4 Common Scams You Need to be Aware of
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Scams
Scams always spike around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The sheer volume of people shopping for deals makes it a prime time for criminals. There are a few different ways that these scammers could try and catch you out.
One of the most common scams is misusing known delivery company names such as Royal Mail and DPD.
Scammers send texts or emails asking for further information or payment for postage. Following the instructions on these communications leads to the scammers stealing your personal or payment information.
Make sure you keep track of what you have ordered and when you are expecting delivery to make sure you don’t fall foul of these scams.
The other main scam involves the cloning of legitimate websites to steal your bank details or to sell counterfeit goods. You can often identify these sites by their incredibly low prices, which tempt people to purchase.
Things to keep in mind when shopping online are:
Check the address provided on the website, be suspicious if there is no address.
Check the returns policy.
Check online reviews for the business.
Check the address bar shows a padlock for secure payment.
For goods over £100, for extra protection, pay on your credit card.
Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true and trust your instincts.
Starting A New Job Scam
The UK job market is busier than ever, with record unemployment combined with record vacancies. This is why we’ve seen such a huge rise in ‘New Job’ scams. This type of scam was so common during the coronavirus pandemic that as many as 74% of job seekers applied for jobs that didn’t exist.
These scams can be quite elaborate. In some cases, scammers will create company websites, fake LinkedIn profiles and other collateral to help create authenticity. They will conduct interviews and offer individuals the job. Up until this point, the recruitment process is just as you would expect.
Following a job offer, they will try and create a scenario whereby the applicant needs to provide their bank details or other personal information. The organization will then disappear, never to be seen again.
There are some key things to keep an eye out for:
Poorly Written Job Adverts
Suspicious Contact Details
Unrealistic Salaries
Job Offers Without an Interview
Being Asked for Money
Amazon Subscription Scam
Various different Amazon scams have appeared in recent years. One of the most common is receiving a text message asking you to update your payment information or to pay more money. While most people are now aware of this scam, a newer Amazon scam has appeared.
This scam starts with a cold call from someone claiming to work for Amazon. The number they use may appear to be from the UK, or even local. The caller states that Amazon has tried to refund you the £95 annual subscription fee but, by mistake, have actually refunded you with £9,500.
They can produce a fake bank account statement for you to see that makes it look as though the mistake is genuine and there is indeed an unexpected £9500 in your bank account. They ask you to pay this money back.
In reality, the overpayment has never happened and any money you pay them will be lost. To help you complete the fraud, the caller may ask for your bank account details, or for access to your computer.
Amazon has confirmed that they will never cold-call customers. Nor will they ask for remote computer access or payment over the phone.
If you are contacted by someone claiming to be an Amazon representative, do not give any details to the caller. Always verify directly with Amazon by logging into your official account and contacting customer support.
energy phishing scams
With the announcement of energy rebates for the whole UK, its no surprise that scammers quickly identified this as an opportunity to make money. Scam emails and texts relating to energy rebates claiming to be from Ofgem continue to target bill payers.
If individuals receive a message that asks for their bank details or to click on a link, they are encouraged to report it and to send a screen shot of the message to report@phishing.gov.uk and to energy.bills.rebate@beis.gov.uk
Further information can be found at www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing
If you need any further information you can contact the Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133