Criminals can pretend to be a trusted organisation- like the bank or the police- to trick you into paying away your cash.
Here are some key watch-outs and how you can help in the fight against fraud:
- Don't just take the word of an online ad or something you've seen on social media- some scams use fake celebrity endorsements.
- Only criminals will pressure you into moving your money between accounts or to make a payment- hang up if you feel uneasy about what you're being asked to do
- Been asked to approve a payment in the app or with a text message code? Only use these if you're really making a payment and you know it's genuine.
- If you've been asked to make a payment to someone, make sure you double check it before paying away using something you trust, like calling them on a phone number you've used before.
- If you're worried about a fraud or a scam, call the Bank on the number on the back of your card.
As we know, the fake celebrity endorsements have "encouraged" many people.
**********
Here is some "advice" from my bank:
Never give your personal or security details to anyone else.
If you don’t trust the person or organisation you’re speaking to,
question
them and investigate – a genuine person won’t mind you doing this
Stay alert.
If something seems too good to be true then it probably is. Take the
time
to reflect on the situation and don’t be made to feel uncomfortable or
pressured into making a decision.
Be aware of unusual payment methods.
Scammers often use methods of payment such as cryptocurrency,
Bitcoin or a money transfer service such as Western Union.
Be online secure.
Make sure you use a complicated password (such as a phrase), you
have decent internet security, don’t open suspicious emails,
attachments
or pop-ups, and review your social media privacy settings.
Seek advice from someone you trust.
It may ring alarm bells with a friend or family member, or it
may be a scam they have heard of.
**********
I must admit I wasn't aware that Western Union was a favourite with scammers!
All the above points have been covered time and time again - "Which" is a good source of info and worth looking at all their regular updates. We seem to have reached the stage where you need to double ( triple ? ) check everything. Unfortunately, people still get caught out despite the warnings available. It's not only the elderly who are at risk but all age groups whether or not they are au fait with internet - ensure anyone ( friend /relative) who you think may be susceptible either knows the basics or can at least contact someone they trust before making a decision. The only thing you can say for sure it that the scammers aren't going to go away anytime soon.
All the above points have been covered time and time again ... Unfortunately, people still get caught out despite the warnings available... The only thing you can say for sure it that the scammers aren't going to go away anytime soon.
The only thing you can say for sure it that the scammers aren't going to go away anytime soon.
Thank you for your post, Philippa, clearly concluding that there is an urgent need to keep reminding all of us who are readers of this thread that we all need to be ever vigilant, as the tricks of the relentless scammers are ever present and, of course most importantly, ever evolving.
We need to take the warnings of our banks seriously for banks have been known to refuse to pay their clients who ignored their bank's advice and fell for any "convincing" scammer trick!
Posts
Scammers are clever and they ofte fool the best of us, so let's be extra wary every single day. AND report scams, it's important.
Criminals can pretend to be a trusted organisation- like the bank or the police- to trick you into paying away your cash.
Here are some key watch-outs and how you can help in the fight against fraud:
- Don't just take the word of an online ad or something you've seen on social media- some scams use fake celebrity endorsements.
- Only criminals will pressure you into moving your money between accounts or to make a payment- hang up if you feel uneasy about what you're being asked to do
- Been asked to approve a payment in the app or with a text message code? Only use these if you're really making a payment and you know it's genuine.
- If you've been asked to make a payment to someone, make sure you double check it before paying away using something you trust, like calling them on a phone number you've used before.
- If you're worried about a fraud or a scam, call the Bank on the number on the back of your card.
Never give your personal or security details to anyone else.
If you don’t trust the person or organisation you’re speaking to, question
them and investigate – a genuine person won’t mind you doing this
Stay alert.
If something seems too good to be true then it probably is. Take the time
to reflect on the situation and don’t be made to feel uncomfortable or
pressured into making a decision.
Be aware of unusual payment methods.
Scammers often use methods of payment such as cryptocurrency,
Bitcoin or a money transfer service such as Western Union.
Be online secure.
Make sure you use a complicated password (such as a phrase), you
have decent internet security, don’t open suspicious emails, attachments
or pop-ups, and review your social media privacy settings.
Seek advice from someone you trust.
It may ring alarm bells with a friend or family member, or it
may be a scam they have heard of.
**********
I must admit I wasn't aware that Western Union was a favourite with scammers!
We seem to have reached the stage where you need to double ( triple ? ) check everything. Unfortunately, people still get caught out despite the warnings available.
It's not only the elderly who are at risk but all age groups whether or not they are au fait with internet - ensure anyone ( friend /relative) who you think may be susceptible either knows the basics or can at least contact someone they trust before making a decision.
The only thing you can say for sure it that the scammers aren't going to go away anytime soon.
We need to take the warnings of our banks seriously for banks have been known to refuse to pay their clients who ignored their bank's advice and fell for any "convincing" scammer trick!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYG2o2rY1Uk
I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character
Martin Luther King