Author Topic: Consumer news and scams  (Read 230188 times)

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Offline Ian

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #720 on: May 08, 2022, 12:08:02 pm »
Interestingly the company appears to operate out of someone's back bedroom...

97A Gibbins Rd, Birmingham B29 6PN
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #721 on: May 08, 2022, 03:26:57 pm »
Thank you Ian, I am awaiting the results of my latest e-mail, they don't seem literate to say the least! As I paid with my credit card I have that cover, especially as a distance buyer. The amount was small, but that isn't the point, they are rogues !
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.


Offline Nemesis

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #722 on: May 24, 2022, 03:11:27 pm »
On that subject I got a complete refund and have kept the relevent e- mails.

Last week during the evening a plain white envelope came through our letterbox addressed to Dear Neighbour ( handwritten) It contained a stamped adressed envelope, addressed to Robin Millar to send back a response. The senders appear to be 'Our Freedom Their Future' It was all well printed including the response form.

Not everyone in the street got one!

Any ideas??
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #723 on: May 24, 2022, 03:55:15 pm »
Glad you got the refund, as for the letter, we got one as well, like yourselves, still pondering, will let you know if anything comes of it.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #724 on: May 24, 2022, 08:14:37 pm »
Very odd, our neighbour didn't get one !
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #725 on: June 14, 2022, 11:11:48 am »
Martin Lewis has issued a warning about a new scam where people are falsely impersonating Post Office officials. Taking to Twitter, the money-saving expert revealed exactly what to do if you think you have been contacted by the scammers.

His tweet read: "Beware. Just had a clever version of the 'pay ?1.99 for Post Office Parcel delivery' scam text, aiming to steal bank info.? Britons flocked to the comment section of the tweet, with some noting they had received, and almost fell for, the same scam texts.

Mr Lewis added: ?The 'fee' isn't mentioned in the text, it talks about ?delays in transit? and offers ?a date to reschedule?. It's only when you click thru it mentions a fee.?

Similar scams have cropped up in the past involving the Post Office and mention missing or delayed parcels. However, Mr Lewis highlighted that this new round of scam texts could be even more dangerous, the Express reports.

He said: ?It's clever because it's morphed and is now less obvious.? Twitter user KatieLDN noted she had received the same scam text, and almost got caught out by it.

Read more....https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/martin-lewis-warns-people-beware-24215276

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #726 on: June 27, 2022, 01:27:07 pm »
Inflation in the UK is at the highest rate recorded in 40 years, and millions of people are living in a cost-of-living crisis struggling to make ends meet. So, every penny counts at the moment.

Sadly, fraud rates are also climbing at an astonishing rate. And fraudsters are getting creative with their ways of stealing your money from you.

The latest sophisticated scam involves cashpoints. Experts have issued a warning that scammers are using ATMs to steal your banking information and then draining your account seconds after popping your card in.

Victims said their cards have been retained by the withdrawal machines, which have been swallowing their payment devices before a message appears on the screen saying the service is "unavailable".

Fraud rates for cards in the UK rose by 42 per cent in the final quarter of 2021, the highest rate seen since 2017, according to the National Fraud Hunter Prevention Service. Brean Horne, a personal finance expert at comparison site NerdWallet, is warning current account users to be extra vigilant when withdrawing money at an ATM machine.

He said: ?These thefts are being achieved by a discreet device being placed over the card slot of the machine, which scans the card details, transmits the data to the criminal, and then blocks the card from being returned. Fraudsters have several ways of cleverly accessing your current account and spending your money within minutes.

"So it?s vital to remain vigilant and take preventive measures to safeguard yourself while using an ATM."

Five precautions you should take when withdrawing money from an ATM.......... https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/cash-machine-scam-could-drain-24330415

Offline Hugo

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #727 on: June 27, 2022, 04:24:10 pm »
That's good advice to try and avoid the fraud that is going on.      When my bank is open I always go inside the bank and withdraw the money there.   That way there is less chance of being scammed

Offline Ian

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #728 on: July 07, 2022, 06:56:22 pm »


From Which? Scamwatch:

By the end of this year, the average family of four will have spent ?785 more on their energy than in 2019? an increase of 57%. To help customers cope, there have been several government grants and discount schemes, alongside a flurry of communication and money saving tips from energy companies ? not all ofit welcome. Ovo was forced to apologise after it advised some customers to ?cuddle with your pets? tostay warm. But some advice could be worse than patronising. This year there's been a significantincrease in scammers impersonating energy firms, trying to trick victims into handing over money orpayment details. 

It?s possible you?ve received an email offering an energy refund. In these emails, fraudsters posed as major supplier Eon to claim that the recipient was entitled to an ?85 refund. ?Our system indicates that an error in our billing procedures has led to an overcharge,? the email announced, before urging you to click on a link and enter your banking details to get your money. The email rightlyraised flags with recipients for the simple fact that many of them aren?t even supplied by Eon. Scammers sent out the email en masse in the knowledge that at least some inboxes would belong to Eon customers. Your energy supplier already has your payment details and so will never send an unsolicited email or text requesting these.

As it?s common practice for energy suppliers to include links in their emails, scammers can sometimes ?spoof? organisations using an email display name of their choice, so make sure you always read the full underlying email address of the sender, instead of just glancing at the display name. And don?t be afraid to call your energy supplier, using the number on its website, to check what you?ve been told.

In May, we received an email claiming to be from energy regulator Ofgem, offering a rebate. The email linked to a convincing fakeOfgem site requesting you set up a direct debit to receive the money. Although households are receiving,,rebates on council tax and a ?400 discount on energy bills this year, these are being applied automatically.

Then there?s energy saving devices. Just imagine a small plug-like device that could shave ?up to 90%? off your energy bill, reducing it from ?251 a month to just ?15 a month (that?s actually 96% off). But ?Big Energy? doesn?t want you to know and is desperate to destroy it. This isn?t the plot of a low-budget sci-fi film, but instead a real claim made by a website. The device it?s marketing is called Voltex, which was also previously marketed under the name Motex, although  Motex has now been withdrawn from sale due to ?security concerns?.

The collapse of many smaller energy companies in recent years has created billing confusion that scammers have swiftly capitalised on. In January 2022 we received two such reports from former customers of Brilliant Energy, which ceased trading in 2019. Both had received, out of the blue, an apparent debt demand from one ?ABD Debt Recovery?, claiming they had outstanding balances on their Brilliant accounts. The emails addressed each customer by name and demonstrated knowledge of their former supplier. More worrying still, online reports indicated that ex-customers of defunct firms Solarplicity, Future Energy and Northumbria Energy have also been individually targeted. How did the crooks know customers? names? It?s difficult to pinpoint the source of the leak because, as is commonwhen energy firms cease to trade, customer data passes through many hands. These include energy brokers, mailing houses, new suppliers, billing consultants and debt collection agencies. If your energy supplier ceases trading, it will be swiftly taken over by an Ofgem-appointed successor firm, which
manages your account and acts as a point of contact for verifying any payment requests you then receive. Contact regarding outstanding balances or credit should be received a few months down the line, not out of the blue three years later, as in this case. Be very wary of any emails

Never sign up to anything on the strength of an unsolicited doorstep encounter or cold call; instead read online reviews. Get written quotes andstudy the T&Cs carefully, ensuring you pay via a secure method. Rather than bank transfer, use a credit card, or a debit card or PayPal if credit isn?t an option. Consult your local authority?s website for reliable information about green schemes operating nationally or in your area, and the legitimate tradersproviding them.
 
Energy scams, like investment scams, are nothing new.  Titled ?Get more on your savings!?, an advert which claimed to be from SSE offered a sustainability-linked bond? which would be invested in renewable energy. The criminals behind the email abused not only SSE?s logo but also that of US bank Wells Fargo, which it implied was backing thebonds. They made modest promises of interest ranging from 1.75% to 3.74%, making them look moreconvincing. When researching investments, always consult the FCA?s Warning List, then check if the firm is listed on the FCA?s Register and confirm that the contact details you?ve been given match those on the register. It?s far safer to find sustainable investment funds or trusts via an investment platform or by using an independent financial adviser who is a member of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association.


In May 2022, Ofgem warned of claims circulating on social media that you can save money on energy bills by tampering with your meter. And Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, has warned of a conspiracy theory doing the rounds which incorrectly asserts households are being charged simply for having a meter. In 2018, a Leicester resident was given a three-year prison sentence for twice tampering with the gas meter in his flat. Investigators said his actions could have caused a huge explosion. If you suspect a meter has been tampered with, you can report it anonymously to Stay Energy Safe on 0800 023 2777. If you smell gas, open doors and windows, turn the gas off - if you can do so safely - exit the property and call 0800 111999.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #729 on: July 17, 2022, 03:43:12 pm »
Experts have shared six top tips to help people avoid being conned in a devious romance scam. It comes after the number of cases skyrocketed by 73% in the last year alone.

Banks believe that in 2021 victims lost nearly ?31m to fraudsters hiding behind fake online dating profiles. However, Action Fraud believes that the true figure is closer to a gut-wrenching ?95.1m.

Action Fraud, the reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, received 8,957 reports from victims of ?dating scams? in 2021. UK Finance, the banking industry body, has revealed that banks only logged 3,270 cases of what it calls ?romance fraud? during the same period (up 41%).

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/cases-romance-fraud-skyrocket-experts-24503856

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #730 on: August 01, 2022, 10:06:06 am »
Not local, but a warning just in case.......

Council chiefs have warned Flintshire?s drivers to take ?extra care? after a woman was scammed out of ?230 at a town centre car park. An investigation was launched after three payments were taken from her bank account by a fraudster called "The Happy Hormone?.

The woman, who lives in Manchester, was visiting her home town of Connah?s Quay and decided to stop in the old Somerfield Car Park, currently earmarked for a new Lidl store. Motorists can pay 50p to park for four hours at the council-run facility, or ?1 for the whole day.

Posting a warning on Facebook, she said. ?I used the app to pay. I ended up being scammed and ?230 coming out of my bank.

?The first withdrawal was ?1, the second was ?59.99, and the third was ?170. It shows up on your account as - the happy-hormone. They apply for the money from your bank account as ?music?.

?Just be careful everyone. I?d never used an app to park there before, and I won?t be using an app to park anywhere again.?

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-council-issues-warning-24623222

Offline SteveH

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #731 on: August 03, 2022, 09:51:01 am »
Football fans are being issued an urgent scam warning from a high street bank amid the new football season.

The Premier League returns this weekend after the EFL and SPL got underway last week, which will see a rise in ticket scams according to Lloyds Bank.

Reported cases of football ticket scams increased by more than two-thirds (68%) between January and June this year, compared with July to December 2021, with victims losing ?410 on average, the bank said.

The figures were based on analysis of purchase scams reported by Lloyds Banking Group customers.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/20596783.lloyds-bank-issues-urgent-scam-warning-premier-league-efl-spl-fans/

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #732 on: August 05, 2022, 06:38:08 pm »
Last week my OH took a phone call from a person who wanted to come and change the electric meter. He asked rather too many questions and was very persisant on the subject. My OH told him that any 'dealings' on the subject had to be sent to us via a land mail letter. The bloke got very stroppy and said that someone was coming anyway at 2pm on Friday the 5th. No letter was forthcoming................... and guess what? No one turned up to change the meter either.
 Yet anothe scam thwarted? Or are we too careful?
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline Ian

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #733 on: August 05, 2022, 06:44:27 pm »
You were right, Nem. The 'official' making a visit is one of the earliest scam tactics.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Consumer news and scams
« Reply #734 on: August 06, 2022, 01:53:15 pm »
We have also had a number of calls registering with a local number, ( this was mentioned a while back ) asking all kinds of questions................not that they get any answers!
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.