Scams awareness

Latest scams

Scams can come in many shapes and forms and fraudsters are always looking for new ways to fool their victims. You can find out more on the latest scams on the Action Fraud website.

• Current frauds and scams in County Durham
• Citizens Advice: check if something might be a scam
• Financial Conduct Authority: protect yourself from scams
• Business companion: business scams

Be aware and report a scam

Scams are designed to cheat you out of your money. If you respond to a scam, you are much more likely to be the target of further scams. If you think or know you have been scammed, you should report it to:

• the Police: call 101 if you know that the scammer is in the area and your money has been transferred to them, or 999 if you feel frightened or threatened.
• Action Fraud: the UK's national reporting centre for fraud
• Citizens Advice: report a scam
• Financial Conduct Authority: contacts for financial scams relating to pensions, investments, insurance, consumer credit
• National Cyber Security Centre
• Gov.uk: avoid and report internet scams and phishing
• The Pensions Regulator: avoid and report pension scams
• ofgem: avoid and report energy scams

Types of scams

Postal

This can include lotteries, prize draws and sweepstakes, clairvoyants, inheritance, investment, financial and debt collection.

Remember:

• you cannot win money or a prize if you have not entered a competition or lottery
• genuine competitions will not ask you to pay a fee to collect your winnings
• do not send money or your banking details to someone you do not know or trust

You can reduce personally addressed junk mail by registering with the:

• Mail Preference Service
• Royal Mail: register to opt out of receiving junk mail from Royal Mail
• Fundraising Regulator: Fundraising Preference Service

Telephone

This can include telephone services (landline), payment protection insurance (PPI), prize draws, banking services, advertising, government energy grants, compensation calls and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Remember:

• if you're unsure if a call is genuine, hang up, wait five minutes and call the company back
• the bank will never call you to ask for your PIN or password
• always be suspicious if you're contacted unexpectedly

You can reduce the number of nuisance phone calls by:

• registering with the Telephone Preference Service
• using blocking devices, such as True Call but be wary of any companies that contact you unexpectedly offering this service

Emails

This can include emails with links to bogus websites, forms asking for personal information or financial details and subscription traps.

Remember:

• do not click on any links in the email
• do not supply any information on other websites if you have clicked on external links in the email
• do not reply to the email - this could cause a virus on your device - or contact the senders in any way
• do not open any attachments that arrive with the email
• do not enter credit/debit card details for 'free' samples - you could be locked in to an ongoing contract
• check the senders email address to make sure it is genuine

Online

This can include event ticket scams, pets for sale on social media, adverts for bogus goods, fake CV writing scams and copycat websites.

How to avoid online scams:

• Install antivirus software, keep it updated and turn on your computer firewalls.
• Change your passwords frequently.
• Do not make your email address public on different websites.
• Spot phishing websites, look for spelling and punctuation errors. Often English is not the first language of the scammers and they might miss some errors when they proofread.
• Examine images and logos. Look carefully, as they might be distorted and have poor image quality.
• Be wary of pop-ups. If you navigate to a website and a pop-up shows up asking for your username and password, shut the pop-up and leave the website.

Doorstep cold calling

Cold calling is the act of making unrequested and uninvited visits to consumers' homes with the intention of selling goods or services. This can include bogus fish sellers and roofing, block paving and gardening services.

To stop doorstep criminals from scamming you, remember that you must never:

• agree for work on your house or garden by someone who knocks at your door uninvited
• give money to or sign any forms for people who turn up on your doorstep
• open the door to strangers or allow uninvited callers into your home
• let somebody take you to the bank to get money for them

If you feel your area would benefit from a cold calling zone to deter uninvited visitors, Contact Customer Services.

Remember: 

• all scams have one thing in common- to gain your trust and obtain private information and money
• think about whether you want or need anything the visitor is offering
• if in doubt, do not answer the door to cold callers

Further information

The Friends Against Scams Online Learning course can give you more information.