A Future at Home - Scam Info Update

Tue 4 Nov, 15:06

There's an interesting series on BBC Radio 4 - Scam Secrets - on these and other unpleasant practices; as well as offering real life examples, they have an expert explaining the tactics the scammers use to make you follow their instructions rather than reach for second thoughts.   Interesting.   

A friend of mine parted with £5000 to someone claiming to be 40 minutes away and bearing a demand from the Inland Revenue.   He then had a serious dose of cognitive dissonance reduction, saying that it was better to be safe than sorry.  Made me wonder whether I should give it a try, but he'd recognise my voice. 

Tue 4 Nov, 13:08

I got the same fake text. Watch out, everyone. They're relentless.

Tue 4 Nov, 13:01

I get the dad/ this is my new number text at least twice weekly. As a parent of three, I did check with  my offspring the first time to confirm it was a scam which was my first thought. If it had begun with ‘mum’ I might have been more likely to fall for it if I was in a hurry…….

Mon 3 Nov, 22:56

Couple of scams going around atm. 
I have had this twice this week - text saying ‘Dad, can you log my new number in your phone, please?’  Obviously do not do that. 

Then, a scam phone call going around obviously aimed at over 50 year olds saying you are eligible for an emergency alarm to wear around your neck and they claim to be from a health care outfit, please be aware.

Fri 24 Oct, 08:22

Unfortunately, fraudsters may take advantage of our generosity when giving to charity. They may claim to be raising money for a fake charity or impersonate a well-known charity.

Most fundraising appeals are genuine, so the risk of fraud should not put you off giving to charities. However, you should be…

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Wed 22 Oct, 16:38

A scam email impersonating Netflix

A dodgy email impersonating Netflix titled 'suspension notification' warns you that you need to update your details in order to keep using the service.

It claims that your billing infomation couldn't be 'validated' and encourages you to follow a link to do this within '48 hours'.

This link will lead to a malicious site that will steal your personal information after entering it in.

Scam emails can be reported by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk.

Phishing websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre

Thu 16 Oct, 11:09

Interesting update, and a reminder about how easy it is to get fooled - About an hour after posting the last scam alert, I almost got scammed! I went as far as to pay for something and only stopped myself when the verification came through from my bank. I suddenly thought - "this is too good to be true" (it was for something I know is not available and offered at 1/3 of the price).

I had checked out the site on www.trustpilot.com and www.scamadviser.com. Searched for known scams from the company - all good. I had done the Tech-checking but I realised I had not done the "does this make sense?" checking.

Basically, I wanted it to be true, so I ignored the signs. I cancelled the verification and went back to the site. I clicked on their Facebook, Insta, and Linkedin icons and... all went back to blank pages!

It's embarrassing, especially as I spend a lot of time telling people about how to avoid scams, but it does highlight how easy it is to be fooled.

Question everything and listen to your inner voice.

Wed 15 Oct, 09:29

WhatsApp Gold scam and Martinelli

Reports of a resurgence of the WhatsApp Gold and Martinelli scam are circulating. The scam installs malware on your phone.

It begins with a WhatsApp message promoting a sham version of the messaging service called 'WhatsApp Gold,' which has special features that can be unlocked by clicking a link.

This link will lead to malware being downloaded to your device.

Another version of this scam features a message which warns of a video called 'Martinelli' installing malware to your device if opened. However, there is no evidence that this video exists.

You can report a WhatsApp message by selecting it in your conversation and tapping ‘report’.

Mon 29 Sep, 11:04 (last edited on Mon 29 Sep, 11:05)

Please be aware, if you receive this scam text – the number quoted to ring is a known reported scammer calling.

If possible, REPORT (forward to 7726) Block the sender, then DELETE the text

"Equita is instructed to pursue the recipient for non-payment of Council Tax.

The outstanding balance is £5296.00.

The recipient is advised to contact Equita immediately on 01604 628360, quoting reference 24229163, to avoid further action and costs."

Wed 24 Sep, 09:38

The number of scams - phone, mail, front door, etc, are on the rise and getting more sophisticated. 

Older people are often targeted, but everyone is at risk

I thought it might be good for all of us to be reminded of the latest updates...

Have you been told you…

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