Stay Safe From Scammers

Well there I was sat enjoying a regular coffee I have now and then with an elderly neighbour of mine. All of a sudden his phone rings. He answers and almost immediately he was responding with, “Hello, hello,where did you say you were from? Hello, hello”. He then hung up. What had happened? He had clearly been called by a telephone scammer. What quickly followed was my attempts to educate him regarding the ways in which he could stay safe from scammers.

A short while later he was a lot better informed. A bit shocked and shaken maybe to find out that these people actually exist and how determined they are to con you.

Although it is not necessarily a generational thing, you do find that people from an older generation are maybe more honest, trusting and vulnerable than younger generations. Obviously not in every case – but generally speaking maybe.

Is this a fair assumption to make? Maybe, maybe not. But, put it another way, what generation would you say the actual scammers belong to?

Anyway, it was interesting to witness a real “live” scam attempt.

So, how do we stay safe from scammers? A good question and I’m glad you asked it. Over to you John, our regular safety and security aficionado.

Stay Safe From Scammers

Here is John’s expert and helpful considerations below – how to stay safe from scammers……

There are many different types of scam out there, know the warning signs to look out.

Most of us will be targeted by scammers at some point. Their goal is to trick us into giving them our money, or revealing personal data they can use to steal from us. To avoid getting caught, read our helpful tips below.

How To Spot A Scam

Have You Been Contacted Out Of The Blue?

If you’ve never heard of the organisation, and you haven’t been in touch with them before, you should be suspicious.

Are You Being Pressured?

No organisation should require an answer straight away. If they put you on the spot, refuse. If they’re legitimate, they’ll be happy to wait.

Did They Use Your Real Name?

Organisations who have obtained your details legitimately will refer to you by your first name or surname, rather than ‘dear sir’ or ‘hello madam’. And they’d never refer to you by an online username or nickname.

Do They Want Money Upfront?

A common scammer’s tactic is to ask for some money upfront with greater rewards following later. If this happens, it’s almost certainly a con.

Is Their Spelling And Grammar Bad?

Ignore any mail, emails or websites with lots of errors. Legitimate organisations know better.

Do They Want Your Personal Details?

Don’t give personal details to anyone if you’re not sure who they are, especially if they’re asking for bank details. Anyone contacting you should have some details already – ask them what they know and how they got that information.

Does It Sound Too Good To Be True?

If it does, then it probably is. Be sceptical of claims of easy money and big prizes, especially if they ask for you to give money or your bank details.

Do They Want You To Keep It Secret?

Organisations normally want publicity for special offers or competitions. They’d never ask you to keep secrets from friends and family.

Can You Get Their Details?

Organisations shouldn’t hesitate to offer a phone number or address. They should have a landline, not a mobile number (beginning 07) or premium rate number (beginning 09).

Be wary of PO Box addresses – that won’t tell you their location. If someone shows up at your door, ask for ID. Don’t trust a number or address you get on an email or letter, use the details they have on an official website.

Stay Safe from Scammers – Types Of Scams

Phone Scams

Here’s a list of some of the more common scams. Not exhaustive necessarily, but probably the most regular and common.

• Your computer software needs updating
• You’ve won a prize
• Compensation claims
• Debt problems
• Tax problems / refunds
• Pensions or investment opportunities
• Problems with a bank or user account

Phone Scams Warning Signs

• If it takes a long time for the caller to answer when you pick up
• You’ve never heard of the company before
• Being put under pressure you to act immediately
• Being asked for bank details or your pin
• They ask you to install software
• They wouldn’t normally contact you by phone

 Email Scams

Some of the more common email scams

• Confirm an order/an account
• Tax refund
• Password changed unexpectedly
• Get rich quick schemes 
• Work from home schemes
• Money transfer or online order you don’t recall making
• Offers on medicines
• Transfer money for a reward

Email Scams Warning signs

• You’ve never heard of the company or person before
• Pressures you to act immediately
• Bad grammar and spelling
• Doesn’t address you by your real name
• Requests bank details
• Email address uses odd letters and numbers 

 Snail Mail Scams

Even in this day and age in terms of modern technology etc, the snail mail scams still exist. maybe not as common as digital or phone scams, but still in existence nevertheless. So, how to stay safe from these scammers?

Typically common snail mail (postal) scams.

• You’ve won a competition or lottery
• Psychic’s or clairvoyant’s predictions
• Work from home offers
• ‘Fallen on hard times’ letters
• Investment schemes
• Unclaimed inheritance

Snail Mail Scams Warning Signs

• Pressure to act quickly
• Asks you to send money
• Asks for your bank details
• Requests money now for rewards/opportunities later
• They have a premium rate phone number, beginning 09

 Pension Scams

Common Pension scams include:

• Free pension review
• ‘One off’ investment opportunity
• High investment returns from overseas
• Put all your investments into one investment
• Access your pension before you hit 55

Pension Scams Warning Signs

• You’re contacted out of the blue
• You’re pressured into making a deal fast
• Offer to send your brochures/paperwork overnight
• They talk about legal loopholes

Pension Scams – What To Do?

• Check if they’re registered with The Financial Conduct Authority
• Contact the Pension Advisory Service for advice

 If you’re not sure…is it a scam or not?

Then do some research. If it’s a letter or email, don’t trust the contact details they give you, or click on any links. If you get a phone call, say you’ll call them back. Look the company up online. If it’s an organisation you know, find and use the contact details on their site and ask if they’ve tried to get in contact.

If you don’t know the company, search for them online. Check if they have a professional-looking website and see what other people are saying about them. If there are any red flags, don’t contact them.

Reporting Scams

If a scammer is pretending to be a real organisation, contact the real company and let them know about it. You can also contact Action Fraud and use their online reporting tool.

Stay Safe From Scammers – Some Great Tips

As always John, some excellent and valuable snippets we should all be aware of. These are all useful in being able to stay safe from scammers.

These scams will probably become more and more regular and more and more persistent the nearer we get to Christmas. So, the more we are aware of, the better.

Stay Safe From Scammers – Spread The Word

As always, spread the word wherever and whenever you can. My neighbour was lucky that I was present when he could so very easily been on the end of a scam. At least going forward he will now a really good idea of what to expect and what to look out for regarding scams.

Others may not be so lucky. So, take this into account and, as I say, spread the word.

Chester Crimewatch

Another great addition to the useful Chester Crimewatch category. A quick update. Hot on the heels of this article, super sleuth John, has also sent me an update on a TV licence email scam I have previously reported on.

To see the original post, have a look HERE. So, just to let you know, the fake TV licence email is doing the rounds again, so be extra vigilant when it comes to that one again.

There are so many other great tips and information in the Chester Crimewatch category. To see all the other posts, have a look HERE.