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Q807: Is this a scam?

Answer

A scam is a dishonest scheme designed to cheat another person out of something, usually money. You will be contacted out of the blue either by telephone, email, message service or in person. Fraudsters can be very convincing, so it is important to be wary and investigate any suspicious behaviour to stop you potentially losing large sums of money.

If you are offered a deal that seems too good to be true, it more than likely is so be sure to check over all the facts and do not feel rushed into making a decision.

Below are examples of the different types of scams you may come across:

  • Investment scams; smooth-talking salespeople with brochures offer the opportunity to buy shares and investments that do not actually exist
  • Prize draw scams; Being told you have won a prize draw/competition but to receive the money you must dial a number - there will be a charge for this that they don't inform you of (if the company was genuine, they would make you aware that there is a cost to call them).
  • Insurance scams; companies offering insurance on products that you didn't originally buy from them. Check that the company is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA ) before agreeing to anything
  • Visa scams; examples of this type of scam include -
    • A person pretending to be a Home Office officer asks you to meet them/comes to your home to ask for money to process you or your partner's visa. Officers from the Home Office never collect money from you at home and will only meet you at their offices.
    • A person calls claiming that there is a serious problem with your visa and that you need to send money as soon as possible to prevent deportation, cancellation. They appear to be genuine and convincing.
    • Applicants for work visas will be asked to pay a deposit as proof that they have sufficient funds to support them in the UK. This is a scam. As part of the official process, you would only be asked for evidence not money.
    • Agents who say they can get a visa using forged documents and agents who say they can speed up the process, can't.

  • Vehicle matching scam; after advertising a vehicle you receive a call saying there is an immediate buyer. They then ask for an upfront fee which will be refunded if the car isn't sold; the car isn't sold and no refund is given

  • Pyramid scams; You are asked to pay into a scheme and promised that you receive money when you get to the top of the scale, however you never can reach the top.

  • Courier scams; fraudsters are sending couriers out to collect your bank card or money after calling to inform you there has been a fraudulent payment on your card (see Q887 for more details on telephone/courier scams).

  • Pension scams; the most common tactics include - offer of a 'free pension review,' promise of high returns on your investment, saying you can access your pension before the age of 55 or wanting to transfer your money overseas. They may tell you they are part of the Pension Wise Scheme - be wary as pension wise would never contact you out of the blue.

  • Website scams; designed to look official but ask for payment on items that would be free on the genuine site e.g. EHIC card. Be wary of fraudsters cloning bank websites and sending emails pretending to be from banks and stealing credit card details.

  • Computer virus scams; small computer programs that are used to help scammers undertake their scam. In order to protect yourself you need to -
    • create passwords that are long, unique, a mix of letters and numbers and that you change regularly.
    • use anti virus software that is kept updated and when installing new software, use a secure site which begins with https:
    • leave your firewall switched on and don't open suspicious or unknown emails, attachments, texts etc
    • before entering payment card details on a website, check that the link is secure (indicated by a padlock symbol in the browser window frame, NOT on page itself.) If you click on the padlock, check the security certificate.

If you suspect a scam, you should report it to both the Financial Conduct Authority and Action Fraud (see websites in Related Information) If the company is not registered with FCA , you can report them on 0800 111 6768. Do not give out personal details or money if you are unsure; once the money is transferred it is usually extremely difficult to reclaim it.

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Answer

Scammers will contact you and may pretend to be from your bank, HMRC or the police, they may do this over the phone, email, text message or social media apps. They warn you that there has been suspicious or criminal activity with your bank account, and then explain they have set up an account (a safe account) that you can transfer your money to. This will always be their account, and even if they say it’s in your name you will not be able to access it.

Protect yourself:

  • Always be suspicious of a cold caller claiming to be from your bank or a position of authority.
  • Someone who is genuinely from a trusted authority or an official from your bank will never ask you to confirm your details.
  • Make sure you get the callers details and then check the details independently.
  • Banks do not set up safe accounts for people to transfer money to.
  • Never transfer money to someone unless you are 100% sure.

If you think you have been the victim of a scam such as this, we recommend that you contact your bank as soon as possible. You should also report it to Action Fraud. See Is this a scam? for details on the different types of scams and the related information for guidance on how to protect yourself from scammers.

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With the increase in online banking and the introduction of contactless payments, criminals are finding new ways to scam people out of their money. There are a few common scams relating to banking.
 
Cash Machines
Cash machines are good targets for criminals as they can fit devices to cash machines that may trap the bank card or copy the card details and record the PIN. They may also try to distract you by making conversation, allowing an accomplice to then take your card and cash. Another tactic is to ask if something on the floor is yours, distracting you in allowing them to get your money and/ or card.
 
Ways to protect yourself against it are to make sure you are:
  • Be wary of anyone approaching when you are at a cash machine,
  • Always shield your PIN (Personal Identification Number), the best way is to stand close to the cash machine and cover the keypad with your purse/ wallet or spare hand,
  • If your card is ever retained by the machine do not leave the cash machine. Report it immediately by calling your card issuers number.
Cards and Contactless Payment
This method of payment has become increasingly popular and there are many myths around this use of payment.
 
One that is common is that people can come along with a card payment machine whilst the card is in your bag and take the information on your card to then commit fraud. This is not true because whilst a card reader that is contactless-enabled can read a card from 10cm away the information it receives is what is stored on the front of the card. Which is never enough to clone a card as it is incomplete for the information needed. As the card reader needs to be very close to the card this also makes it impossible for the details to be intercepted when in use, something that is also a common myth.
 
There are a few tips you can follow to reassure yourself that no one has used your card through contactless payment:
  • Always go through your bank statements and check which are contactless, to make sure you recognise them all,
  • Don’t let anyone take your card out of sight for payment under any circumstances. They could use this time to copy the information stored in the magnetic strip or the CCV code on the back of the card,
  • If your card or phone, with card payments, enabled on it, are ever stolen inform your bank as soon as possible.   
Online banking
With online banking becoming increasingly popular so are criminals trying to scam people out of their money. Some banks may give one-time passcodes sent to your device so you can make payments, always keep these and any personal details, passwords or memorable information safe. Never share these with anyone even from your bank. If someone asks for these details, they are most certainly a criminal. You can protect yourself by:
  • Making sure any passwords or memorable information are chosen with care, try to make them as random as possible,
  • Always keep any banking apps or software up to date by downloading updates when prompted,
  • Remember to log out of your online banking account or app every time, simply closing the app/ web page or turning off your device may not be enough,
  • If you use any banking apps/ websites in public take care to shield your PIN, passcode or any passwords used,
  • It is difficult to tell if public WI-FI spots are secure so never use them for banking,
  • Never share any security codes, passwords or memorable information that can be sued to access your account with anyone,
  • If your bank ever calls you get a reference code from them, then hang up and call them back using a number you know is safe. Such as one on their website or listed on your banking information. Only call back once the line has been cleared, if you are unsure about this call using a different phone than the one they contacted you on.  
For more information please see the Is this a scam? question.

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Answer

Zoom is a video conferencing app. Zoom Bombing is a cyber-attack on your video call where an individual or a group of people enter the call without the permission of the host. These individuals then display offensive or explicit images in order to cause distress to the recipients.

Video conferencing helps many people work remotely and allows us to stay in touch with our families and friends. Unfortunately as worldwide use of video conferencing continues to increase, so has the volume of cyber-attacks.

The links in Related Information provide details of how to secure your Zoom meeting and prevent unwanted people joining.

If you have experienced Zoom Bombing, this can be reported to Zoom and depending on the nature of the content, your local police force.

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Phishing is a cyber crime where criminals contact people by email, telephone or text message, pretending to be a legitimate organisation. They try to get people to provide personal information such as bank details and passwords, and often include links that once clicked, download a virus to your computer and steal personal information. The information is then used to access accounts and can result in identity theft and financial loss.

Be aware of suspicious messages and emails and do not click on links or attachments in them. Never respond to unsolicited messages that ask for your personal or financial details.

If you do receive a suspicious email, this can be reported to National Cyber Security Centre via their Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) Any suspected frauds committed by email can be send to Action Fraud. See Q680 and Q749 for further information regarding fraud and see the links in Related Information to report any suspicious or fraudulent emails.

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Related Information
Answer

Phishing emails and texts claiming to be from HMRC have become more prevalent over the past few years, particularly during the pandemic.

Examples of phishing emails can be found on the following link:

gov.uk/government/publications/phishing-and-bogus-emails-hm-revenue-and-customs-examples

Fraudsters ask for immediate action. Be wary of emails containing phrases like 'you only have 3 days to reply' or 'urgent action required'. Remember, phishing emails are common for all sorts of issues. As a rule of thumb, never click on links contained in suspicious emails or open attachments.

The link below provides genuine HMRC contact information and guidance on how to recognise phishing emails:

gov.uk/government/publications/genuine-hmrc-contact-and-recognising-phishing-emails/genuine-hmrc-contact-and-recognising-phishing-emails

Please see Q1023 for how to report a suspicious/ phishing/ scam email.

If you have already responded to a suspicious message, take the following steps:

  • if you have provided your bank details, contact your bank as soon as possible and let them know,
  • if you have lost money, tell your bank and report it as a crime to Action Fraud,
  • change your passwords, this goes for email and all accounts and create new, strong passwords,
  • if you have opened a link or followed instructions to install software, run a comprehensive virus scan,
  • if you have received the message on a work laptop or phone, contact your IT department and let them know.

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Question

Q807: Is this a scam?

Answer

A scam is a dishonest scheme designed to cheat another person out of something, usually money. You will be contacted out of the blue either by telephone, email, message service or in person. Fraudsters can be very convincing, so it is important to be wary and investigate any suspicious behaviour to stop you potentially losing large sums of money.

If you are offered a deal that seems too good to be true, it more than likely is so be sure to check over all the facts and do not feel rushed into making a decision.

Below are examples of the different types of scams you may come across:

  • Investment scams; smooth-talking salespeople with brochures offer the opportunity to buy shares and investments that do not actually exist
  • Prize draw scams; Being told you have won a prize draw/competition but to receive the money you must dial a number - there will be a charge for this that they don't inform you of (if the company was genuine, they would make you aware that there is a cost to call them).
  • Insurance scams; companies offering insurance on products that you didn't originally buy from them. Check that the company is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA ) before agreeing to anything
  • Visa scams; examples of this type of scam include -
    • A person pretending to be a Home Office officer asks you to meet them/comes to your home to ask for money to process you or your partner's visa. Officers from the Home Office never collect money from you at home and will only meet you at their offices.
    • A person calls claiming that there is a serious problem with your visa and that you need to send money as soon as possible to prevent deportation, cancellation. They appear to be genuine and convincing.
    • Applicants for work visas will be asked to pay a deposit as proof that they have sufficient funds to support them in the UK. This is a scam. As part of the official process, you would only be asked for evidence not money.
    • Agents who say they can get a visa using forged documents and agents who say they can speed up the process, can't.

  • Vehicle matching scam; after advertising a vehicle you receive a call saying there is an immediate buyer. They then ask for an upfront fee which will be refunded if the car isn't sold; the car isn't sold and no refund is given

  • Pyramid scams; You are asked to pay into a scheme and promised that you receive money when you get to the top of the scale, however you never can reach the top.

  • Courier scams; fraudsters are sending couriers out to collect your bank card or money after calling to inform you there has been a fraudulent payment on your card (see Q887 for more details on telephone/courier scams).

  • Pension scams; the most common tactics include - offer of a 'free pension review,' promise of high returns on your investment, saying you can access your pension before the age of 55 or wanting to transfer your money overseas. They may tell you they are part of the Pension Wise Scheme - be wary as pension wise would never contact you out of the blue.

  • Website scams; designed to look official but ask for payment on items that would be free on the genuine site e.g. EHIC card. Be wary of fraudsters cloning bank websites and sending emails pretending to be from banks and stealing credit card details.

  • Computer virus scams; small computer programs that are used to help scammers undertake their scam. In order to protect yourself you need to -
    • create passwords that are long, unique, a mix of letters and numbers and that you change regularly.
    • use anti virus software that is kept updated and when installing new software, use a secure site which begins with https:
    • leave your firewall switched on and don't open suspicious or unknown emails, attachments, texts etc
    • before entering payment card details on a website, check that the link is secure (indicated by a padlock symbol in the browser window frame, NOT on page itself.) If you click on the padlock, check the security certificate.

If you suspect a scam, you should report it to both the Financial Conduct Authority and Action Fraud (see websites in Related Information) If the company is not registered with FCA , you can report them on 0800 111 6768. Do not give out personal details or money if you are unsure; once the money is transferred it is usually extremely difficult to reclaim it.
 
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