Don’t Fall Victim To Scamming
Scamming both online and on the phone is on the increase. Today’s scammers are highly sophisticated and technically proficient. It’s much harder to spot a fraud online and on the phone, so more and more people are at risk of falling victim to this crime.
Scamming can happen to anyone, it’s important not to feel embarrassed and to contact someone immediately if you feel you may have been caught out.
During the current Coronavirus situation older persons are at a greater risk of fraud due to isolation, and are especially vulnerable to “fishing”. This where the scammer pretends to be your bank, building society, credit card company or even the police over the phone.
Those living alone can be particularly susceptible to scamming, especially if they suffer from a condition such as dementia.
Below are some tips from Independent Age:
How to spot a scam
Some scams are very clever and they can be hard to spot. Things to look out for include:
- Offers that come out of the blue.
- Requests to share your bank account details or verify a password or PIN.
- Prizes that ask you to send money upfront to claim your winnings.
- Time-limited offers that ask you to act quickly.
- Companies with vague contact details, such as a PO Box or mobile number, or a premium rate number usually beginning 090.
- Confidential offers that you are told not to tell family or friends about.
As a general rule, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
How to protect yourself
Scammers are clever, ruthless and will do anything to get hold of your personal details. Be very careful about who you share your personal details with.
Never send money to someone you don’t know or trust. And remember – your bank or the police will never ask for your PIN or password or ask you to transfer funds. Scamming comes in a variety of ways and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Online
- Install anti-virus and firewall software and make sure you keep it up to date.
- Don’t click on links or attachments in an unsolicited email, even to unsubscribe. Go to the organisation’s own website.
- Don’t reply to scam emails – even to say no: this lets the scammer know the account is active.
- Don’t do any financial transactions such as online banking or shopping over public wifi.
- There is more advice on our staying safe online page.
On social media
- Check your privacy settings regularly to make sure they’re up to date.
- If you receive a message from someone you know asking for money, double-check with that person through another medium, such as by calling them.
- Don’t share personal information, or information that could help a criminal, such as when you’re on holiday and your home will be empty.
- Don’t fill out fun quizzes – they’re often a way to discover personal information about you that can be used to crack your passwords and memorable information.
- If you’re not sure whether an account is genuine, contact that person through another medium to check.
On the phone
- Be wary of cold callers. Hang up if you think they could be a scammer.
- Register with the Telephone Preference Service. This is a free service that enables you to opt-out of marketing calls. If a cold-caller contacts you and asks you to pay to register, this is a scam.
- Ask for the name of the person who is calling you and who they represent. Check the information by calling the company’s head office.
- Wait for at least 20 minutes before you call an organisation or company that has called you unexpectedly or use a different phone line in case the caller has kept the line open.
Post
- Make sure that you destroy or shred any receipts or post with your credit card or personal details on.
- You can register with the Mailing Preference Service to stop direct marketing mail addressed to you. You could also consider registering with the Fundraising Preference Service if you’re receiving unwanted communications from charities. You can choose to stop post, email, telephone, and/or text messages from a selected charity or charities.
- Put a ‘no junk mail’ sign on your door.
If you are concerned about someone who may be vulnerable to financial abuse you can contact your local council’s adult social care service or safeguarding team. You will find their contact details at gov.uk/find-your-local-council.
