A look at current SCAMS

We are going to look at a number of recent scams in this edition of our regular Scam email alert.

But obviously these are only a few of the SCAMS doing the rounds at the moment. All the others we have reported in the past haven’t stopped, so keep on your guard. Only the other day someone told me they had received a SCAM email claiming to come from the TV licensing people, we have reported this in a previous email. And, with Easter coming up, look out for seasonal SCAMS. The last couple of years we have seen a Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt SCAM doing the rounds, particularly on social media, I expect we will see that again this year. The top three company names that scammers use are Amazon, Netflix and UPS.

Amazon Prime – downloading remote software

This SCAM starts with a telephone call from a fraudster telling you that your Amazon Prime subscription is increasing in price or expiring. If you say you want to cancel, you’ll be asked to download remote access software. Once you download the program, the scammer will be able to access your device and steal your information or install malware.

Nobody should be asking you to download ANY software, so be on your guard.

Fake People’s Postcode Lottery letters

This SCAM starts with a letter claiming that you’ve won thousands in the People’s Postcode Lottery.

This scam letter includes the People’s Postcode Lottery logo and branding and claims that your postcode has been randomly selected from the electoral roll database. You’re asked to call a number to claim your prize which is when the scammer will ask for your personal details.

Winning postcodes can be checked on The People’s Postcode Lottery website, which is updated daily.

Fake HMRC Tax refunds

This SCAM starts with a phoney email from a fraudster impersonating HMRC. The emails include a link to ‘claim’ a refund it tells you you are due. And if you click on the link, you’ll be taken to a website that puts you at risk of giving away your personal details to a scammer.

HMRC will never send specific tax information (such as how much you owe or any rebates due to you) by email, so if you receive this email you can rest assured that it’s a scam.

Fake £2 Disney+ TV Channel Subscription

This scam email is sent from the address ‘DisneyPlus@costumercontact.com’. If you remember my 3rd Scam Email Alert where I explained how to recognise a fake email address, in this example the brand name ‘DisneyPlus’ is being used in the wrong place. In this case, the so called brand name is ‘custumercontact’.  It claims to offer a Disney+ TV package for 12 months for the price of just £2 – a saving of 98%. A genuine Disney+ subscription costs £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.

The email includes an image of the movie ‘The Avengers’ to make it appear more convincing.

The link included in the email encourages readers to click to activate a trial of the service where a SCAMMER will ask you for your personal details.

Sextortion / Romance

Romance SCAMS play on the emotions of the victim who may be feeling loneliness, depression, isolation, anxiety, all emotions that people want to get out of and would do anything, including being hooked by a romance scam. They also prey on the human tendency to trust. These scams usually start online, maybe by the victim reaching out to someone on an online dating site, but they can also start by being befriended in person. The scammer will start by building a relationship with the victim and gaining their trust, often taking several weeks or even months. Eventually money troubles will start to be mentioned, but the scammer will often wait to let the victim suggest they send or give money to help out. At this point, the victim is not only emotionally hooked but they are also financially hooked and will be emotionally tricked into sending more and more money, often draining the victim of their life’s savings.

More information on Romance Scams can be found on the GetSafeOnline website.

Look out for friends, relatives or neighbours who may be victims of scams or fraud, particularly romance scams.. They may be very secretive about their relationship and become hostile or angry, and withdraw from conversation when you ask any questions.

Sextortion victims are usually in their 20’s or 30’s, or even younger, but we have seen a number of nasty SCAM emails from fraudsters doing the rounds demanding money because they claim to have had access to YOUR computer for a month or two and have videos of you watching porn. These emails usually have some personal security information like a password taken from an old data breach to make them seem more authentic.

Remember the A,B,C –  Assume nothing , Believe nobody and Check everything 

Take 5 to Stop Fraud – STOP | CHALLENGE | PROTECT

There are a number of ways you can report a scam:

·  Forwarding suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk 

·  Forward suspicious texts to Ofcom on 7726

·  Contact Action Fraud by visiting actionfraud.police.uk or calling 0300 123 2040

·  Contact Crimestoppers by visiting crimestoppers-uk.org

If you believe that you have become a victim of an online scam and would like some help, contact Victim Support by visiting victimsupport.org.uk

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Getsafeonline.org has lots of advice about online safety at 

https://www.getsafeonline.org

They also have a handy tool to check out whether a website is likely to be legitimate or fraudulent, at https://www.getsafeonline.org/checkawebsite/

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If you would like to receive more information about scams into your email box, you can sign up to the National Action Fraud Alert scheme run by the City of London Police.

https://www.actionfraudalert.co.uk/

Or, you can sign up for Which? Scam Alerts …

https://act.which.co.uk/page/103781/data/1

Or sign up to West Sussex County Staying Safe Online E-newsletter …

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/crime-prevention/staying-safe-online/

Article by Liam Dasey. Liam is one of our volunteer Digital Champions, but he is also a volunteer Digital Ambassador for West Sussex County Council and Get Safe Online, helping raise awareness about online safety in the community.