CITIZENS Advice runs an annual scam awareness campaign to help consumers recognise and protect themselves from scams. This year the week of October 21-27 focuses on financial and investment scams.
Common Financial Scams:
The most frequent financial scams in the UK include payment diversion fraud, investment fraud, romance fraud, courier fraud, and various online banking frauds.
The Metropolitan Police’s 10 Golden Rules to Prevent Scams are:
- Be cautious of “too good to be true” deals.
- Take time to seek independent advice before agreeing to any offers.
- Verify credentials before handing over money or signing anything.
- Never send money to unknown or untrustworthy sources.
- Protect your personal and banking information.
- Log in to websites directly instead of using email links.
- Seek independent proof of a company’s success.
- Always get legal advice for deals involving time or money.
- Report any scams you encounter.
- Don’t feel embarrassed about being scammed; reporting helps others.
Employment Scams:
Be cautious of jobs that seem too good to be true, agencies fast-tracking security checks, requests for personal information, expensive training fees, or suspicious tax refund emails. Visit www.jobsaware.co.uk for more advice on employment scams.
Online scams:
Scams on social media and the internet are constantly changing, as scammers take advantage of current topics and trends to try and get people to part with their money or personal information. For example, expensive goods may be offered at low prices, in demand items displayed for sale, pop-ups warning of a problem with your device, “free” trials or messages pretending to be from an official organisation or friends/family. Use the “check if something might be a scam” page of the Citizens Advice Website for further information and advice, or call the National Trading Standards eCrime Team on 0808 250 5050.
For more help, support and guidance contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 or use Relay UK if you have hearing or speech difficulties.
