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Due to the ongoing situation surrounding COVID-19 (the coronavirus), below are some articles containing information on coronavirus scams and advice on how to protect yourself from them.
Coronavirus-related fraud reports increased by 400% in March
Action Fraud have reported a huge spike in coronavirus related scams in March. The majority of the reports have been related to online shopping scams, with ticket fraud, romance fraud, charity fraud and lender loan fraud also being reported. more
Councils are warning people about doorstep scams and cold callers
Council are warning people that criminals are pretending to be health officials or offering to pick up food and deliver medicines. Criminals are also selling fake face masks and hand sanitisers, say the Local Government Association - with hand sanitiser containing an ingredient banned for human use being seized in Birmingham. more
Online coronavirus scams identified and explained
Malwarebytes have pulled together a useful overview of coronavirus-related scams that are being seen on the internet. They discovered multiple email scams that attempt to use the fear and confusion surrounding the coronavirus to steal personal and financial information from consumers. more
Pension savers are at higher risk amids the coronavirus crisis warn MPs
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pension Scams have released new research which says pension savers face a greater risk of being targeted by criminals amidst the coronavirus crisis. more
Below is our fortnightly Scam Alert:
Doorstep Scam
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26th August 2020
Three criminals have been sentenced to a combined total of 9 ¼ years (111 months) at Birmingham Crown Court on the 26th August 2020 for their part in running a fraudulent home improvement company in Stourport on Severn, Worcestershire. more
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2nd September 2020
Criminals are posing as phoney officials to access elderly and vulnerable people's homes.
In recent weeks, there has been a spate across Wrexham and Flintshire of bogus calling and scam visits, sparking a warning from North Wales Police.
In many incidents, rooms throughout houses have been searched by fake officials and during one worrying incident, a bedroom was 'ransacked'. more
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Telephone Scams
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28th August 2020
Andy Foster and PCSO Siobhan Drury from South Yorkshire Police teamed up for visits to elderly victims of telephone scams in Sheffield last month.
Andy, who is the force's Fraud Protect Officer, joined Siobhan in Woodseats and Heeley to visit two homes where elderly residents had been targeted over the phone by cruel criminals. more
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2nd September 2020
People are being warned to watch out for a scam after a couple were conned out of £7,000 by someone pretending to be a police officer.
The couple, who are in their 80s and live in Farnborough, were contacted by a man over the phone purporting to be a police officer on August 27th. more
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Online Scams
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26th August 2020
Regulators are targeting football fans in their new ScamSmart campaign to raise awareness, as they found more than £30m has been lost to pension scams in the past three years alone. more
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27th August 2020
TSB has highlighted the most common and emerging scams that its youngest and older customers have fallen victim to, as over 65s lose an average of £7,500 for ‘green deal’ scams.
The bank’s analysis has revealed that over 65s have lost an average of £7,500 for ‘green deal’ scams, where people are duped by the promise of energy efficient equipment. more
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1st September 2020
Facebook phishing scams with fake pages and events are charging individuals to view live streams – even though they are often free to view on official festival pages. more
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1st September 2020
The Environment Agency has warned people in the South West of England to be wary of adverts on social media offering to take away rubbish, stating that people could become 'accidental criminals' if this is later fly-tipped. more
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