The UK's fraud epidemic.

[SteveH]

Fraud cases have risen by 16% with con artists stealing more than £3m a day, according to figures from the banking industry.

Criminals have particularly targeted victims by tricking them out of their one-time passcodes, trade body UK Finance said.

Despite the increase in reported cases, total losses have fallen slightly - totalling £572m in the first half of the year.

Banks said that fraud posed a "major threat" to the UK and called for support in tackling the crime.

The figures come after BBC Panorama revealed earlier this week a stream of cases involving e-money firm Revolut.

One victim told of how he lost £165,000 from his business account within an hour. Revolut said it had "robust controls" in place.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cglk7dlpwl5o

[SteveH]

North Wales named UK's 'fraud capital' with losses dwarfing other areas

A bank estimates £141 was lost for every single person in the region over 13 months

More than 3,000 fraud reports were made during this period, equating to 43 cases per 1,000 residents. The next worst area was also in Wales, with Gwent seeing a ratio of 37 reports per 1,000 people.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-named-uks-fraud-30270754

[SteveH]

Shoppers looking for a good deal on a luxury advent calendar are being warned to watch out for online scams.

Advent calendars have evolved beyond just offering a picture or a little chocolate behind each door. Now they offer everything from beauty products to luxury food and drink items to jewellery.

The consumer group Which? is urging people to watch out for fraudsters offering deals that appear too good to be true ahead of Black Friday sales.

It comes as cosmetics retailer Space NK urged its customers not to be fooled by fake adverts on social media, claiming to sell its £250 advent calendar for just £28.99................https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxvkkjd9vko

[SteveH]

January sales bargain hunters are being warned by a bank to watch out for rogue retailers claiming to offer big discounts.

The number of rogue retailers identified by Lloyds Banking Group in January 2024 was 140% higher than the normal monthly average across the year, indicating that retailers targeted shoppers looking for deals during the post-Christmas sales.

Rogue retailers deceive shoppers into making purchases by creating fake websites, made to look like popular high-street brands..........

https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/24828071.lloyds-bank-warns-customers-discount-scams-month/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Drivers have been warned of parking payment scams that are becoming increasingly common across the UK.

Experts have released an official warning about QR parking scams and their growing frequency.

The scam involves fraudsters sticking up ‘how to pay’ posters (with a QR code on them) in car parks. This code leads motorists to a fake webpage for payment or invites them to download an app to pay.

The QR code is not the official payment method and is just a ‘fake’ link to send money directly to the scammers. Motorists think they are paying the parking company, but once the payment is processed, more money than expected is often taken from the unwitting victims' bank account.......... https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24847072.warning-issued-drivers-qr-code-parking-payment-scams/