04/04/24
Welcome to the latest edition of the Scam Share bulletin.
Stay Scam Aware and please keep sharing any relevant information in this bulletin with friends and family.
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
Shut out Scammers
The Scam
This week we have launched the nationwide Shut Out Scammers campaign in partnership with Police Scotland.
As people continue to struggle with price increases and rising energy bills, rogue traders and companies are exploiting the cost of living crisis and are scamming consumers by providing misleading information about products and services and posting misleading reviews online.
The key aim of this year's campaign is to empower consumers and to raise awareness of how they can protect themselves from misleading information and rogue traders.
The most common doorstep in the last year have been related to:
'Free' roof/insulation surveys
Roof repairs
'Energy-saving' roof/wall coatings
Gardening/landscaping work
Telecoms scams
Driveway repairs
A Scam Awareness van will be travelling around the country over the next couple of months and there will be a variety of community engagement and information events to raise awareness of doorstep crime. Keep an eye on our social media channels to find out when the van will be in your area.
Avoid Doorstep Scams
Don’t feel obliged to answer the door to a cold caller – it is your home and you should not let anyone in unless you feel comfortable.
Take time to think before making a decision. Any legitimate trader will be happy to return at a later date – you may want to ask a friend, neighbour or relative to be with you when they call back to give a second opinion.
Don’t let an uninvited trader start work straight away. Never hand over any money without seeing proper paperwork and making sure that you understand the terms and conditions, including cancellation rights.
Get quotes from as many trusted companies as possible before having any work done in or around your property. Find traders who have been vetted by Trading Standards through a local approved trader scheme at www.approvedtrader.scot.
Verify that the person is genuine and take a note of the company’s details. ID cards can be faked – close the door and, rather than phoning the number on the trader’s ID card, look up the company’s number on their official website or in an official phone directory to check their identity. Legitimate traders will be happy to wait while you perform these checks.
Report any suspicious behaviour to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency. If you have concerns about a purchase that you have made, contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or via scamwatch.scot.
The owner of Fife-based landscaping and paving businesses, who took deposits for work that he did not then carry out, has been sentenced following an investigation by Fife Council’s Trading Standards Team.
A number of consumers had complained that they had paid large deposits to the trader, but that he had failed to carry out the work as agreed.
In one case the company offered to power wash the driveway of a house, saying that they had just completed a job for a neighbour. They took a deposit of £100 and said they would return the following day to complete the work, which was going to cost over £250 in total. They phoned several times over the next few days to make excuses and didn't return to do the job.
The business owner will now refund a total of £20,100 to four consumers.
How to Avoid Don't deal with cold callers. If you need to call a trader for any work on your property or garden, find someone who has been vetted through a national or local authority approved trader scheme.
Rogue traders often imply that urgent work is required or that a special deal is only available for a limited time in order to pressure householders into making a decision quickly. Always take time to think before making a decision - don't agree to make any payments for goods or services on the spot.
Do plenty of research and get at least 3 quotes and check 3 review sites before having any work carried out.
Sign up for Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alerts to stay up to date with what is going on in your community: www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk
The Scam
Scammers are impersonating phone company EE and are sending text messages saying that you have a prize to claim or that you have accrued thousands of points, which will expire if they are not used in the next couple of days.
You're asked to click a link to 'redeem your prize' - this leads to a copycat website with EE branding where you are asked to enter your phone number and then select a prize, such as an electric toothbrush or headphones.
If you enter your phone number, it could be used by scammers impersonating EE to cold call you and try to obtain your account or banking details.
How to Avoid Don't click on links in unexpected text messages.
If you receive a similar message about your phone account and are unsure if it is legitimate, log in to your account via the official website or app rather than clicking on a link.
If you have clicked on a link, never enter your account information on websites linked from these messages, and never download or open attachments included within them.
The Scam
Scam adverts have appeared on social media saying that supermarket chain Lidl are giving away laptops to everyone in the UK over the age of 35, apparently to 'get rid of excess inventory'.
You are asked to click on a link to apply - it leads to a website where you're asked to complete survey questions before selecting a box with a 'prize'.
You're then asked to enter your contact and payment details to pay for delivery.
Several people have also received scam emails that appear to be from Homebase and say you have been chosen to win home improvement products such as drills or backpacks. Again, the links in these emails lead to a scam website with Homebase branding where you are asked to enter your details.
How to Avoid
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.
If you receive unsolicited WhatsApp messages, 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 email. 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.
Contact your bank immediately if you think you may have made a payment to a scammer or if you are worried that a fraudulent transaction has been made from your account.
Find Consumer Advice
If you are having work done on your home, it's important to be aware of your consumer rights.
If anything goes wrong with a trader or company you are dealing with or if you regret a decision you made to purchase goods or services, you can contact consumeradvice.scot for free advice and information.
They deliver the national consumer advice service in partnership with the Scottish Government, Trading Standards Scotland and local Trading Standards offices.
Their services are completely free and their consumer advisors can:
Provide practical and impartial advice on how to resolve consumer problems;
Inform you of the consumer laws which may apply to your situation;
Pass relevant information onto Trading Standards for further investigation
They also offer a dedicated scam reporting service. Reporting a scam helps with work to protect people across the country - this can be done via scamwatch.scot
Their advice can be accessed between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0808 164 6000 or via their webchat service at www.consumeradvice.scot.
Alternatively, their knowledge centre can be accessed 24 hours a day on the above website.
The Scam
Drivers continue to receive scam emails that appear to have been sent by DVLA. They commonly say that:
your vehicle is untaxed
the latest payment for your vehicle tax has failed
your account information needs to be updated
You are usually asked to click a link to 'check your vehicle tax' or to 'make a payment' - they may say that you have to do this urgently to avoid a heavy fine or 'vehicle tax suspension'.
These links often lead to a fraudulent website using DVLA logos and branding where you are asked to enter personal and financial details.
How to Avoid
DVLA will never send emails that ask you to confirm your personal details or payment information via a link. They never send texts about vehicle tax refunds. Tax refunds are generated automatically - you will not be asked to click on a link to claim a refund.
Be suspicious of any unexpected message which appears to be from a government agency or official organisation and tells you that you must provide your details or a payment within a certain time frame.
If you receive a similar email, do not click on any links or enter any personal information.
Before entering your details or making a payment to the DVLA, check that you are on the official website - the web address should end with GOV.UK
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.
Official Contacts
If you feel threatened or unsafe, contact Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
