More Scam Alerts
As touched on previously, they seem to be never ending. More scam alerts. This time another two. Regular website visitor, John from Blacon, has provided us with details of one and another regular visitor, David from Hoole, another. It does make you think sometimes where is it all going to end. In reality of course, they’re probably not going to end are they.
The thing that is so much more annoying is that these scams are not restricted to emails only. How many people don’t answer their phone anymore if you don’t recognise the number displayed? It’s not “Private Number” anymore. We are seeing bona fide looking STD prefix numbers appearing. Yes you can take steps in blocking and reporting these numbers (see David’s comments below), but why do we have to put up with this. It goes beyond annoying.
Anyway, news of more scam alerts.
More Scam Alerts
More Scam Alerts
Here’s the one reported by John from Blacon. Thanks again John and to Cheshire Police.
Cheshire Police Alert 21/09/2018 ~ Fake TV Licensing Refund Offers
“Watch out for these fake TV Licensing emails. We’ve seen a sharp increase in reports about fake TV Licensing emails claiming to offer refunds. The emails state that the refund cannot be processed due to “invalid account details”.
The links provided in the emails lead to phishing websites designed to steal personal and financial details. Always question unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information in case it’s a scam.
Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text. Message Sent By Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National).”
No doubt many reading this will already be aware and will be careful. But, why not go the extra step and inform others. Share this message. Speak to your neighbours and let them know – especially the elderly who be a bit more trusting and susceptible.
Onto David’s warning and his remedy. Thanks David – look forward to your next article by the way.
David’s more scam alerts message……..
More Scam Alerts – “BT” Engineer
Scammers-again!
“Call from ‘BT’ engineer. Spent 15 min allowing him to talk me towards typing up website (I think) SUPREMO3 . Obviously I didn’t :o) I then asked him a few searching question before he decided to put the phone down on me. My no. is X-D by the way…“
And another..! 01710506650 Just had automated call from ‘BT’ telling me there’s a fault on my line & asking me to press option 1 or 2 I’m getting pretty p-off with an increasing number of scam calls esp as I’m ex-directory! Was going to call number but who knows where it might take me…
David’s Remedy
Phone Scammers
“Instead of just fuming, add the number (as I do) to both of the following websites and help other people avoid the scum of the earth: https://who-called.co.uk/ https://whocallsme.com Rant over… :o)”
More Scam Alerts Of A Sort
Not a specific scam alert as such, but John has provided us with some great tips as to how to “how to spot bank fraud and avoid losing your money”. The information however does fall into the realms of more scam alerts nonetheless.
Have a read – great stuff John.
How To Spot Bank Fraud And Avoid Losing Your Money
“Half a billion has already been lost to fraud in the UK in 2018. More than £500,000,000 has been stolen from customers of British banks in scams in the first half of this year, according to data from UK Finance. Customers are falling victim to various types of fraudulent activity: the majority being targeted by unauthorised fraud where account holders have no knowledge of what is happening and only discover the loss later on. There are also a growing numbers of cases (approximately £145 million of the stolen funds) where people are unwittingly coerced into sending their own money to fraudsters – know as authorised push payments.
And it isn’t just Nigerian princes or fake HMRC tax returns. There are now a variety of complex and sophisticated ways that scammers win people’s trust.
What is an authorised push payment (APP)? Authorised push payments and scams rely on people being persuaded to move money around to other accounts. So they do not hack into your account and steal money, you do the hard work for them. What does an APP scam look like? Two examples of APP scams include purchase scams (the most prevalent form of APP fraud reported this year) and impersonation scams. A purchase scam means you pay for products or services that do not exist.
An Example
For example, buying flights online through a third party who then never deliver the tickets – ruining your holiday and leaving you out of pocket. Impersonation scams mean someone may call you and pretend to be from your bank. They will tell you that your account has been compromised and you need to move money elsewhere to keep it safe.
But surely I would notice a dodgy bank account? Impersonation scams are particularly difficult because although you might have put the name of your bank or another legitimate institution in the transfer details, your bank only cross-checks the account number and sort code, so won’t have picked up the issue before sending the money over.
APP Scams
Why are APP scams so bad for customers? The issue with APP scams is that banks do not usually refund people because they were complicit in the loss of the funds. Unlike those who are victims of undetected fraud you have actively facilitated the scam. Once the money has been moved it is unlikely it’ll be retrievable or that you’ll be compensated.
How To Avoid Being Scammed
So how do I avoid being scammed? How to recognise a scam: In order to stop yourself being scammed, you need to know what you’re looking for first. The Money Advice Service says you should look out for signs of unsolicited or unexpected contact. If you have received any kind of contact, particularly a phone call, out of the blue then you should be wary of their intentions. Double check who has sent any emails – if the email address is misspelled or has random numbers, it should be a red flag.
Citizens Advice
Citizen’s Advice says if the website starts with https:// this does mean the information is secure, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t fraudulent, so don’t necessarily be reassured by this. If the website has a green padlock in the website address bar – this means the information you send on the site is private. What to do when you’re confronted with a potential scam: So you think you’ve noticed a scam come into your inbox – now what? If the contact claims to be from your bank, call your bank directly, using either the number on your card or by searching on Google. Don’t ring any numbers provided in the email.
For the time being you can either mark the sender as ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ so you don’t accidentally reply or download any attachments that might contain potential viruses – check your email settings for how to do this. If you’ve already started correspondence before the penny has dropped, then UK Finance says you must make sure you haven’t disclosed any security details (your PIN or banking password). And don’t be rushed into giving a reply – your gut instinct is normally right.
If You Think You’ve Become A Victim
I think I’ve been a victim of a scam: If you think you’ve been a victim of a scam then stop sending money straight away and call Action Fraud (0300 123 2040) to report what has happened. If the payment has been set up as a Direct Debit, get in touch with your bank to stop this immediately.
How To Keep Yourself Secure
How to keep yourself secure in future: You should keep your operating systems and virus protection software up-to-date, says Money Advice Service. Don’t ignore updates as these can often include patches to protect against new kinds of scams, viruses and ransomware.
This goes for mobile devices as well. And make sure all your accounts have a strong password. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts and change them regularly. Only use safe and secure WIFI connections and avoid public WIFI. Your 3G or 4G connection is often more secure than the one in the coffee shop.”
Interesting stuff from John, David and Cheshire Police. Thanks to one and all. No doubt there will be more scam alerts popping up. But while we have vigilant and proactive readers like John and David, I’m sure we will be well informed here at Chester Lifestyle.
Chester Lifestyle
I hope you like my Chester Lifestyle website. If you are after more information about the website and Chester in general, head off over to HERE.
Things To Do In Chester
As those of us who live in Chester, we are well aware there is always plenty of things to do in Chester. And there is plenty. Here’s link for starters HERE.
