The following information is from Nottingham City Council.
Every year many people are conned into parting with their money by well-organised tricksters. Both consumers and businesses are targeted.
- Doorstep: People call at your door telling you that a roof tile is loose, your driveway needs repairing, they can cut trees down cheaply, try to sell you a mattress or some fish etc. Find out more about doorstep callers.
- Telephone: Phone calls telling you that you need to pay an urgent bill and requesting your bank details, companies offering services to reduce you unwanted phone calls.
- Online: ‘Copycat’ websites selling services that are either free or cheaper via the official Government route.
- Post: Letters informing you that you have won a prize, psychics telling you they can predict harm is coming your way and for a fee they can protect you, catalogues promises you a prize if you place another order quickly.
How to Spot a Scam
Ask Yourself These Questions:
- Was the offer unsolicited?
- Does it look too good to be true?
- Do I have to send money upfront?
- Do I have to respond ‘at once’?
- Do I have to purchase to win a prize?
- Do I have to ring a premium rate phone number?
- Do I have to give my bank or credit card details?
- Do I have to send the money to a PO Box number?
- Do I have to send money by bank transfer?
- Am I asked to keep it confidential?
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then you may be the target of a scam.
Before you part with any money or send any personal details, take advice from Citizens Advice Consumer Service. The chances are that you will never see it again once you have sent the money.
Citizens Advice Consumer Service
- Check if something might be a scam
- Check if you can get your money back after a scam
- What to do if you’ve been scammed
- Report a scam
- Get emotional support if you’ve been scammed
- Get help with scams
Information from Gov.uk
- Fraud, tricks and scams: guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Avoid and report internet scams and phishing – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Other Helpful Links
- Action Fraud
- Business fraud | Nottinghamshire Police
- Advice about fraud | Nottinghamshire Police
- Financial Conduct Authority website – They regulate financial services firms and financial markets in the UK
- Telephone Preference Service to stop telephone sales calls (please note that the TPS does not stop unwanted text messages)
- Mailing Preference Service – to cut down on junk mail.
- Royal Mail – What is scam mail and how you can report it to us
- Business Scams – Nottingham City Council – Lists and info on common scams used within all sectors
- Money Matters | Age UK – Scams and fraud for Pensions, investments, online, postal and doorstep and phone
- Neighbourhood Watch Network (ourwatch.org.uk) – Scams and fraud
- Cyber Crime Centre NCSC.GOV.UK – Information for individuals, families, organisations, self employs, traders and business
- Friends Against Scams – National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team initiative protecting and preventing people from becoming victims of scams
- Take Five – To Stop Fraud | To Stop Fraud take five
Nottingham City Council Trading Standards collects, holds and processes a considerable amount of information, including personal information about the citizens we serve, to allow us to provide services effectively. For more information, read the Trading Standards Privacy notice.
Fraud Protect Advice on Current Scams (from Nottinghamshire Police)
WhatsApp/Text Message Scam
Example: Your phone pings, you have a message, your child has lost or broken their phone and they are using a new one….
STOP This message is not from them, it is a Scam. The person on the other end will inform you that they need to pay a bill but their Banking App is frozen and ask you to pay this for them, of course you want to do this as they are your children and you want to help them.
THINK Stop for a moment, do not message back, would you get a message like this? Call your Child/Children on the number you have saved for them, if you don’t get an answer, send them a message to call you back. Do not be pushed into sending the money, the person messaging will make it sound urgent. Wait for the call. If you call the “New Number” it won’t be answered, and you will get a message saying they can’t talk now.
Police Impersonation/Courier Fraud
Example: You answer a phone call and the person on the other end tells you that they are SGT Jon Smith, collar number 1234 calling from The Met.
They inform you that there has been suspicious activity on your bank account. They will ask you to go to your bank and advise you to keep your phone on in your pocket so they can record the conversation. You will be asked to withdraw most – if not all – the money you have in your account. They will tell you to lie to the bank and say that it is for a large purchase, such as home improvements or to help your grandchild.
A Courier will then be sent to your house to collect the cash for “checking” and you may also be asked to send all of your bank cards and PIN numbers.
STOP The Police would NEVER call you and tell you to move your money. If you do receive a call like this, hang up the phone, use a different line or wait 5 minutes to call 101. You can request to speak to the Police Force that the caller said they were from, or you can speak to your local Police Force. You can then Verify the officer that you have spoken to. DO NOT call back on the number that they have given you, even if they say to call 101 and an extension, they will not hang up the phone and will keep the line open.
THINK Have you noticed any unusual transactions on your bank statements? Why would you be asked to go to the bank and then send your Money and Cards via a Courier? The Police and your bank will never tell you to transfer your money to a ‘safe account’ or for an ‘investigation’.
Banks must follow Banking Protocol, If the Cashier questions you at the time of the withdrawal, sign to them that you have a phone in your pocket, or write it on a bit of paper, the bank staff are trained to know how to handle these situations. They will call the Police who will attend in person.
Investment Fraud
Example: You are contacted out of the blue, either by a cold call or on social, even a Facebook advertisement. You are offered an investment opportunity, possibly in Bitcoin or Cryptocurrency. The returns are high, and the initial investment is affordable.
Now time is of the essence, you might be offered a bonus or a discount if you invest before a set date. The return on the investment is offered with better interest rates than elsewhere, making them sound too good to be true.
STOP Have you researched this investment company? Have you checked the Company out on the Financial Conduct Authorities website? Had you thought about investing before you were contacted?
THINK Take a step back, do some research, Check the FCA and also the FCA warning list. Make sure the company is not a clone, check Companies House for this information.
Safe Bank Account
Example: You get a call claiming to be from the ‘Fraud Squad’ at your Bank, they said that your bank account has fraudulent activity on it and the best thing to do is to move your money to a ‘Safe Account’ that they have set up for you and they need to transfer your money. You immediately begin to panic over concerns for your finances.
STOP Hang up. Your bank will not call you and ask you to move money. Have you noticed anything different on your bank statements? It is likely that the ‘safe account’ they have set up is with a completely different bank, such as Monzo or Revolut.
THINK Use a different phone or wait 5 minutes and then call your bank using the number on the back of your bank card or bank statement. Explain to the operator that you have had this call and they will support you and check your account is safe. Ask them to issue you with a new account number, alternatively you could visit your local branch to do this.
Help is available
If you have been a victim of Fraud, there is assistance available. Firstly, report this to Action Fraud.
Contact your bank direct, let them know as soon as possible, especially if you have given your bank details out. Support is also available from Catch 22, Age UK, Victim Care, there is also information on scams on the web, Action Fraud, Take 5. If you get a lot of calls on your landline, talk to us about a call blocker.
Most importantly, speak up, you are not alone, most people feel embarrassment if they have been a victim of Fraud, but help is available, you don’t have to be alone.
Register for Notts Alerts from Nottinghamshire Police
By registering for Notts Alerts, you will receive updates and alerts for your local area. The free community messaging system allows you to choose what type of alerts you would like to receive from Nottinghamshire Police, as well as other trusted partners, including Neighbourhood Watch. You’re in control – when you register for Notts Alerts you’ll be given login details that allow you to change your settings or unsubscribe at any time. Register for Notts Alerts
Examples of recent Scams
“I would just like to warn you about another scam which you may or not be aware of. I received a text from the post office (fake but very official looking) saying I had to pay some overdue money on the postage of a parcel. I had just come off the phone from a seller from eBay who had posted a parcel to me but it had not been delivered so I presumed the post office site was genuine and hoped it was linked to my missing parcel. The post office asked me to pay £1:45. I put in my details and it came up with a page saying redelivery will take place over the next few days. I got on with the day then 2 hours later I got a call from a no called id number. They guy spoke very calm, polite and educated. He claimed he was from hsbc fraud team. They said my account had been compromised and my card had been used in London. He told me that they will stop the card and order a new one and put my card on level 3 security. I asked if he could prove he was from hsbc and he told me to google the hsbc fraud number, a screen came up on my phone with the matching number. Which I now know to be spoofing but it was very convincing, anyhow the long and short of it is that he took a lot of money from me, even when I realised what had happened he was in the process of trying to take a further sum of money from me. HSBC official fraud team where great and reimbursed the money straight away but stated bank can not guarantee it. If they get the money back I will get my money back and they are investigating it now. I thought I was on it I thought this would not happen to me but they are professionals this is their full time job and they are good at it. Please remember if your not sure put down the phone and then call the number that the caller claims to be calling from, yourself“. Anonymous Nottingham Resident