Purchase scams
If a deal looks too good to be true, it usually is. Fraudsters trick people into paying for goods and services that don’t exist, often advertised via auction sites or social media with images taken from genuine sellers’.
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Top tips to take care of your money this festive season
Since the pandemic struck, scams have been on the rise. Scammers love a bit of Christmas, and it's expected that they'll try to lure us in with too-good-to-be-true deals and fake delivery messages.
As part of our Seasonal scams campaign, we've created this article to help you find out about trending scams and what you can do to stay safe this festive season.
Online shopping scams cost consumers £69m
Consumer body Which? revealed that instances of online shopping and auction fraud between April 2020 and March 2021 surged by 65%, costing consumers £69m. That equates to an average of £674 per reported incident.
According to research carried out by Which? using data from Action Fraud, the fraud and cybercrime reporting centre for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
New scam alert
Of the back of the recent changes announced by Amazon that they will no longer be accepting VISA credit card payments, customers should be aware of fake Amazon employees reaching out via email, text or phone asking for account details. Criminals can then use these to hack into accounts and leave you out of pocket.
With Black Friday upon us, customers should be extra cautious when it comes to online shopping. Fraudulent activity, including phishing scams and too-good-to-be-true offers, are on the rise at this time of year. Check out our fraud guides for more information.
Missed delivery texts
The surge in online shopping during the pandemic and confusion over new customers and delivery fees have given fraudsters greater opportunity to impersonate courier firms and exploit customers.
Advance fee fraud
Have you ever received an email from a stranger in another country asking for financial help? In return, you're promised a large sum of money. The fraud works by asking you to hand over your bank details and pay an 'advance fee' in order to complete the deal.
Cryptocurrency scams
Scammers are capitalising on the growing attention cryptocurrency is attracting by offering fake investments that don’t really exist or aren’t worth the money.
Data from Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, revealed that customers have lost £146,222,332 to cryptocurrency fraud so far this year. That's 30% more than the figure for the whole of 2020.
83% rise in phone and text scams
Data from Action Fraud showed the biggest surge occurred in instances of phone and text fraud, with people purporting to be from courier and delivery firms asking recipients to pay an admin fee to retrieve a package. This cost consumers a total of £1.5m between April 2020 and March 2021.
According to research carried out by Which? using data from Action Fraud, the fraud and cybercrime reporting centre for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Online dating scams
There's been a dramatic increase in dating scams as a result of the pandemic. Whilst accounting for just 2% of all incidents reported to Action Fraud, online dating fraud was up 40% in the year to April 2021.
Romance fraud cost consumers £73.9m during this period, with Action Fraud receiving 7,754 reports.
What can you do to stay safe?
With so many new and complex ways for criminals to scam customers, it can be really difficult to keep up. We've listed out some ways to help you stay safe, and keep your hard-earned cash out of scammers' hands.
- 01
Do your homework
Do your research on the seller and check contact details on their website. Alarm bells should ring if there’s no phone number or no physical address. Be aware that some sites may use a .co.uk web address, even if they’re located abroad. If in doubt, don’t shop there.
- 02
Keep your data safe
Don’t give away any personal or secure information on websites you’re not sure about. If anyone ever asks for bank login details, passcodes, remote access to your device or asks you to move money from your account, don’t do it. It could be a scam.
- 03
Beware of surprise emails
Scammers love to catch people out with fake offers. So don’t open anything you didn’t sign up for and watch out for emails or texts offering free gifts. It's also worth checking the email address. While scam emails may look legitimate, they will often come from a generic address – such as Gmail or Hotmail – rather than a company-specific domain name.
- 04
Don't rely on caller ID
Scammers can use tools that manipulate your caller ID, so don't assume a call is legitimate because of the number. If you're unsure, call the company separately using contact details you’ve found yourself.
How the app can keep you safe
Our mobile app has a range of features to keep you secure and help manage your money. From biometic approval and card controls to secure payments and our new PayMe feature, we've got your back.
App available to customers aged 11+ using compatible iOS and Android devices and a UK or international mobile number in specific countries. Specific eligibility criteria apply to the individual features mentioned.
Stop. Challenge. Protect.
Criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations and the police. They spend hours researching you for their scams, hoping you’ll let your guard down for just a moment. Stop and think. It could protect you and your money.
According to research conducted by Take Five, 1 in 5 people feel uncomfortable saying no to a stranger via email or text.
Are you scam-savvy?
Take Five to Stop Fraud
Criminals are coming up with more and more sophisticated ways to take your money, whether through online offers, emails or telephone calls. Lucky for you, Take Five can help you outsmart the scammers.
Check out the materials available from the Take Five website. We could help you spot a scam with our quiz and spread the word to your friends and family.