Hijacking headlines: how scammers exploit the news agenda. Fraudsters are quick to exploit major news events to deceive unsuspecting victims. Scammers can easily set up copycat websites or social media profiles in just a matter of minutes, posing as an organisation currently in the headlines and using these platforms to trick people into various scams. One example involves scammers impersonating Ofgem to offer an 'energy bill rebate scheme' to families struggling to meet their payments. See more examples of how fraudsters exploit news headlines and how you can dodge them.
Fraudsters target Halifax customers. We’ve received multiple reports about unsolicited emails from scammers posing as Halifax. These messages appear to come from Halifax, but the true sender addresses are hijacked TalkTalk and Tiscali accounts. The scammers used convincing Halifax branding and claimed to be asking customers to 'refresh their contact details' as an extra security measure, inviting them to click a link that redirects to a fake Halifax website. Legitimate banks will never ask for sensitive information such as your PIN or full password via email. If you receive a suspicious email, find out how to check the website's details, including the creation date, to avoid these scams.
How much do you know about phone scams? Phone scams, commonly known as 'vishing', involve fraudsters trying to deceive you over the phone. It can be challenging to detect a phone scam, as there are many types in operation. One common example is when fraudsters spoof phone numbers to impersonate your bank's fraud department. They then urge you to transfer your money to a 'safe' account before disappearing with your cash.
Always approach unsolicited calls with caution. Scammers can be persuasive, so don't trust calls that come out of the blue. Learn more about the most common types of phone scams and follow our tips to stay safe.
Scam sharer tool. There’s now a much easier way to make us aware of scams directly with our scam sharer tool. Tell us your experiences of phishing emails, fake texts, cold calls and other types of fraud. Scam Sharer Tool.
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