Ruglonian scammed as online fraud soars

Fraud complaints to the banking watch dog have soared by 40 per cent it has been revealed – in the same week a Rutherglen resident lost a three-figure sum.

The woman responded to a text believing it to be from the DVLA, which offered a refund.

But when she clicked on the link to claim back the cash, she was tricked into handing over her personal and banking details.

Not long after the money was taken from her account. News of the scam comes as the Financial Services Ombudsman says more people are being tricked into transferring money online to criminals.

Authorised push payment (APP) fraud – a sophisticated scam that involves tricking customers into moving their money or handing over online banking passwords or codes – was one of the fastestgrowing types of fraud, the ombudsman said.

More than 35,000 people lost a total of £145million to APP in the first half of 2018. A new security measure for online payments, which could help combat the fraudsters, was due to be implemented this summer but has been put back until March 2020.

The Confirmation of Payee (CoP) system was seen as the antidote to the high levels of APP fraud.

The additional security feature double checks whether a name on an online bank transfer matches the sort code and account number on record.

But the Payment Systems Regulator found that the implementation deadlines were unachievable following consultation with industry groups.

As the industry awaits tighter security measures, Police Scotland is reminding people not to hand over personal details or banking information to unsolicited contacts.

People are urged to contact agencies by their published telephone numbers and ask questions to ensure any request or contact is genuine. Residents can also search for the #ScamAware on social media for information.