Scams Awareness Fortnight 2021 - Scams you need to look out for

*PLEASE BE AWARE THIS IS AN OLDER POST AND THERE MAY BE A MORE UP TO DATE POST, OR UPDATED INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ *

Scams Awareness Fortnight aims to create a network of confident, alert consumers who know what to do when they spot a scam. Anyone can fall for a scam and COVID-19 has unfortunately seen an increase in scammers looking to take advantage of victims financially.

We asked Wigan, Leigh and Makerfield residents to report scams they’d seen recently, so we could highlight the most common examples and how you can stay protected against them.

If you come across something you suspect is a scam you can report it directly to our Scams Action service or by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. If you’ve been the victim of a scam and have lost money or been threatened, you should contact the police immediately.

False shipping fees/delivery costs

One of the most common scams residents reported to us was messages claiming to be from Royal Mail or similar delivery companies asking for a small ‘unpaid delivery fee’. When victims follow the link, it takes them through to a website with official-looking branding which asks them for their payment details.

With the majority of us used to doing our shopping online since lockdown, it’s easy to be caught off-guard and try to pay this fee - but this is a scam designed to steal your bank information. Be sure to ignore any requests for payment by text message or email and if you have given any payment information, contact your bank immediately to freeze your account.

Surprise tax returns or rebates

A lot of our clients had received notices informing them they were due an unexpected tax rebate, often in the amount of several hundreds of pounds. With the financial strains COVID-19 has placed on a lot of us, a bit of extra money would go a long way, and this scam looks to take advantage of people’s vulnerable situations.

If you are due a tax rebate, HMRC will never contact you over text or ask you to provide your bank details in this way. It’s best to ignore this altogether and report the scam. You should contact HMRC directly for verification if you’re still unsure.

Fake competitions and ‘free cash’ questionnaires

Another scam which looks to take advantage of people’s fragile financial situations is fake competitions and ‘get rich quick’ questionnaires. These schemes usually offer a cash prize or voucher for simply answering a question or entering into a prize draw.

These schemes are designed to make the victim think they’ve won a prize before luring them into giving up their personal details. Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you can’t remember entering the competition in the first place, chances are it doesn’t exist!

Incomplete/incorrect information on census

With the census having gone round recently, this is another tactic that scammers have been using to secure people’s personal information. Text messages or emails will notify the victim they have  ‘incomplete’ or ‘inaccurate’ information on their census form, often threatening a fine if they don’t provide this.

It’s important to note that you will never be notified of a fine over text, phone call or email as a court hearing has to take place before any fine is issued. You will also never be penalised just for a mistake on your census form. You can report this directly to ONS by phoning 0800 141 2021.

Unexpected/unrecognised banking payment

Another scam our clients reported seeing a lot, was a text claiming to be from their bank account, regarding an ‘attempted payment’ from their account. This is usually accompanied by a link to log into the account, which encourages the user to give up their bank details in the process.

While it can be worrying to receive a text like this, it’s important not to panic and click on the link. The safest way to check any suspicious or unrecognised payments from your account is by logging into your secure mobile banking app or online banking site. Any genuine payments (or attempted payments) from your account will be displayed there.