Online scams
What to look out for
Online scams are becoming harder to spot and can often catch out even the most savvy internet users. Unknowingly sharing personal or financial information sees millions of people lose money in the UK alone every year.
Some of the most common scams include
Email scams
Bogus emails sent in the hope that you will enter personal or financial information which may include links or files that could harm your device or direct you to fake websites.
Fake websites
Created by scammers to look official, requesting personal or financial information or offering a service for a fee which is available free elsewhere.
Computer Viruses
Sometimes called malware, these are rogue programs that spread from one computer to another and may be sent to you as a link or email attachment which will release a virus when you click on it.
Health scams
False and misleading claims may be made about medical-related products, such as miracle health cures, and fake online pharmacies may offer medicines cheaply but may be poor quality and potentially harmful.
Phone scams
Criminals impersonate legitimate organisations as a reason to contact you and use this to trick you into making payments and accessing your personal and financial information.
Relationship scams
Through social networks or dating sites, scammers may try to gain your trust and then use this to extort money from you.
How can you protect yourself?
There are ways in which you can make it more difficult for fraudsters to get away with online scams.
Be wary when opening emails from senders you don’t recognise.
Don’t click links in emails unless you are sure they’re legitimate – if in doubt, open a webpage and google the site you need to visit.
Don’t give personal details over email – banks will never ask you to confirm your personal details or account details via an email.
Ask yourself if this could be fake, take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information – it’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore a request received online, only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
If you receive a request through a friend or an organisation then use other means to contact them and verify the legitimacy of the request before you pass on any personal or financial information.
Shopping Scams
Only make payments using secure payment options.
Check the URL of the website begins with https instead of http. This means the site is secured using a TLS/SSL certificate which secures your data as it is passed from your browser to the websites server.
Look for trusted payment options such as PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay
Where possible, use a credit card when making purchases over £100. This provides protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act and could help you get your stolen money back.
If you think you have been a victim of a scam then contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud.
Visit: www.actionfraud.police.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 2040