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Trading Standards Scotland
23/06/22
Welcome to the latest edition of the Scam Share bulletin. 
Stay Scam Aware and please share any relevant information in this bulletin with friends and family.
In This Issue:
Recently Reported Scams Ongoing Scams / Campaigns Links to Further Information / Resources
Glossary
Where to Report Scams
Scams
In Scotland, report all scams to Advice Direct Scotland by calling 0808 164 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or online at www.consumeradvice.scot

Fraud
If you have been the victim of fraud, report it to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency. 

Suspicious Emails
You can forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and send links from websites which you think are trying to scam the public to the National Cyber Security Centre's scam website reporting service at www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website

Suspicious Text Messages
If you receive a suspicious text message you can forward it to 7726. The free-of-charge ‘7726’ service enables your provider to investigate and take action if malicious content is found.
Recently Reported Scams
Fraudulent Puppy Adverts Online
The Scam
There have been recent reports in Scotland of fraudulent adverts for puppies on online marketplaces. In one case, a woman saw an advert for a Jack Russell puppy costing £1,000 on Gumtree. She contacted the seller and paid a £100 deposit, arranging a collection date for mid-April.

A couple of weeks later, the seller asked for the rest of the money - £900 - to cover the expenses of keeping the puppy as he was struggling with the cost of living. 
At this stage, the woman felt suspicious that the seller may be a scammer and asked them to return her deposit.
The seller did not reply and cut off all contact with the woman. 
 
A few days later she saw an advert for the same puppy on Gumtree, now for the price of £650.
The advert has now been taken down and the seller is being investigated.

Several similar cases were reported during the pandemic - over £2.5 million was lost to criminals in 2020/21 after consumers put down deposits for pets they had seen advertised on social media and online marketplaces. Some fraudulent sellers were advertising the same puppies across several different accounts.

How to Avoid

  • You can never do too much research before buying a new pet. Illegal dealers may use the same description and photo on more than one advert - try entering the text of the description and photo in a search engine to see if they have been used on any other puppy adverts; 
  • Research the seller - is their phone number or email address linked to different profiles? Are they advertising several different breeds of dog? Are they reluctant to answer questions about the puppies' mother or provide paperwork?
  • Don't buy a puppy without seeing paperwork and certificates for vaccinations, microchipping and worming;
  • Insist on seeing the puppy with its mother in the home in which it was raised - be suspicious if the seller wants to meet in a car park or public space;
  • Don't pay a deposit without seeing the dog in person - be suspicious if the seller tries to rush you into handing over cash.

Find out More

Survey: My Puppy & Me
The Scottish SPCA and other partners have launched a survey to gain a better understanding of the behaviours around purchasing a puppy and dog ownership.
 
The results of the survey will be used to help to influence measures to tackle the low-welfare puppy trade and to provide support for people buying pups.
 
They are looking for adults over 18 years old who are based in the UK and Ireland. You can complete the survey here: 
https://bit.ly/MyPuppyAndMe
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Energy Efficiency Doorstep Scams
The Scam
There have been reports this week of cold callers in Aberdeen offering to carry out energy efficiency measures on local properties. They claim that they are working for the Council on an energy efficiency project in the area.
In one case, the caller arranged for a survey to be carried out the following day and left a technical survey document which stated that the homeowners were eligible for discounts on new roughcast, thermal wall coating, new roofs and UPVC windows and doors.

Although Aberdeen Council is in fact carrying out external insulation works in the area as part of a national project, the cold calling traders were not one of the authorised contractors.

How to Avoid

If someone knocks at your door and says they are working with the local council or mentions council funding or a project, ask them to wait and close the door while you phone the council to verify their identity and to check that the funding/project exists. Genuine callers will be happy to wait while you do this.

Don't deal with cold callers - find traders who have been vetted through a national or local authority approved trader scheme.

Sign up for Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alerts to stay up to date with what is going on in your community: www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk

Find out More

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Tesco 'Prize' Scam Emails
The Scam
Action Fraud have warned that hundreds of people have recently received scam emails offering them the chance to win a £500 Tesco gift card. The messages say you have been selected to join the Tesco loyalty program 'for free' and ask you to click on a link to confirm your details and claim your prize.

The links lead to scam websites with Tesco branding, designed to gather your personal information.

How to Avoid

  • If you receive unsolicited emails or texts offering prizes or deals, do not click on any links or open any attachments and never enter any personal or banking details; 
  • Check the spelling and grammar in the message. Scam offers or giveaways often contain small mistakes and unusual wording;
  • Read the terms and conditions before taking part in any giveaway – many fraudulent prize draws or offers do not list basic terms and conditions such as deadline dates or details on how winners will receive their prize;
  • Before taking part in an offer or competition which is supposedly being run by a big brand, look at their official website or social media channels to see if it is genuine.

Find out More

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Carphone Warehouse Phone Scams
The Scam
Several consumers have received scam phone calls from someone who says they work for Carphone Warehouse. They often know which provider the consumer currently has a phone contract with and offer a special deal to upgrade them to a new iPhone.

The scammer asks for the consumer's email address so that they can send on details of the promotion - one consumer who provided their address then received an email that asked for their personal and bank details.

How to Avoid

Carphone Warehouse have stated that they only call existing customers and customers that have applied for credit checks with them.
They don’t cold call customers who have never shopped or attempted credit with them before. 

Never give a cold caller any personal information, even if they already have some of your details and never agree to make any payments to a cold caller. If you are unsure whether a cold call is genuine, hang up and contact the company using an official number.

Find out more

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Ongoing Scams / Campaigns
Medical Alert Scams

The Scam
There are still frequent reports of scam calls from someone claiming to work for 'Medical Alert'. In some cases, the caller says that you may be eligible for a free medical alert pendant and asks about your age and health issues.

Other scammers say there is a problem with your personal alarm and asks you to provide bank details to pay for a replacement.

Cold callers may also claim to work for a medical advice centre, the NHS or the local council and offer to sign you up to a medical alert scheme.

If you are worried about a vulnerable family member or friend who is being driven to despair by nuisance calls, find out how to apply for a free call blocking SIM card, which can prevent over 95% of unwanted and scam calls to mobiles, at www.tsscot.co.uk/call-blocking-sim-cards.

How to Avoid

If you receive a cold call selling medical aids or alert systems, asking you to complete a health survey or offering a home visit from a mobility aids salesperson, refuse to give any personal details and hang up. 

Never agree to make any payments to a cold caller - if you are unsure if a call is legitimate, hang up and do some research into the company the caller said they represented.
If a caller says they work for the local council, hang up, clear the line and call the council using a publicly listed number.

If you have agreed to a home visit by a healthcare or mobility aids salesperson, you may want to ask someone you trust to be there with you. Make it clear from the outset that you will not be making a decision on that day and that you will be taking time to think about any purchases.

Find out More
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 Gift Card Scams

The Scam
An office worker recently received an email via his work account that appeared to have been sent by a senior member of staff. The email asked him to purchase gift cards to the value of £500 urgently as the sender was in a meeting.

He then received further messages via WhatsApp, which appeared to be genuine. He purchased the Google Play gift cards, but realised that the initial messages had been a scam after speaking to the senior member of staff in person. Thankfully, he did not send the scammer any of the gift card numbers.

How to Avoid

Be wary of emails or social media messages asking for money, even if they seem to have been sent by someone you know. Always verify that the request is genuine by calling the person who has supposedly sent it on a trusted number.

You should never reveal the codes on vouchers or gift cards you have purchased, 
unless you are entering them on official websites as full or part payment for goods or services.


Find out More

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 Big Scottish Scam Survey

The Scam
People across the country are being targeted by scammers, who are taking advantage of their financial worries during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
We are currently asking people to respond to the Big Scottish Scam Survey to find out about the most commonly experienced scams in Scotland so that we can help consumers recognise and avoid them.

The results of this survey will be used to inform the content of a month-long campaign to be run in September, which will aim to raise awareness of scams linked to the cost of living crisis.

If you have experienced any kind of scam in the past year - via email, text message, phone call, letter, online advert or on the doorstep - we would like to hear about it.

Complete the survey here

All responses are anonymous and survey results will be published in September.
Find More Information / Resources
General Advice on Avoiding Scams
Your Consumer Rights
Doorstep Scams
Phone Scams
Product Safety / Counterfeit Goods
Energy Efficiency Measures
Cyber Scams / Cyber Security
COVID-19 Information
Advice for Businesses
Illegal Money Lending / Financial Support Find a full list of organisations who can help if you are struggling with debt at www.stopillegallending.co.uk/how-we-can-help
Glossary
Abbreviations
  • CTSI - Chartered Trading Standards Institute
  • FCA - Financial Conduct Authority
  • IPO - Intellectual Property Office
  • NCSC - National Cyber Security Centre
  • OPSS - Office for Product Safety and Standards
  • SBRC - Scottish Business Resilience Unit
  • SCOTSS - Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland
  • SIMLU - Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit
  • TSS - Trading Standards Scotland
Frequently Used Terms

The NCSC have compiled a comprehensive glossary of definitions for common terms relating to cyber security: www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/ncsc-glossary

Terms frequently used in this bulletin include:
  • App - short for 'application', refers to a software program for computers or other devices such as smartphones and tablets.
  • Malware - malicious software that is designed to damage or gain unauthorised access to a computer or other device.
  • Phishing - the practice of sending fraudulent emails which often appear to be from well-known organisations or companies and ask the recipient to provide personal information or to visit a particular website.
  • QR Code - a square barcode that a smartphone camera can scan and read to provide quick access to a website or app.
  • Ransomware - malware that makes data or systems unusable until the victim makes a payment.
  • Remote Access - the ability to access a computer or device from another location. Anyone with remote access to a device can access all files stored on it.
  • Smishing - the same as phishing, but carried out via SMS (text) messages rather than emails.
  • Software - the set of instructions and programs that tells a computer how to operate.
  • Virus - a computer program designed to infect and damage legitimate software.
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