09/06/22
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.
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
Energy Bill Rebate Scams
The Scam
Scams are already emerging linked to the announcement that households will receive a £400 discount on their energy bills from October. Energy regulator Ofcom has issued a warning about scam text messages that ask you to click on a link to 'complete your application' for the 'government funded £400 energy bill rebate'.
Scam Ofgem emails have also been reported, saying that you have to apply for the energy bill rebate before a specific date and asking you to click on a link to 'claim the rebate'.
How to Avoid
You do not need to apply for the £400 energy bill rebate - the money will be applied directly to your energy account.
Energy suppliers will deliver this support to households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October. Direct debit and credit customers will have the money credited to their accounts, while customers with pre-payment meters will have the money applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.
If you receive a text message, email or cold call asking for your details or a payment to 'apply' for the rebate, do not click on any links or provide any details.
Ofgem will never ask for your bank details in relation to energy bills. They will never cold call or visit your house and will never ask for your personal information or try to sell you energy.
If you receive a cold call supposedly from Ofgem, hang up and don't give the caller any personal details.
The Scam
This week, a young woman was visited by a cold caller who said he had been asked to carry out a boiler check by her housing association. She felt suspicious as a check had recently been carried out and asked him to wait while she phoned the housing association to verify his identity.
The man left while she was on the phone - the housing association confirmed that they had not booked any engineers.
There have also been recent reports of scammers who claim to work for the local council and ask to enter properties to carry out gas or smoke alarm checks or offer new boilers, supposedly as part of a council-run funding scheme.
How to Avoid
Housing association or council employees will only carry out boiler/gas checks by pre-arranged appointment and will happily show ID.
If someone knocks at your door and says they are working for the housing association or local council, ask them to wait and close the door while you phone the housing association or council to verify their identity. Genuine callers will be happy to wait while you do this.
Never provide any personal or financial details to a cold caller and don't agree to make an appointment for them to visit you at home. If a cold caller says that you are eligible for a grant or funding for energy efficiency improvements in your home, such as new boilers, insulation, heating or windows, always seek impartial advice before agreeing to any deal.
Home Energy Scotland offer free and impartial advice on energy saving measures and information about funding available in your area - call them free on 0808 808 2282 or visit www.homeenergyscotland.org.
The Scam
A man in his late 70s was cold called this week by a man who said he worked for a utility company. He asked to enter the property to check the plumbing and then demanded cash, without carrying out any work.
Thankfully, the householder phoned his daughter to ask for advice before handing over any money, at which point the fraudster left the house.
How to Avoid
Never 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.
If you do answer the door, 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 ID card, look up the company’s number on their official website or in an official phone directory to check their identity. Legitimate callers will be happy to wait while you perform these checks.
If a trader starts work on your property without being authorised and then demands payment, report them to Police Scotland.
If you feel uncomfortable or suspicious about a cold caller in your local area, phone Police Scotland on 101, or call 999 if you feel threatened.
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
There have been several recent reports of scam emails that promote Bitcoin investment schemes, supposedly endorsed by consumer expert Martin Lewis.
The emails target those concerned about the cost of living crisis, with headlines such as: "We are in a crisis: Follow this revolutionary way to survive financially."
The links in these emails lead to malicious websites designed to harvest personal and payment details.
Fraudsters frequently advertise similar schemes on social media, often using the images of celebrities or well-known individuals to promote cryptocurrency investments.
The adverts then link to professional-looking websites where consumers are persuaded to invest with the fraudster firm using cryptocurrencies or traditional currencies.
Last year, one woman lost £125,000 to an online cryptocurrency scam after responding to an advert on social media which illegally used Bear Grylls' face and claimed that he had made 'a fortune' through Bitcoin trading.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned that most firms advertising and selling investments in cryptoassets are not authorised by them.
How to Avoid
Martin Lewis and his MoneySavingExpert.com website have confirmed that they will not send out emails unless you have signed up to receive them. They will never cold call.
Do plenty of research before considering buying cryptocurrency, starting with online searches for background, ownership, reports and reviews on the company behind the product or service;
Beware of aggressive and/or unrealistic marketing tactics such as repeated attempts to contact you across different channels, incentives to buy before a specific deadline, selling of products as bundles, minimum order levels, multi-level marketing where you are encouraged to recruit more people to participate, or promises of large returns and financial success;
Be suspicious if you are contacted via phone, email or social media by someone you don't know about an investment opportunity;
Never respond to any requests to send money from someone you don't know;
Don't be rushed into making a decision about an investment - seek advice from someone you trust or from a financial advisor accredited by the FCA;
Before making an investment, check that the company is regulated by the FCA at register.fca.org.uk/s/
The Campaign
This is Child Safety Week and consumers are being reminded to be wary of counterfeit toys being sold online which won’t have gone through quality testing and might contain dangerous materials, loose parts and sharp edges.
It can be tempting to buy an in-demand toy which is advertised at a knock-down price on online marketplaces; however, cheap fakes often do not meet UK health and safety standards.
The British Toy and Hobby Association's recent report Still Toying with Children's Safety revealed that, according to a study of third party sellers via online marketplaces:
88% of toys tested were illegal to sell in the UK
48% of toys tested were unsafe for a child to play with
Injuries that could have been caused by the unsafe and non-compliant toys identified include:
choking and strangulation;
damage to sight or hearing
burns or chemical poisoning;
electric shocks;
injuries that would need surgical intervention to remove coin cell batteries from a child’s throat or high-powered magnets from a child’s colon.
How to Avoid
When buying toys online, the BTHA advise that you should:
Research before you purchase
Search for the company/brand that makes the toy or character you want to buy and then include the company name when you search the online marketplace.
Make sure the toy you want has not been recalled and look to make sure there are no news stories about safety concerns.
Check reviews of the seller and make sure that you know how to contact them if there are any issues with the toy.
Be careful when buying from third-party sellers on online marketplaces
Get as much information on the seller as you can, especially if you’re buying from an online marketplace. Not everything sold on an online platform is supplied by them - don't assume that the platform has conducted any tests or checks on these products. If the actual supplier is not based in the UK, you may face heightened risks.
Be wary of going for the cheapest option - compare the toy’s price with other sellers. If it’s a fraction of the cost, the price could be lower due to a number of factors:
It could be a counterfeit product, which will not have been made to the same standards as the original and will be illegal for sale in the UK.
The product may include cheaper materials and have a design that is less durable or unsafe.
It may not have gone through the correct legal testing and assessments. This is very expensive and means genuinely safe products can cost more to manufacture.
Check the product carefully before giving it to a child:
Check it has a CE mark.
Check that toys are clearly marked with age restrictions, which are based on risks such as choking hazards. Always follow the age recommendations.
Check for strangulation hazards such as loose ribbons on toys and costumes.
Ensure that any button batteries in a toy are safely behind a screwed down flap.
Check that the packaging looks genuine, with no spelling errors and the warnings and labels in the correct language.
Check that there is an address to contact in case anything is wrong with the toy.
Supervise the child when they play with the toy for the first time - many of the illegal toys found by the BTHA broke very quickly, releasing dangerous small parts or gel contents.
Electrical Safety First has recently warned that ‘highly dangerous’ devices that claim to help householders save on their energy bills amid the cost of living crisis are for sale online.
Adverts on online marketplaces for some of the devices claim that they are a way of making savings on energy bills, either by saving energy or “stabilising electrical current”.
However, four of the devices bought by Electrical Safety First failed basic safety standards, with some exploding, risking fire and electric shock.
How to Avoid If you're worried that an electrical product you have bought might be fake, don't use it.
Electrical Safety First advise that you should know where you're buying from and remember that online marketplaces are not subject to the same regulations as other retailers.
When shopping online, carry out some research before purchasing from sellers or companies you are not familiar with, particularly if they are selling branded goods at prices significantly lower than in official stores.
This short video from Electrical Safety First has tips on buying electrical products safely online, particularly while on a budget: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZBwx_JMbNc
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.
