Scams

Experts from Love The Sales have shared their advise on how to avoid falling for scams during Boxing Day and January sales.

A large part of Christmas preparations is doing your shopping, whether it be groceries for the big day or snapping up those last minute presents. As Black Friday and Cyber Monday ended the November savings, the next round of sales are here.

https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/shopping/experts-boxing-day-sale-scams-8991262

A new guide to help protect older people against web fraud has revealed the growing sophistication of WhatsApp scams.

The 28-page document put together by Cyber & Fraud Centre – Scotland shows how criminals are using the social media app to impersonate friends and family.

https://futurescot.com/new-guide-for-older-people-reveals-growing-sophistication-of-whatsapp-scams/

A man from Letchworth has been jailed after he defrauded dozens of people out of more than £10,000.

https://www.thecomet.net/news/23977026.letchworth-man-jailed-fraud-worth-10-000/?ref=twtrec

Many of us are spending more time than ever shopping online. Our online shopping guidance can help you to avoid scam websites, and purchase items safely.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/shopping-online-securely

The Government has launched an Online Fraud Charter with 12 major tech companies in a “world-first” initiative to combat online scams, fake adverts and romance fraud.

Home Secretary James Cleverly hosted representatives from several leading tech companies – including Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube – to sign the pledge to tackle internet fraud at Lancaster House in central London on Thursday morning.

https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/national/23957903.top-tech-firms-sign-new-government-charter-crack-online-fraud/

Brits need to be extra vigilant for festive fraudsters – as ‘purchase scams’ peak at the back end of the year, a bank has warned. Data, from NatWest, shows in the last four months of 2022, these cons – where scammers sell non-existent products at discounted prices to attract buyers – rose by 41 per cent.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/brits-extra-vigilant-festive-fraudsters-111930676.html/

NatWest customers will be given the opportunity to play a board game in some of the bank’s branches.

https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/national/uk-today/23949575.natwest-launches-board-game-educate-people-scams/

A woman conned out of £1,000 after receiving an email from a scammer impersonating her boss has issued a warning to shoppers this festive season.

https://news.stv.tv/north/woman-conned-out-of-1000-in-gift-card-scam-after-email-from-fraudster-impersonating-her-boss

HSBC has revealed a jump in UK business customers being targeted by scammers last month, as the banking giant called for industries including social media platforms to pull together to help tackle fraud ahead of Black Friday.

Purchase scams cases were 30% higher in October compared with the same month last year, the bank said.

WhatsApp users across Nottinghamshire are being encouraged to be vigilant after scammers hacked into accounts and asked their victim’s friends and family for money.

Nottinghamshire Police has received a spike in reports about a scam that sees a criminal gain control of a WhatsApp account belonging to someone who is part of a WhatsApp group – typically including members of a community or religious group.