Scams, Fraud and Cyber Crime
Fraud is when trickery is used to gain a dishonest advantage, which is often financial, over another person. Cyber crime is any criminal act dealing with computers and networks.
Criminals have become increasingly inventive with ways to get their hands on your money or personal details.
Action Fraud is a national organisation who are a central point of contact for reporting fraud making sure your reports reach the right place. They also provide information about different types of fraud and how to spot it.
You can report suspected fraud via their website or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you have been a victim of fraud, you will get a crime reference number.
Tips for Spotting Fraud from the Action Fraud website
- Do not give any personal information (name, address, bank details, email or phone number) to organisations or people before verifying their credentials.
- Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed. Ensure your browser is set to the highest level of security and monitoring to prevent malware issues and computer crimes.
- Phishing emails- do not click on links in emails unless you are sure that the sender is genuine. Criminals can make emails and texts look like have come from a genuine source. If in doubt, check the contact details for the company match those on any letters or correspondence you have from them.
- Destroy and preferably shred receipts with your card details on and post with your name and address on.
- If you receive bills, invoices or receipts for things that you haven’t bought, or financial institutions you don’t normally deal with or contact you about outstanding debts, take action. Your identity may have been stolen.
- Be extremely wary of post, phone calls or emails offering you business deals out of the blue. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Always question it.
For more details visit Action Fraud
