National Insurance Scam Calls
Victims have reported receiving an automated telephone call telling them their“National Insurance number has been compromised” and in order to fix this and get a new number, the victim needs to “press 1 on their handset to be connected to the caller”. Once the call is connected, victims are pressured into giving over their personal details in order to receive a new National Insurance number. In reality, they’ve been connected to a criminal who can now use their personal details to commit fraud.
Scams Trending Regionally & Nationally
Emails that claim to be from Paypal, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and various internet service providers have increased. These e-mails urge you to log in to your account via the link contained in the e-mail to check your details. Emails are being received which claim to be from HM COURTS AND TRIBUNALSstating you have a fine outstanding have been circulating urging you to pay the fee online.
Ticket scams are on the increase as lockdown restrictions ease.
Action Fraud is warning the public to take extra care when buying tickets for festivals and events online, as figures from the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime reveal almost £1 million has been lost to ticket fraud so far this year. Only buy tickets from the venue directly, an official promoter or agent, or a well-known and reputable ticket site. Don’t be duped by offers on secondary ticketing websites or social media.
Doorstep Traders
We continue to receive reports of doorstep traders using pushy and sometimes aggressive sales tactics to intimidate people, usually the vulnerable and isolated members of our society, into using their services. Please remember if you feel pressured, ask the person to leave and take time to talk to someone you trust before you make any decisions on the doorstep.
Holiday Fraud
Here are our top tips on avoiding holiday fraud:
- Do your research beforehand.
- Pay by credit card where possible for extra protection.
- Be wary of social media adverts.
- Check you are on a secure website. Look out for https inthe top left corner of the web address.
- Check that who you are booking with is a member ofABTA. This means that if a travel company goes underyou are financially protected.
Had a holiday cancelled?
Look out for scam emails offering compensation to holidaymakers who have had a trip cancelled due to Covid-19.
Be aware of vaccine passport scams
Scammers are offering fake covid-19 certificates and vaccine passports. Scammers are using methods such as phishing emails and text messages to trick consumers into inputting personal information and charging a ‘fee for the service offered.