As technology continues to play an integral role in our lives, scams have become increasingly sophisticated and a prevalent concern for many. Only this week, the Financial Conduct Authority announced that thousands of scammers have contacted individuals pretending to be the financial watchdog.
Whether you are an older citizen who might be more vulnerable to fraud or want some advice on how to keep safe at home and online, here are a few of my top tips on how to prevent getting scammed.
Scammers often trick people over the phone to buy a product or often impersonate a bank account. Readers should never give out a PIN or a password over the phone - a genuine organisation would not ask for this information. The best course of action is to take down the number, report it to the police and block the caller.
Doorstep fraud is also another method employed by scammers. An individual may knock on your door and pretend to be a trader, charity collector or simply in need of help. I know there has been a spate of doorstep fraud in Long Eaton, so it’s vital that you always ask the individual to present their identity card and never buy from the door. If you are at all concerned or are being rushed into buying something, phone the police immediately.
Another regular tactic used by scammers is to send phishing emails. These messages will usually be sent from what you think is a trusted organisation, who then trick an individual into entering personal details. Phishing emails often look genuine, however, a great way to spot if it is a scam is by looking for errors in spelling or grammar and requests for personal information and threats that ‘unless you act now a deal will expire’. Suspicious emails should be deleted straight away and attachments should never be opened from an unknown sender.
It is also important to watch out for fake websites. A scammer may create a bogus website for your bank account. The website will look legitimate and a good way to check to see if a website is secure is by studying the address bar looking out for spelling mistakes. Looking at the ‘https’ in the address bar is also a way of telling if a website is safe. The ‘s’ in ‘https’ stands for ‘secure’ so it should give you some assurance that the website’s protocol is safe.
There are also a number of simple measures to help protect your computer, phone and tablet from fraudster’s:
- Strong passwords. Keep your passwords strong, making sure you use a range of letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid passwords made up of common words, personal information and use different passwords for different accounts.
- Install security software. Anti-virus software will look for and remove viruses before they can infect your computer. You can also download anti-virus and anti-spyware protection for tablets and phones and a lot of the apps are free.
- Update your device regularly. All computers and phones have an operating system, which, if not updated, could make your device prone to viruses. It is essential that your devices are updated regularly.
If you do become a victim of fraud, do not feel embarrassed. Instead, report it immediately to your bank or credit card provider, Action Fraud (the UK's national reporting centre for fraud) and if an emergency, the police.
