the tickets are worthless; cheap car insurance, especially for youngsters and then when a claim is lodged the company does not exist. You may know someone who has been caught, so be careful.

How to protect yourself.

If the offer seems too good, use your gut feeling and do not get involved.

Keep all anti-virus ware up to date and always back up your computers to a separate hard drive and disconnect the hard drive or the scam will destroy that as well.

Update apps regularly as they are always updating security.

Burn or shred all paperwork that may contain any personal data of any kind.

Any computer problems, then go to the experts and avoid helplines and the like.

Action Fraud telephone number is 0300 123 2040.

Web page www.actionfraud. police.uk

Tony’s final warning – be vigilant, be careful.

Roger Butt introduced Tony and John Taylor gave a vote of thanks.