Have you been a victim of a scam? Has a friend or family member? Maybe you’ve realised it was a scam early enough to stop things but there are people out there who are falling for scams as they got more sophisticated and convincing. This blog post is a simple reminder to check who you’re talking to, who you’re giving access to and to help people stop scams happening to them
Scam Artists
I heard a story about someone who was switching to a new broadband provider that day. Not long after it was activated, the ‘new provider’ rang them and said the router was running slowly and could they log onto their computer and give the ‘new provider’ remote access. They also mentioned that because of the slow service they were due a refund so if the customer could log into their online bank, they could do this for them. When they’d logged in, a fake screen was shown whilst the ‘new provider’ emptied their savings account. It was a scam.
Who Is Calling You?
You need to be aware of who is calling you. My parents had three calls in the space of one afternoon from the ‘tax office’. It wasn’t the tax office. My father, the hero that he is took down the three different phone numbers and reported them to the police. Scams are rife. They are everywhere. For some reason people seem to think that it’s a good career option to try and steal money from people who have saved for years to have savings to retire on. Always be aware of who is calling you and if it seems odd, hang up. Even if they say they’re from your bank, a utility company, even the local council office, they’re probably not. Hang up.
Text Messages
I got two random text messages from ‘EE’ over one weekend recently. They clearly weren’t from my mobile provider just looking at the terrible spelling and the state of the link they wanted me to click on. Some people may have clicked on it though. Sometimes, if the message is convincing enough, written with urgency, we fall into the trap. Always give yourself a minute to think about it. If you’re not sure about it, delete it and blacklist the number.
Online Scams
Some of the scams people fall for most are online. Celebrities ‘endorsing’ schemes that they’ve never heard anything of. As I mentioned before, scams are getting more and more sophisticated, playing on the hearts of people, using photos of people who we as a nation respect to con us out of our cash. Always be aware of what links you are clicking on. Be aware of unknown emails. Never give people access to your passwords and accounts.
Beware Of People Knocking On Your Door
The classic of someone knocking at your door. As legit as they seem, I never sign up to charities or utilities or anything on the doorstep. Anyone could rock up on your doorstep and tell you they’re collecting money for so-and-so charity with a sob story, or say they could save your hundreds of pounds a year on your utility bills. Read that again. ANYONE. Making a professional looking lanyard is easy and suddenly they’re over your threshold and getting their hands on your cash.
If they’re legit, they won’t mind you be unsure and closing the door. If they’re not legit, they’re likely to get pushy. This one is especially important to warn vulnerable people about. Anyone, ANYONE, can say they are a tradesman and that your roof needs re-tiling or windows need replacing. Once they’re in, they’ll try and sell you stuff you don’t need for ridiculous amounts of cash. Send them packing and maybe even invest in a video camera doorbell so they are captured on film.
Bring The Fight
We must, as a nation, fight back again scams. These are just a few to mention in the blog post to warn you to be vigilant. There are thousands of scam artists out there, living the life that hard working people deserve with the hard earned money they saved up. Don’t give them your money. Read more about scams and what to do if you fall victim to one, over on Money Saving Expert.
