Scams

The Financial Conduct Authority has warned about the increasing use of social media to promote investment scams, saying it is leading to a changing profile of those who fall victims to fraud.

https://www.ftadviser.com/regulation/2018/01/29/fca-warns-of-growing-use-of-social-media-by-scammers/

Be wary of calls or emails you’re not expecting. Even if someone quotes your BT account number, you shouldn’t trust them with your personal information.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jessica-investigates/realistic-looking-bt-email-scam-genuine/

Discover how taking five minutes to talk to family and friends could help protect them from common scams.

http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/computing/security/take-five-to-stop-fraud-week-11364245147356

Take Five to Stop Fraud Week, which is backed by the Home Office and financial institutions, and aims to combat one of Britain’s fastest-growing crimes.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/jan/22/spot-scammers-home-office-fraud?CMP=share_btn_tw

How fraudsters are using famous faces to con people out of cash with more than 1,600 victims lost £342 on average after being duped on Facebook last year

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/5361478/inside-the-murky-world-of-facebook-scams-how-fraudsters-are-using-famous-faces-to-con-people-out-of-cash/

These have included cold calls where the caller poses as police officer or a member of the bank’s fraud team

http://www.knutsfordtimes.com/knutsford-community-police/10194/cheshire-police-warn-of-telephone-scams-in-area/

Fraudsters are sending out fake Sainsbury’s gift vouchers via email. The email claims that the intended victim was overcharged on a recent visit to the supermarket and offers the gift card as compensation.

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/rise-in-reports-of-fake-Sainsburys-refund-email-jan18

The WannaCry ransomware attack was only last May and an article in the Independent reports that it expects scams to rocket during 2018. So, what’s to do?

http://insights.ifamax.com/post/102eo4a/keep-your-money-safe-from-the-fraudsters

The cold-calling con, which authorities have warned is becoming more prevalent, saw the 77-year-old from Eastbourne convinced she had an unpaid tax debt.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-42570454

Unexpected phone calls over the weekends, fake threats of scams, fake bank accounts – they’re all things we need to look out for.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/fraud-victims-age-young-old-elderly-lose-money-vulnerable-financial-crime-identity-a8134516.html