Current scams

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McAfee and Norton requests are bombarding my email box, have been doing for the last week or so. Every one says this is my last chance to renew, otherwise my PC will be unprotected. So far I must be on my 150th “last chance”😂 

Another less regular occurrence  is on my phone. It rings for a couple of seconds, then stops. If I look in my “recent” calls list, they are originating overseas, usually from African countries. I don’t bother ringing back to see what they want........😁

I got the “we have heard you have been in a car accident” yesterday. Now these I occasionally string along, seeing how long I can keep up the deception. 

Our police force is sending out regular messages around the proliferation of online and phone scams at the moment. Main advice is if buying online, use different passwords, check the website addresses, use as much payment security as you can.

I had a scam phone call last week. Very rare as the only ones we get are supposedly from BT who want me to take certain steps to secure my internet or else I will be switched off. Only ever aware of the calls around December an January time. Probably started three years ago. When it first started happening it was quite entertaining. Last year it was a voice message only asking that we press on a number. No fun at all. This time it was Jason who was surprised when, as soon as he spoke I responded with 'Hello Jason, lovely to hear our voice after so long.' He started his pitch I stopped him and said ''Hope you are well I won't be able to contain my laughter when you get to the punch line and so have a good day'. He hung up on me but it truly was nice to hear from him. 

 

check the website addresses, use as much payment security as you can.

We try and keep our online purchases with a few tried and trusted companies. It sometimes means paying a bit more but I much prefer it to inputting my details into a site I have never used before. In the few cases it is a new supplier, I always check them out.

TDA, the original(& best) advice ever is-‘there is no such thing as a free meal’. No one offers freebies for nothing, it’s a type of spear phishing they have identified marks/targets to go for. No one will give any of us anything without a cost. The more folk put their details out there the more they will be targeted. Every request for-name, address, age, gender, email address & phone number is a request to become a victim.  You will never get anything for nothing. It’s insidious but they can be beaten-we know that👍🏻

SL, you can use a PayPal account as they guarantee cover against scams. I never use a company that don’t offer PayPal as a paying partner.

Agree. I never click on the adverts that pop up on websites, or anything that promises something for nothing. Avoid any type of “market research” request as well.

It doesn't stop with one scam either as, once you've bitten, your details will be passed to other scammers as you've become a mark.

Yes, a good way of avoiding the need to disclose credit card & personal details. However, not bomb proof. I had my PayPal  account hacked a while back, somebody used it to buy photographic equipment in Estonia! I eventually got my money back, but it was a very long, frustrating process made more difficult as it was almost impossible to talk to a human being!  I now use their 2 stage verification process and won’t use any online account that doesn’t offer that level of security via my mobile phone.

I had an Email the other day supposedly from Paypal stating that there had been some unusual activity on my account along with an email to contact them, if you do get one Paypal request you forward the Email to them