Fake romantics to missing people – look out for scams

Consumer group Which? has issued a warning about the most convincing scams it has seen this year. The consumer group said a range of sophisticated scams are circulating.

Lisa Barber, Which? tech editor, said: “Consumers can help protect themselves from scams by accessing the wide range of free, expert advice on Which?’s website, from signing up to our scam alerts service to getting answers on how to get their money back if they do fall victim to fraud.”

The UK Government has a new fraud strategy, including banning cold calls on all financial products, such as insurance or sham cryptocurrencies.

It also plans to work with Ofcom to use technology to further clamp down on number “spoofing”, so fraudsters cannot impersonate legitimate UK phone numbers.

Under the plans, banks will be allowed to delay payments from being processed for longer to allow for suspect payments to be investigated.

Here is Which?’s list of scams to watch out for:

1. PIG BUTCHERING

These scams have been given their name by fraudsters because they “fatten up” the victim by forming a romantic connection.

The scammer and victim typically meet on a dating site and the victim is “love-bombed” for some time by someone who appears to take a great interest in their life. The scammer will often encourage their victim to move from the dating platform to a private messaging service.

When the victim is sufficiently groomed, the scammer claims they have been having success investing – typically in property or cryptocurrency – and they offer to invest some of the victim’s money. If the victim consents, they are sometimes shown a platform controlled by the scammers, and encouraged to sign up. One UK victim lost £107,000.

2. FAKE MISSING PERSON APPEALS

People are being asked to share fake online posts about missing people more widely.

Which? said its experts know they are fake because there are near-identical posts in community pages across the world, with the location being changed.

Comments are turned off on the posts to avoid people pointing out the inconsistencies.

After the post has gained a large number of likes, the contents are edited into something completely different, such as a straightforward investment scam.

The large number of likes and shares that stay lends credibility to the fraud.

Which? said the “despicable” scam relies on responsible citizens liking and sharing posts in an attempt to help, which they do, in large numbers.

Some missing person posts are genuine but Which? said it can sometimes be difficult to tell.

3. PAYPAL SCAMS

People will receive a “money request” from a genuine PayPal email address.

This might seem above board but scammers may send out fake payment requests, often for highvalue items, or posing as HMRC to demand “overdue” tax payments.

In some versions, the fake invoice states the victim’s PayPal account has been compromised and urges them to call a fake fraud hotline.

People should never pay PayPal invoices they do not recognise, or call phone numbers in those invoices, the consumer group said.

4. FAKE APP ALERT

Some apps can install malware on phones, steal data and perpetuate scams, Which? warned.

When installing an app, click on the developer’s name and check what other apps it has made to see if these seem legitimate, Which? suggested.

It also said people should remember that app reviews can be faked.

People who believe they may have been scammed should contact their payment provider immediately and report it to Action Fraud.

The UK Government has a strategy to tackle scammers.