Types of Scams
Being a victim of a scam is incredibly distressing. The impact is not only financial but emotional as well.
Scammers are indiscriminate who they approach and are continually evolving. They are very plausible and accomplished with getting you to part with your hard-earned cash and you need to be extra vigilant.
We have listed some of the types of scams which Age UK are advising us to be aware of:
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Identity fraud;
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Phone scams/computer scams;
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Prize/competitions;
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Courier-shipping/delivery delays;
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Financial- investments/HMRC;
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Romance;
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Social Media-Facebook/Facebook Marketplace; and
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Rogue traders
There are several things you can do to protect yourself:
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Letters-HMRC/passports etc are sent by post NOT email-so be aware and check details;
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Phone-if you are unsure or suspect it is a scam hang up immediately;
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Financial-don’t be rushed, approach with caution, do your research-and if it sounds to good to be true-it often is!
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Wi-fi-avoid using in public and ensure websites have the pre-fix HTTPS://
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Website addresses-check don’t assume a link you are asked to click on is valid;
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Passwords-be “off the wall” don’t use the same one or anything obvious!
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Social media-don’t give out personal details-your date of birth, information about pets, your mobile phone number; and
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Doorstep calls-don’t immediately accept building/gardening/home maintenance work-ask for the price in writing.
We have also seen a surge in pension scams in recent years-it is big business for fraudsters as there is so much at stake, check out Usdaw’s pensions and scammers webpages here for what to look out for -and posters and leaflets which you can download:
https://www.usdaw.org.uk/Help-Advice/Pensions/Scammers-and-Pensions
For more online information at Age UK follow the link here:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/scams-fraud/
Age UK has also produced a helpful booklet on how to protect yourself from scams here:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/information-guides/ageukig05_avoiding_scams_inf.pdf
If you would like to order a copy of the booklet or speak to an adviser you can contact Age UK on 0800 169 65 65 (8am-7pm, 365 days a year).
Always remember you are not alone.