Scams

• New ClearScore research finds that nearly half (46%) of Brits worry about falling victim to internet or phone scams – the equivalent of nearly 22 million people
• The figure rises to 49% when worrying about parents and grandparents being at risk
• Worryingly, the new study reveals that 1 in 5 (20%) of people say they have elderly people close to them who have been victims of fraud
• ClearScore offer their top 5 tips on how to stay safe from online and telephone fraud

https://ifamagazine.com/scams-46-brits-worry-theyre-at-risk-as-experts-share-5-top-tips-for-staying-safe/

Online adverts are using celebrity names and pictures such as Martin Lewis to scam people out of thousands of pounds.

Analysis of Action Fraud data by Money Saving Expert revealed celebrities are being used to falsely endorse cryptocurrency, investing and retirement planning schemes, often marketing it as a way to “get rich quick”.

As many as 15 million Brits could have fallen victim to scams in the past 12 months, according to new research from Wise, the international money app.

According to a poll of 2,000 UK adults, Wise found that 28 per cent of Brits have lost money to scammers, highlighting the need for increased awareness and protective measures as scams become more sophisticated.

The idea that the younger generations are much less likely to fall victim to fraud than their older counterparts could well be a massive misconception – with the opposite potentially being true – Revolut, the global fintech boasting over nine million UK customers and 40 million globally, has warned.

While Revolut revealed as much as 76 per cent of customers in the UK believe that fraud is easy to identify, a huge number continue to fall victim to cybercriminals every day.

https://thefintechtimes.com/revolut-social-media-is-a-key-enabler-of-fraud-as-gen-z-and-millennials-caught-out-most-often/

A rogue roofer has pleaded guilty to a string of fraud offences in Warwickshire. It comes after Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards launched an investigation into roofer Louis William Gaskin.

The 20-year-old, from Windmill Lane, Balsall Common, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act 2006. He traded as Pitch Roofing Ltd, based at The Crescent in Spalding, Lincolnshire

Police swoop on two vehicles and arrest six people.

Police suspect that conmen may have damaged a number of people’s homes before calling on the occupants and offering to carry out repairs.

Yesterday (Wednesday 12 June) officers swooped on two vehicles on the A259 and arrested six men.

The UK is fast becoming a global hotspot for online fraud, which is having a devastating impact on both businesses and the economy.

New research from fraud prevention platform Ravelin shows online fraud is increasing globally but has grown more in the UK in the last 12 months than any of the ten countries surveyed, including France, Germany, Italy, America, Brazil, Australia, and Mexico.

NatWest has issued a warning over Martin Lewis scams - after customers lost as much as £150,000 to them. NatWest’s annual Celebrity Scam Super League table reveals the celebrities fraudsters are exploiting without their knowledge to steal millions of pounds.

ITV and BBC star Martin Lewis tops the list, closely followed by Elon Musk. Jennifer Aniston and Lauren Cohan appear for the first-time and the majority of celeb scam ads linked to cryptocurrency investments.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsbirmingham/natwest-issues-martin-lewis-warning-after-customers-lose-150000/ar-BB1oauUf?ocid=BingNewsSerp

London police have arrested two individuals in connection with a scheme using an “SMS blaster” to send thousands of fraudulent messages. These messages, posing as banks and official organisations, aimed to deceive the public into sharing personal information.

The investigation, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, uncovered the use of an illegal telephone mast functioning as an “SMS blaster.” This device enabled the perpetrators to bypass mobile networks’ security measures designed to block suspicious texts.

Social media scammers are impersonating every major airline operating in the UK, according to new analysis.

Consumer group Which? said fraudsters on X – formerly known as Twitter – are responding to messages sent to official accounts.

It found scammers impersonating airlines to ask for enough information to allow them to commit identity fraud.