Covid-19

The lockdown at the beginning of March saw an increase in scams of 400% according to Action Fraud and we are hoping that by alerting customers in advance and further raising awareness of these types of scams, criminals will be less able to take advantage of the current lockdown measures. 

Vaccination scams are emerging as one of the top threats. A phone call, email or text message is sent in an attempt to steal personal and financial details. The message contains a link to a fake NHS website with an application form to register for the vaccine asking for various personal details which are then used by criminals.

Jason Costain, Head of Fraud said: “You are now more likely to be a victim of fraud in the UK than any other crime. During last year’s lockdown criminals took advantage of more people working remotely and online. It therefore makes sense to take some simple steps to make yourself and your family more fraud proof.”  

Tips on how to become more fraud proof:

Customers are reporting fake adverts on reputable sites such as Google, Facebook, eBay, and Instagram. Try to shop online with websites that you know and trust using MasterCard or VISA.  If you see a deal online that looks too good to be true from a website you’ve never heard of, do your homework; check what the merchants refund policy is, do they have a landline to call if there is a problem, are there any negative reviews about them? If you have doubts, don’t make the purchase. 

 We are also offering customers free Malwarebytes software to help with added online protection.