SCAM ALERT

Modern day scams.

Mike Diamonds Scam Alerts.

Book his lecture on the Psychology of the scammers and the scammedhttps://gamblingcheatforhire.co.uk/scams-and-lectures/

Technical support Scam Alert

Beware cold call operators offering a legitimate technical repair service.

Often the scammer will target Microsoft Windows users, generally making out they are working for or in partnership with Microsoft.

They will seek to take control of your computer, with your permission via Remote Access.Once they have control, they will have access to all your files, bank details, passwords, in fact everything that is on your computer.

Confidence tricksters have even been known to persuade people to log on to internet banking.

They will say that your details are protected via a secure server to help you receive a refund… all they need is your credit card details.

For more in depth details of this scam, go to Wikipedia Technical Support Scam.

Holiday Villa Scam Alert

So you’ve booked your holiday a few months in advance of your holiday.

You have rented a villa in Majorca for you and your spouse, 2.4 children, and your inlaws.

Upon reaching the chosen destination, and locating the villa, you are somewhat bemused to find another family in there.

You assume an innocent mistake has been made, and try to contact the company you booked it with.

A feeling of panic envelopes you

No answer.

You phone the company the other people used, only to discover that is the only company lawfully obliged to book the villa out.

The booking fee of £4000 has vanished.

The money is long gone.

Now you try to find alternative accommodation, but that is very costly during the holiday period… try flying home, but not easy or cheap to get a last minute flight back home.

Sadly you have become the latest of many victims this has happened to.

It is easy to set up a fake villa website, the scammers take out an ad with search engines so they appear at the top of the page.Pictures of the villa are easy to rip off, plus the more sophisticated scammers even have pictures of bogus staff at the villas, adding authenticity to their claims.

Remember, these scammers are professional, they are very good at what they do… they can re-sell the same villa over and over again, often at a bargain price to attract more victims.·

If its too good to be true….

The general maxim worth bearing in mind is, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.·

Do a location search. If the villa is listed under another name, beware !

Do not pay by bank transfer. The money and scammers will be long gone before your holiday is due. Identify and use sites that let you pay by credit card· Take time to check out the above points. if you are suspicious, or believe you might have been scammed, contact your bank asap.

Advance Fee Fraud Scam Alert

Advance Fee Frauds are now the most common form of fraud reported to the Financial Conduct Authority.

What is Advance fee fraud?

When an application is made to a company for a loan or financial service, you may be asked to pay an upfront fee.

Unfortunately, you are paying for a service that will not happen.

Typical examples are credit card, grants, loans.

The scam works by the operator persuading the target to pay an advance fee for the financial service, which they will not receive.

There have been numerous reports of people making several payments before realising it is a scam.

How to protect yourself.

Be wary if the company asks for an up front fee, even if they tell you the deposit is refundable.

It wont be.

They might ask you to pay follow up fees in order to make the service happen. These payments can range from £20 to £500.

Pressure will be applied to pay them quickly, under the threat of not receiving the service.

The cost will rise if you don’t act quickly.

You might be asked to pay in unusual ways, eg Western Union Money Transfer.

Before agreeing to a loan or financial service, check the firm is authorised by the FCA.

You can do this by checking the Financial Services Register to make sure the contact details provided by the firm match the details the register.

Always use the contact details on the FCA register rather than a direct line or email given to you by the loan firm. If there are no contact details on the FCA register or the firm claims they are out of date, call the Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768.

If a loan is taken out a loan with an unauthorised firm, you won’t be covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service if things go wrong.

This just in… see how convincing these fraudsters are

This is a real life case, contributor prefers to remain anonymous…

Bank Fraud Scam Alert

So I had a call on our landline from ‘ Brian Johnstone ‘ from my banks fraud team this morning.

He confirmed my name and mobile phone number to me, and advised that at 11.00am this morning someone spent £1950 in PC World in Manchester using my debit card.

Also further £950 somewhere else in Manchester.

The scammer also advised me that they had accessed my phone banking and by passed security by pretending to be me.

I wasnt asked fot my details – he told me my name, mobile phone number and which bank I was with.

He asked if I had a card in my possession and had a card reader.

He knew my details

I said to him that although he knows who I am, I don’t know him.

( Why I said that I don’t know ).

In order to prove to me who he was, he said he was going to phone my mobile number. He quoted my number from the banks helpline number printed on the back of my bank card, which he did.

I told him that meant nothing as numbers could be cloned etc etc. So to prove it he did it again and again ( ??? ) clearly thinking this was convincing me he was genuine.

He guaranteed the payments had been stopped, but in order to get this fixed I needed to do what he said and then get to my branch asap.

First he wanted me to log into my accounts and move my money into the banks ‘ safe account’ .

He was so convincing

So yes, writing this it is clear now it was a scam – but he was so convincing

I told him I wasn’t going to do that, and he began to lose patience with me.

Again I highlighted how odd that was and I still didn’t know if he was genuine and he read some alleged bank terms and conditions type narrative to me over and over saying that if I did not do what he instructed my banks insurance would not cover me.

I hung up on him, and he tried calling back 2 more times… Went straight to the bank and my accounts are all fine. I can now easily see how people are conned.

Anyway please please be careful, especially with more online shopping etc coming up over Christmas.

Luckily this contributor was on the ball, but not everyone would have questioned it… hard to believe, but look at the money lost by ordinary people who fell for this scam…. more than £23 million was lost to this type of telephone fraud in 2014

Telephone Bank Scam Alert

You might get a call from someone claiming to be from your bank.

The fraudsters might say there is a problem with your bank card or account.

You may be asked for your card information, account details,and / or your PIN number.

They might explain your account has been compromised, and you need to move your money to a safe holding account.

It Sometimes they send a courier round to your house, to pick up your card so the situation can be resolved.

This might sound like an obvious scam, and you wouldn’t fall for it.. but many people have, and have lost large amounts of money.

The fraudsters might ask you, if you are not convinced, to put your phone down, and ring the number on your bank card.

However, they will not disconnect the line, so when you phone, they can answer it and carry on the subterfuge.

Most up to date reports show they can now hack into your text messages emails, and send messages which link in to previous threads from your bank, which can be a very strong convincer.

The caller will sound very professional and will try to convince you your card has been cloned or your money is at risk.

Please remember your bank would NEVER ask for these details.

If you feel you are being targeted by scammers,put the phone down leave it for about 10 minutes, then contact ACTION FRAUD 0300 123 2040

Nigerian Prince or 419 Scam Alert

Nigerian Prince Nigerian Prince scams are also known as 419 scams, a reference to the Nigerian penal code designed to deal with them.

Beneficiary

You receive an email from someone you’ve never heard of, explaining he/ she is a beneficiary to a large amount of money.

Unfortunately, they cant get the money out , but luckily he has found you, the answer to all his prayers.

You are asked to send some small amount of money to help with the processing and legal work. The fees are usually small compared to how much he is promising.

Lets say hes got £50 million, and he says you will get 1% for helping him, thats £500 K.

Easy money, and all you have to do is send him a legal fee of £500 – £1000.

If you happen to fall for this scam, you will be asked for more money, as more barriers are put up to getting the money released..

Sounds ridiculous, but people are still falling for this…

Beware of answering calls from unrecognised numbers.

Scammers are now phoning potential victims in order to get them to say ‘YES.

This will be recorded and used as proof that the victim agreed to unwanted charges.

As an example, the operator will tell you they are from a utility company, or some big organisation you will be familiar with.

They will ask if you can hear them ok… when you say yes, your voice is recorded.

Its that simple. The affirmative will be used to authorise fraudulent charges via the telephone.

If you think you have already become a victim, check your bank  and card statements for suspicious charges.