Scams

WhatsApp group chat members are being warned they could be targeted by criminals, as Action Fraud reveals it has received 636 reports from victims of the messaging app this year.

The fraud often begins when a member of the group receives a WhatsApp audio call from the fraudster, pretending or claiming to be another member of the group. This is done to gain the individual’s trust, and often the scammer will use a false profile picture and/or display name, so at first glance it would appear to be a genuine member of the group.

The internet connects loved ones, provides useful information, enables online transactions and generally makes life more convenient – but it has also been a boon for criminals.

Using the web, fraudsters can imitate legitimate companies, place ads for non-existent goods and services, or even pose as a friend or relative in distress, all in a bid to extract cash from their victims.

According to data from UK Finance, 77% of authorised push payment (APP) fraud – when criminals manipulate victims into sending money under false pretences – originated online in the first half of 2023.

Nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of people who had a call with MoneyHelper on its Pension Guidance helpline felt more confident in spotting and managing potential financial scams, the Money and Pensions Service (Maps) has revealed.

Its study of those using its services found that the majority said they had to the tools with potential financial crimes and scams.

I have been really busy recently, writing articles about famous people.

I've done interviews with the likes of Zoe Ball, Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Tarrant.

There has been a common theme to these stories, and it is all about how each celebrity made vast sums of money from an online investment opportunity in crypto currencies.

All WhatsApp users in the UK have been warned a new scam could see criminals take control of their accounts.

Scammers will pose as family and friends to request a security code, which they can use to steal access to your WhatsApp account.

Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for cybercrime and fraud, has received more than 60 reports related to the new scam.

People are urged to be vigilant as devious fraudsters posing as police officers have been calling residents to try to con them out of money. Five people living within the Cirencester dialling code area, 01285, were targeted by scammers last Monday (March 25).

On each occasion the fraudster claimed to be a police officer from Cirencester police station. The scammers said they were calling to notify the victim that their credit card had been cloned and used at a local supermarket.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/urgent-police-warning-over-devious-call-999-supermarket-scam/ar-BB1kJnHK

New research has revealed that North Wales Police have received 3,275 individual fraud reports over the past 13 months.

The analysis, carried out by QR Code Generator QRFY, looked at data from Action Fraud and the Office for National Statistics to uncover how many reports each police force had in England and Wales, over the past 13 months – and the most common type of fraud.

“It’s an industry where consumers’ voices aren’t strong, even though it’s consumers who are badly hurt by rogue sites,” Emily Taylor, founder of DNS Research Federation (DNSRF) said.

Which?, the consumer watchdog, is warning consumers to be wary of fraudulent banking websites after finding a myriad of scam sites.

Its research found more then 2,000 websites imitating UK banks were reported just in 2023 alone.

A rogue builder has been jailed for fraud after fleecing an elderly customer with sub-par work.

Alexander Brewis, 42, charged his victim £13,800 to do roofing work and cladding in a bathroom – a service which should have cost around £3,250.

Brewis, who was trading as Storm Roofing and Property Maintenance, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday (March 14).

WhatsApp scams are on the rise and victims could lose thousands to fraud. We look at the most common scams and how to protect yourself.

With around two billion active WhatsApp users, the app has become one of the biggest target for scammers to enable them to steal money.

We have already seen a rise in Amazon, romance, holiday and even crypto scams, but Whatsapp scams continue to evolve as scammers find different ways to get you to part with your cash.