Tag: online scams

New guide helps Scots seniors safeguard their finances as online scams soar

With statistics this year from Age Scotland showing that over 400,000 older people living in Scotland have been targeted by scammers, it has never been more important to protect yourself and others from falling victim to fraudsters. Crimes include crypto currency, scam text messages and fake phone calls or emails impersonating trusted organisations such as banks. 

While a rapid rise in cases were seen across all age groups, older people are particularly more susceptible. Incidences of fraud crime against this age demographic in Scotland are rising, as scammers take advantage of their relative unfamiliarity with technology, and potentially more trusting nature.  

To mark International Day of Older Persons on 1st October, Scottish charity the Cyber and Fraud Hub has relaunched its Older Person’s guide to encourage older residents to be vigilant when it comes to online scams.

Originally produced by the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, A Guide to Avoiding Fraud and Scams for Older People addresses some of the most common forms of cyber and fraud crime, and will be distributed through local community networks as well as being available online.  

The guide aims to empower older adults to navigate the digital landscape safely and securely, and provides insights into common online scams, identifies red flags to watch out for, and outlines steps to take in case of suspected fraud.

The Cyber and Fraud Hub is the first charity of its kind in Scotland, offering comprehensive support tailored specifically to individuals affected by cyber and fraud crimes. The Hub is built on strong relationships with Police Scotland and the banking sector, and its mission is to ensure that members of the public across Scotland receive the support they need when they are most vulnerable.  

Since the Cyber and Fraud Hub launched, the team has dealt with around £250k of crypto frauds across all age groups and stopped or prevented around £60k from being transferred to fraudsters. Victims of crypto currency scams usually engage with individuals who are unknown to them through unsolicited approaches on WhatsApp, Facebook or dating apps, for example, or click on links by AI generated celebrities supposedly promoting crypto scams.  

Other common scam and fraud attempts affecting older people most commonly include telephone scams, banking scams, WhatsApp family and friends impersonation scams, parcel delivery scams and investment and pension scams.  

Alex Dowall, Head of Fraud and Cyber at the Cyber and Fraud Hub, said: “Anyone of any age can fall victim to a scam and fraud attempts are on the increase for all age groups, however we have noticed a huge increase in scammers repeatedly targeting older people.

“The Hub was launched to offer Scotland’s only dedicated cyber support for all members of the public. We understand that our older residents are less likely to access online and social media platforms, so we are encouraging people to have a conversation about our guide with their older friends, family and neighbours to empower them to be as vigilant as possible against fraud and scam attempts.”  

International Day of Older Persons raises awareness of opportunities and challenges faced by ageing populations, and to mobilise the wider community to address difficulties faced by older people.

While the day focuses on many issues, Cyber and Fraud Hub urges older people to:  

  • Be cautious of unexpected calls, emails, or letters.  
  • Never give out personal information over the phone or email.  
  • Be suspicious of any offers that sound too good to be true.  
  • Shred personal documents before throwing them away.  
  • Talk to someone you trust about your finances.   

To access the guide, visitthe Resources section on the Cyber and Fraud Hub at cyberfraudhub.org.

Anyone who finds themselves a victim of a cyber or fraud crime can call the incident response helpline on 0808 281 3580. 

Keeping people safe and secure online

£500,000 funding for communities

Projects providing practical help to support people tackle the growing risks posed by online crime will share a £500,000 fund aimed at ensuring a digitally secure and resilient Scotland.

Organisations including Scottish Union Learning and Community Enterprise, will use the money to provide workshops aimed at tackling scams and internet safety, deliver training to upskill under-represented groups into careers within cyber security and provide digital advice in different languages.

The projects will be targeted at specific groups, including disabled people and those with specific learning needs, minority ethnic groups, people living in areas of social deprivation or in rural or remote communities and those for whom English is not their first language.

Since  2019- 20 cyber crimes (crimes committed using the internet) have risen with an estimated 14,890 cyber-crimes recorded by Police Scotland in in 2022-23 almost twice the level in 2019-20 (7,710). This £500,000 fund is part of £1.16 million invested by the Scottish Government in 2023-24 to improve preparedness to withstand, defend against, manage, and recover quickly from cyber incidents.

Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Constance said: “Cybercrime such as fraud and data theft can have a devastating impact on people, communities and businesses. 

“The Scottish Government is committed to building cyber resilience within all our communities and this funding will enable many more people across the country keep themselves safe and secure when going online by supporting them to gain practical knowledge and skills to recognise and avoid cyber-attacks.

“We will also continue to work closely with Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure Scotland’s public sector is resilient to cyber threats.“

Metro Bank Supports Take Five Week

Consumers Are Challenged – Does It Seem Legit?

Metro Bank, the UK’s community bank, supports UK Finance’s 2023 Take Five week from 17th April – 21st April 2023.  The theme is ‘Seems Legit?’ A challenge to consumers to stop and consider if something just doesn’t ring true – especially if you are being pressured to act quickly.

Take Five is delivered by UK Finance in collaboration with a range of partners including the payments industry, financial services firms and law enforcement because in 20211 over £1.3 billion was stolen by criminals – that’s nearly £2,500 every minute of the day.

Take Five is a national awareness campaign which offers straightforward and impartial advice to help everyone protect themselves from preventable financial fraud. This includes email deception and phone-based scams as well as online fraud – particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations.

Despite fraud being the most common type of crime in the UK – accounting for more than 40% of all reported crimes – only 2% of police funding is directed to tackling the problem – so consumers need to participate to help protect themselves.

“No-one believes they will become the victim of a scam, however in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to forget the basics around keeping yourself and your details safe from fraudsters”, warns Baz Thompson, head of fraud and investigations, Metro Bank. 

“It is human nature to trust people – especially if someone says they’re from a bank – why wouldn’t you believe them? Take Five urges everyone to stop, pause and consider whether the situation is legitimate.”

Take Five has created a punchy reminder on what to do if you’re faced with a scenario where you are asked to make some kind of payment:

Stop – Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money – trust your gut if something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not!

Challenge – Is this person who they say they are? It’s okay to refuse any requests for money and financial or personal details.

Protect –Follow our tips to prevent yourself falling victim to scams. If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam report it to your bank immediately.

Visit Take Five’s website for the latest advice around frauds and scams:

1.       https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/policy-and-guidance/reports-and-publications/annual-fraud-report-2022

Public urged to protect themselves from online sales scams

The UK government has urged the public to protect themselves from online sales scams through five actionable steps.

The public must be vigilant in protecting themselves from the threat of online scammers during the Boxing Day sales, the Government has urged today (26 December) after a year which saw a record number of cyber attacks and online scams.

Reports to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, reveal that almost 100,000 people in the UK have fallen victim to online shopping fraud in the past 13 months – with over £60 million being reported lost, leading to this call to action for the public to take five simple steps to protect themselves and their families from fraudsters.

Traditionally, Boxing Day marks one of the busiest days on the high street for retailers, however in recent years more people have been shopping online – with Barclaycard estimating £2.7 billion was spent online by UK shoppers on Boxing Day 2020, an average of £162 per shopper.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is encouraging people to shop online securely by following five actionable steps:

  1. Keeping accounts secure – strong and separate passwords should be used for the most important online accounts, including email, banking or payment accounts (such as PayPal). The NCSC recommends using three random words to create a password. Turning on two-step verification can add an extra layer of protection.
  2. Be aware of emails, text messages or websites that look too good to be true or suspicious – many scammers set up fake messages designed to steal financial and personal information. Members of the public can report suspicious messages to the NCSC via text to 7726 and email to report@phishing.gov.uk.
  3. Choose online retailers carefully – research stores before buying to confirm they are legitimate through trustworthy consumer websites. Some emails or texts about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. If unsure, don’t use the link.
  4. Use a credit card for online payments if possible – most major credit card providers protect online purchases, and are obliged to refund individuals in certain circumstances.
  5. Only provide enough details to complete a purchase – only fill in the mandatory details on a website when shopping online (often marked with an asterisk).

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Cyber Crime Steve Barclay said: “With a record number of cyber attacks this year, it is crucial we all take some steps to keep ourselves and our families safe from scammers while shopping online, particularly in the Boxing Day sales which have become a firm favourite for fraudsters.

“In the past year, government and police action has seen numerous convictions on cyber fraud, and we should all play our part to stamp out this terrible crime that can ruin lives.”

Paul Maddinson, Director of National Resilience and Strategy at the NCSC said: “Scammers will use any opportunity to try and trick the public and businesses into parting with their money so it’s really important that we all know how to protect ourselves.

“Whilst scams can be convincing, there are practical steps you can take to avoid falling victim to cyber crime which can all be found on the NCSC’s website.”

This warning against online scams comes alongside growing concern about the vulnerability of people’s personal technology. Hackers are targeting individuals’ applications and email accounts, gaining access to personal and financial information and exposing individuals to considerable risk.

As people receive new laptops and smartphones over Christmas, the risks are magnified. The government is also encouraging individuals to ensure that any new devices are protected to keep personal and financial information secure from hackers.However, these dangers are easily avoidable by adopting two key Cyber Aware behaviours:

  • Turning on two-step verification
  • Using three random words to secure your email accounts

For further guidance on how to stay secure online, visit www.cyberaware.gov.uk

Which? calls for action over toll of online scams

Social media users are seriously underestimating their chances of falling victim to online fraud and suffering devastating emotional and financial consequences because tech giants are not doing enough to warn and protect them, Which? is warning.

The consumer champion’s latest research using an online community of Facebook users showed that a majority were lulled into a false sense of security by the platform’s social nature. They mistakenly assumed they could spot fraud and that the company’s systems would protect them effectively. 

However Which? found a third of participants did not know that fake products might be advertised on the site – putting them at risk of falling victim to purchase scams. A quarter did not spot an investment scam advert with a fake endorsement from a celebrity.

If this was to be replicated across Facebook’s user base of 44 million Britons, huge numbers of users could potentially be at risk from fraudsters who lure in victims with fake accounts, posts and paid-for ads on the site.

The financial consequences for those tricked by these fraudsters as well as those who post scam adverts on websites and search engines like Google can be devastating.

Which? has heard from many victims of these types of scams  – including a man who lost almost £100,000 after clicking on an online investment advert featuring fake endorsements from MoneySavingExpert’s Martin Lewis and Deborah Meaden from BBC show Dragons’ Den. 

The emotional consequences are equally serious. Scam victims told Which? that it had shaken their confidence in themselves and their ability to trust other people. A woman who lost £30,000 to an investment scam which featured prominently on Google said she still feels shame and despair 15 months on from her ordeal, adding: “It breaks you as a person.”

Which? is calling on the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to act now and include online scams in the upcoming Online Harms Bill so that consumers are protected from this huge and growing problem. 

Which? carried out in-depth research with an online community of Facebook users over 10 days, and also conducted a nationally representative online survey including 1,700 Facebook users, as part of its new policy report ‘Connecting the world to fraudsters? Protecting social media users from scams’. 

The research found that older social media users are often more concerned about scams, and perceived as being at greater risk by their fellow users. But the findings suggested that younger people may actually be more susceptible to scams as they are more persuadable and more likely to take risks, such as taking part in online shopping and quizzes used by some fraudsters.

Knowledge among users of what Facebook does to protect people from becoming a victim of a scam was low, although users assumed Facebook did have systems and processes in place. However, when details of Facebook’s actual systems and processes were explained, users were sceptical about their effectiveness and questioned whether they are sufficient.

Just three in 10 (30%) respondents to Which?’s online survey of Facebook users said they were aware of the scam ad reporting tool introduced by the site in 2019. Only a third of these, 10 per cent overall, said they had used the tool themselves.

Which?’s research was conducted with a focus on Facebook due to its size and influence in the social media landscape. However, the consumer champion believes that the findings and implications of this research can be reasonably extended to apply to other similar social networking sites and online platforms.

The amount of money lost to fraud every year is huge. In the year to June 2020,  Action Fraud received 822,276 fraud reports, and the value of losses from reported incidents was £2.3 billion. Action Fraud estimates that 85 per cent of all fraud in the year to June 2020 was carried out digitally.

Which? spoke to one man, retired and in his seventies, who lost almost £100,000 to a Bitcoin scam, which started in February 2019, by a company called Fibonetix. He had seen an online advert which had fake endorsements from celebrities including MoneySavingExpert’s Martin Lewis and businesswoman Deborah Meaden.

The man, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Which?: “Being scammed in this way was utterly devastating. I think about it virtually every day and it’s really affected my confidence, my ability to make decisions and has ultimately changed the person that I am. Fortunately I have been able to get through it with the support of my family.”

Another victim, a sound engineer in her forties, was searching for investment advice on Google and ended up filling in contact details with a firm that seemed legitimate. Receiving a phone call a few days later she then ended up falling victim to an incredibly sophisticated scam, which took place over several weeks, and lost £30,000. Her case is currently being investigated by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

She says the experience has impacted her mental and physical health and that “it’s been really traumatic. At the time it felt like no one cared or wanted to discuss my case with me. It breaks you as a human being and leaves you scared of the outside world.”

Despite it happening 15 months ago she says: “It’s still hard to trust yourself and others. Often people think these things only happen to older people and it takes a long time to not feel like an idiot. There’s a lot of shame and despair which hasn’t gone away and I’m still awaiting closure to this day.”

Which? is calling for online platforms, including social media sites, to be given greater responsibility to prevent scam content appearing on their platforms.

The government has a perfect opportunity to deliver this in the upcoming online harms bill, and if not ministers must set out their proposals for further legislative action to effectively protect consumers from online scams.

Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said: “The financial and emotional toll of scams can be devastating and it is clear that social media firms such as Facebook are failing to step up and properly protect users from fraudsters on their sites. 

“The time for serious action on online scams is now. If the government doesn’t grasp the opportunity to deliver this in the upcoming online harms bill, it must urgently come forward with new proposals to stem the growing tide of sophisticated scams by criminals online.”