Weekly Fraud Update from West Mercia Police – Economic Crime Unit – 20/08/2024

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ONLINE PURCHASE SCAMS

Shopping online has become a quick and easy method of shopping and very often a source of bargains, but are these bargains always genuine? However, fraudsters can also make use of the anonymity of the internet to post what often seem to be “too good to be true offers”

So, what should you do to protect yourself?

  1. Is the offer too good to be true? Scam websites may use very low bargain pricing to tempt the unwary, so take your time. Check out the homepage and “about us” pages, and watch out for spelling and grammar mistakes. If there are no contact details then this could be a red flag.
    2.    Is there a Padlock icon? This normally appears next to the site’s URL to show it is encrypted. Whilst the lack of a padlock icon may not necessarily mean the site is fake, it may call for more checks before making a purchase
    3.    Scam Adverts may appear on Search Engines too. On Google, Adverts appear at the top of the search list and are labelled “Ads”. Anyone can pay for an advert on a search engine, so try and click on the actual company website link and not on the “Ad”
    4.    Scammers often post adverts on Social media sites so always be vigilant for new “companies” appearing on your feed. They may also try and mimic a genuine company with an updated posting.

So always check the following:

  • Is the deal too good to be true, even if it claims to come from a genuine looking company source?
    •    Are you receiving a high number of posts being shared?
    •    Check out the URL and make sure it matches that of the genuine company
    •    Look out for variations in branding, does it appear to be the same as the genuine company brand?

And Finally – try to avoid payments by Bank Transfer for purchases, use a Credit Card instead. Scammers will often push you into Bank Transfer payments but it may be much harder to get your money back if things go wrong. Also avoid giving out too much personal information, if requested, when purchasing you should not have to give out facts such as Mother’s maiden name or your primary school details to make a genuine purchase, your name and address and card details should suffice.
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Please feel free to share this information with any family, friends, or neighbours that you think it may be able to assist.
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Take Five to Stop Fraud

STOP: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
CHALLENGE: Could it be fake? It’s OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
PROTECT: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud

ALWAYS REMEMBER:
•    Avoid disclosing security details
•    Emails, Phone Calls and Texts may not be authentic
•    Always make direct contact with any organisation by using a genuine phone number
•    Stop and Challenge any unexpected requests
•    Protect others by reporting Fraud and Scams
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If you’ve fallen for a scam,
report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk

Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take early action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report Scam mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the scam caller’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number – 159 – to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.