Scam calls, fraudulent texts and how to avoid being caught out
Recognising scams
The “tells” you can look for:
- it seems too good to be true
- someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly
- you suspect you’re not dealing with a real company – for example, poor grammar or spelling
- it just doesn't look right
- there's a sense of urgency. “If you don’t respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed.” By creating this sense of urgency, the thieves hope you’ll make a mistake.
- you’ve been asked to transfer money quickly
- the use of unnerving wording. Thieves often use unnerving words (such as saying your account has been breached or hacked) to trick you into moving fast without thinking and in doing so, revealing information you ordinarily would not.
- you've been asked to pay in an unusual way
- you’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs
- you haven't had written confirmation of what's been agreed
- Cybersquatting. Often, cybercriminals will purchase and “squat” on website names that are similar to official websites in the hopes that users go to the wrong site e.g. www.google.com vs. www.g00gle.com
What should I do if I get a scam call?
- Don’t reveal your personal details
Never give out personal or financial information (such as your PIN) over the phone or via text message. Your bank would never ask for these details over the phone. - Hang up
Sounds simple, but often callers will use tactics of harassment and intimidation that can leave you feeling anxious and panicky. It may feel rude to hang up on someone, but it is your right not to be pressured in this way. - Ring the organisation
Have your doubts? Ring the company or bank the caller claims to be from, using the telephone number on their website (not a number given to you by the cold caller). - Register with the Telephone Preference Service
The Telephone Preference Service is free and allows you opt-out of any unsolicited live telesales calls, reducing the number of cold calls you receive. Unfortunately, this will not stop all scam calls – so stay alert. - If you've already responded to a scam, end all further communication immediately.
- Report the scam to the police through Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Or report a scam anonymously on the Action Fraud website
There’s a council tax refund scam doing the rounds relating to the energy rebate of £150, according to a Which? scams update. The Local Government Association has given guidance that people who pay for council by direct debit will receive the government’s energy rebate directly into their bank account. If people pay in other ways (not direct debit) they will be sent a letter with details of how to claim the rebate. They should never respond to a text or email.
Yes, you read that right. As crazy as it seems, criminals are using the COVID-19 vaccine as a way to target the public by tricking them to hand over cash or financial details. They are sending convincing-looking text messages letting people know they are eligible for the vaccine or phoning people directly pretending to be from the NHS or local pharmacy. Remember: the vaccine is free and the NHS will never ask for your bank details or copies of personal documents (such as passports).
You may receive a call from someone claiming to work for your bank, often telling you that there is a problem with your card or account. Never hand over your bank details, PIN or other account information – your bank would never ask you to do this.
This is a common scam where a caller will claim to be from the helpdesk of a large IT firm, such as Microsoft or Dell. Real IT companies do not contact customers this way. Never download any ‘anti-virus’ software or similar when you receive a call like this, as this will often turn out to be damaging and costly spyware.
Those calls asking about a car accident you’ve supposedly had, claiming that you “may be entitled to compensation”. If you have been in accident, contact your own insurance company using the phone number provided on your policy.
Does that “unmissable investment opportunity” sound to good to be true? Some of these cold calls and texts are from legitimate companies, but many are financial scams. The Age UK website has some great advice on spotting pension and investment scams.
Action Fraud, which collects reports of fraud on behalf of the police, has issued a warning for people to beware of fake text messages claiming to be from Ofgem, the energy regulator, which offers bogus £400 rebates. But this is a scam and you should not reply to it.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) sets out a number of different ways to report scams depending on the type:
- Email scams. If you get a dodgy looking email, you can report it to the NCSC by forwarding it to report@phishing.gov.uk. Remember not to click on any links within these emails.
- Text scams. If you get a suspicious text message, you can forward it to the number 7726 – this will allow your provider to track the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender if it's a scam. You can also report scam text messages to report@phishing.gov.uk by providing a screenshot of the text message.
- Website scams. If you notice a website that doesn't look quite right, you can easily report the URL to the NCSC directly via its online form.
- Scams adverts. These can currently be reported to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) through its online form. But as the new Online Safety Bill will include online scam ads, it means regulators, such as Ofcom, will have to work proactively with social media platforms and search engines to take them down. In the meantime, you should report any scam ads to the ASA.
From moneysavingexpert.com