December 2010 - Email warning
A chain email about an alleged postal scam should not be
forwarded according to the Worcestershire Regulatory
Services. The team has warned people to be on their
guard against the email which refers to the Royal Mail, Trading
Standards and ICSTIS (the former name of PhonePayPlus), giving
details of a telephone service operating on 0906 661 1911
that was shut down in 2005.
PhonepayPlus have issued a statement
saying:
- The chain email refers to a service (operating on 0906
6611911 ) that
was shut down by PhonepayPlus (then ICSTIS) in December 2005.
- PhonepayPlus subsequently fined the company that was operating
the service, Studio Telecom (based in Belize), £10,000.
- The service is NO LONGER running and has
NOT been running since December 2005.
- You do NOT need to contact PhonepayPlus, or
the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost five
years ago.
- If you receive a copy of the email warning you about the
alleged scam, please do NOT forward it to others.
Instead, please forward this statement from PhonepayPlus.
- If you receive a delivery card through your letterbox which you
do not believe is genuine and which asks you to dial a premium rate
number, you can contact PhonepayPlus on 0800 500 212 (Mon-Fri,
9am-5pm) for further guidance.
- Please go to http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/output/FAQ.aspx
for useful information about how to recognise
phone-paid services and understand what they cost, and some simple
tips to help you enjoy using services with confidence.
- For more detailed information about PhonepayPlus’ work, please
visit http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/ .
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list.
November 2010 - ‘Tis the season to be aware
Criminals on the web lurking to scam shoppers this
Christmas
With the UK's busiest online shopping
day 'Mega Monday' (6 December) fast approaching, the National Fraud
Authority (NFA)
and the UK's Lead Force for fraud, City of London Police, are
ringing-out the bells about the growing threat of online
fraudsters.
With over half the UK adult population now shopping online,
forecasters predict pre-Christmas web sales will peak at £23.2m
between 12-1pm on 'Mega Monday'. But police analysts advise this
frenetic activity also raises the risk of buyers losing money to
criminals.
Shoppers should be aware that behind some flashy websites, canny
criminals are looking to cash-in on the December online spree.
Anonymous fraudsters can set up legitimate-looking websites to sell
either counterfeit goods or no goods at all.
According to figures compiled by the NFA's Action Fraud and the
City of London Police's National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB),
there has been a 15 per cent increase in reports of online shopping
and auction fraud since July.
The organisations are also warning people
to take extra care when purchasing popular Christmas gifts online.
Previous reports to Action Fraud and other agencies, suggest the
following products are the top five to feature in online shopping
and auction fraud:
1. Smart
Phones
2. Digital
Cameras
3.
Designer goods including jewellery and branded boots
4.
Laptops and notebooks
5. Video
game systems.
Financial Fraud Action UK and CIFAS - The UK's
Fraud Prevention Service are supporting the call for consumers to
take basic steps online to protect themselves this Christmas.
To make sure your online shopping is
safe and secure remember these top tips:
- Use secure websites that you trust. Do your research before
making a purchase. Check online forums for feedback
- Do they have a real-world presence? Can you see their address
and phone number? Is it a valid UK registered phone number?
- Check the browser address changes from 'http' to 'https' to
indicate you have a secure connection and look for a padlock or an
unbroken key symbol on your web browser
- If website prices for designer items, games and smart phones
seem too good to be true, they probably are. Legitimate popular
technology and designer items are rarely discounted
- For further advice and to report fraud, log onto http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/ or call 0300 123 2040
,
Textphone 0300 123 2050
- Visit for other tips on staying safe online.
Please note: This information has been re-produced from the
National Fraud Authority website : www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk/nfa .
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November 2010 - ‘Scareware’ alert to web users
Security-conscious internet users have been warned about
a new scam which plays on their knowledge and fear of cybercrime to
empty their bank accounts.
Rogue anti-virus, AV scams, fake malware, and scareware are all
terms to describe the highly organised criminal operation
identified this week by Get Safe Online, a joint initiative between
the Government, Serious Organised Crime Agency and the private
sector.
The scam imitates the style of trusted IT brands to issue phoney
alerts and frighten web users into believing their computer has
been compromised. The solution it offers is a ruse to get access to
the computer and steal personal financial information.
How does the scam work?
A web user gets a pop-up on screen or a cold call from
an IT ‘help centre’ claiming that their computer might be infected
by a virus or other malicious software. They are offered a free
scan to identify the threats. If they accept, an authentic looking
anti-virus scan appears to take place. In reality this is no more
than an animated sequence.
The scan finds a frightening list of infections and recommends
software to fix them. There is a charge for downloading the full
anti-virus package and the user unwittingly hands over their bank
account details to a criminal organisation.
To bypass the user’s own security software the scam provides
details of a call centre to talk the user through the installation
process. The call centre staff effectively direct the unsuspecting
user to disable their genuine anti-virus software so the malicious
software can run. Some of the fake call centres have been found to
employ hundreds of people.
What are the consequences?
The best case scenario is that the user has paid money
for something that doesn't work. It’s possible though that they
have paid a cyber crime group for the privilege of infecting their
own computer with malicious software.
They may also have handed over information which can be abused to
commit fraud against them and sold on to other fraudsters. Many of
the bank details stolen this way will end up on criminal forums for
compromised data.
The malicious software which the criminals have installed could put
a computer under their control, either for installing further
software or ‘renting’ the infected computer to other criminals for
untraceable phishing attacks.
The good news – what you can do
There are simple steps that people can take to protect
themselves effectively.
Keep anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date. Make regular
back-ups of files containing sensitive information, and secure all
wireless networks. Always protect personal and financial data when
you are online.
If you do see a pop up or you are directed to a site by a cold
caller, check it out before doing anything. Some online forums will
identify fake products.
If you think you are a victim of a fraud, report it by contacting
the Action Fraud
website . You will be given a crime report number.
More information on protecting yourself is available from the
Get Safe Online
website .
Please note: This information has been re-produced from the Serious
Organised Crime Agency website : http://www.soca.gov.uk/ .
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18 October 2010 to 24 October 2010 - National Fraud Identity
Week
National Fraud Identity Week took
place from Monday 18 October 2010 to Sunday 24 October
2010.
Identity fraud occurs when a criminal uses
somebody else’s personal information or pretends to be someone else
in order to fraudulently obtain goods, services or other financial
advantages, such as benefits.
Check out: http://www.stop-idfraud.co.uk/
for further information.
Here are some simple steps you can
take to prevent yourself becoming a victim of this type of
crime:
- Keeping your personal and confidential documents secure. Never
give out any personal information to unidentified individuals
or organisations who contact you by phone, email or
face-to-face.
- Always remember to shred documentation such as bank statements,
credit card statements, utility bills, receipts, or any document
that holds personal information about you.
- Regularly check your bank and credit card accounts for unusual
transactions and obtain a copy of your credit report from credit
reference agencies.
- If you move home make sure you redirect your mail to your new
address by contacting the Royal Mail Redirection Service on
0845 7740 740.
- If you use the internet make sure you have the latest security
patches and up-to-date anti-virus software installed.
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September 2010 - Police Warning
West Mercia Police have issued a warning to residents
not to fall for scam callers following several reports of
suspicious telephone calls.
On September 10, a Rubery man reported that he had been called
by a bogus security firm asking him for details relating to his own
home security. No name was given by the caller, who rang from
a withheld telephone number.
In August, the same man received another call from someone
claiming to be from a telephone company offering him a deal and
asking for his bank details. In early September, several
people reported they had received calls from people saying that
they were involved in refunding of bank charges.
Details of bank accounts and other information was requested by
callers and in one instance details of a bank card were
confirmed. The woman concerned contacted her bank, who
cancelled the card and advised her that it was probably a scam.
Police confirm "There are many scams around which involve
unsuspecting members of the public receiving calls at home, which
they were not expecting. Often identity theft is the underlying aim
and by giving out personal information it is all too easy to become
a victim of this. Our message is very simple - do not give
out personal and especially not bank details, in
response to telephone calls from people you do not know, no matter
how convincing they seem. There are so many different scams
and new ones are appearing all the time".
Back to Index list.
August 2010 - Re-surge in Council Tax
Scam
Bromsgrove District Council’s fraud
experts are urging residents to be extra cautious following reports
that scammers are attempting to get personal details.
Further to a warning put out by the Council in
April this year, several more reports have been received stating
that international phone calls are being received by residents. The
caller informs them that they are entitled to a council tax
refund. One resident was informed this was because of a
Council Tax Banding error.
Worryingly, the scammers knew the customers
name, address and date of birth. Residents were asked to
confirm these details including where they wanted the money owed to
them, paid to (such as HSBC, Halifax etc). They even appeared
to know that one resident had only one debit card. When this
detail was denied, the scammer ended the call.
In all circumstances, the scammers were
identified as having an accent of Asian origin and are using a
premium rate number so residents are being asked not to return the
calls either.
The Council’s Fraud Services Manager Marie
Wall said: “Please be aware of this resurgence in phone calls in
the area. Under no circumstances should you
give any personal information out over the telephone. The
Council Tax department would never make such phone calls, and would
always correspond in writing where refunds may be due. Bank details
should never be handed out and definitely not PIN numbers.”
If you are contacted about your Council Tax
bill and want to make sure the query is genuine, please call
01527 881288 .
