Consumer news and scams

[SteveH]

A clever stepdad managed to thwart a Whatsapp scammer who impersonated his step-daughter with a simple question.

The scammer nearly got hundreds of the man's hard-earned cash but was caught out when the man asked one particular question.

"What's your middle name"

Jordan Parker, from Ellesmere Port, said his stepdad Michael Griffiths believed that he was talking to stepdaughter Sophie.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/mans-simple-question-thwarts-whatsapp-22870019

[SteveH]

Millions yet to file tax return as scammers circle

The last-minute rush ahead of the deadline is seized upon by fraudsters who send out false messages claiming to be from HMRC.

Tricks include emails and text messages claiming a rebate is due, or threats of court action.

Whatever the scam, the fraudsters' ultimate aim is either to steal money directly from bank accounts, or to gather enough personal information to apply for credit it in their victims' names.

The scams show fraudsters have piggy-backed on the fact that many people expect correspondence from HMRC at this time of year, given it sends out four million legitimate letters and texts, according to Charlie Shakeshaft, founder of Individual Protection Solutions - which runs a membership scam alert programme.

"This is a useful smokescreen for scam artists, because messages might not appear to people to have come out of the blue," he said.

"But it is the time to be most vigilant."

HMRC has recorded considerable success in reducing the number of so-called phishing messages in the last year.

New cyber controls had prevented 90% of the most convincing text messages from reaching the public, it said, and in June last year 51 people were arrested at two call centres in Delhi, India, that were dedicated to facilitating HMRC scams.

From being the third most phished brand globally, HMRC is now outside the top 100.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60144406

[SteveH]

CONWY County Borough Council’s tax team is reminding residents to be vigilant and beware of phone and text scams.

If you receive a telephone call or text message claiming your council tax account is in arrears, to check your property’s council tax band, or that you’re entitled to a council tax refund, you should not give your bank details.

A council statement added: “As with any cold call, if you’re in any doubt, take the caller's number and check that it is valid.

“Anyone working in a professional capacity won't mind you doing this.

“It’s also worth regularly reminding elderly relatives and friends to be cautious with their personal and bank details.

“And remember, Conwy residents can get free help and advice on council tax and benefits direct from the council by phoning (01492) 576607, or emailing counciltax@conwy.gov.uk, or online at

[SteveH]

NORTH Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin has issued an urgent warning to people in his region to be vigilant of scammers.

Recently, it was revealed that fraudsters had duped their targets out of nearly £500,000 last year.

Police in the region also received more than 100 reports of romance fraud in 2021, although many victims are thought to have not contacted the police.

The increased isolation and loneliness caused by the pandemic had also led to an increase in romance fraud.

One case that came to light involved a single man aged 57 who was conned out of £150,000 after being groomed over a period of months when he was gradually isolated from family and friends.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19904636.police-warn-scammers-man-conned-150-000/

[SteveH]

23 million users used 123456 as a password!

Whether it’s your Facebook, Amazon, or Netflix account, the explosion in popularity of online apps and services means more and more of us have to remember an increasingly long list of passwords.

Unfortunately, some of us cope with this challenge by resorting to practices that leave our data, devices and money at risk - by using the same password across multiple accounts, or by creating simple passwords that could easily be guessed by hackers. Bad password practice is more prevalent than you might think - the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre carried out analysis of passwords leaked in data breaches and found that more than 23 million users worldwide used 123456 as a password. You can read more about it here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/most-hacked-passwords-revealed-as-uk-cyber-survey-exposes-gaps-in-online-security

Here are some top tips that will make your life easier and your online accounts more secure:

1: Creating memorable passwords
A good way to create strong, memorable passwords is by using 3 random words. But remember, don’t use words that can be guessed (like your pet’s name). You can include numbers and symbols if you need to. For example, “RedPantsTree4!”

2: Saving passwords in your browser
Saving your password in your browser means letting your web browser (such as Chrome, Safari or Edge) remember your password for you.

This can help:
make sure you do not lose or forget your passwords
protect you against some cyber crime, such as fake websites
It is safer than using weak passwords, or using the same password in more than one place.

Here are some useful links on how you can start saving passwords in your browser: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari.

3: Email account passwords
If a hacker gets into your email account, they could:

reset your other online account passwords
access personal information you have saved about yourself or your business
Your email password should be strong and different to all your other passwords. This will make it harder to crack or guess.

Need help changing your email account password? You can use these links to find step by step instructions: Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, BT, AOL Mail. 

For more of the government’s latest advice on how to stay secure online, visit the Cyber Aware website: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware

Thanks for reading! If you found this information useful, please help us spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends.

Message Sent By
Action Fraud
(Action Fraud, Administrator, National)

[SteveH]

Thousands of 'fake emails' sent to Amazon customers in bank account scam
Action Fraud issued a warning after the retail giant's customer base was targeted

Most customers receive regular emails from Amazon, but it's important to be able to spot a scam email from a real one

Action Fraud has issued the warning after it received over 2,000 reports in one week about the fake emails purporting to be from Amazon.

The warning said: "Action Fraud has received over 2,000 reports in one week about fake emails purporting to be from Amazon.

"The emails claim the recipient's Amazon account has been "locked" and that they need to complete an "identity verification" process in order to unlock it.

"The links in the emails lead to genuine-looking phishing websites that are designed to steal Amazon login credentials, as well as personal and financial information.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/thousands-fake-emails-sent-amazon-23112522

[SteveH]

NORTH Wales Police is warning of a new scam designed to instil a sense of "fear, worry and anxiety" in its victims.

The force has said the new mail scam sees a letter sent to people's address, differing the usual tactic of scammers to use emails.

Police said a letter arrives at your address stating that your computer has been used to access highly illegal content.

The letter then states that you need to pay a large amount of money (which could be around £580) within ten working days by going on a website where you put your payment details in.

It states that doing so means that no further action will be taken against you and that failure to pay will lead to legal action.

It also states that if you are found "guilty" you can be:

Sentenced to up to ten years in prison.
Deported from the UK by the Home Office.
You will no longer be a British resident.
It contains personal information such as your address and telephone number.

Police said this is a scam which looks very authentic, but does contain some spelling mistakes.

[SteveH]

DVLA warning issued over road tax scam which makes £1,000 fine threat
Information has also been released on four other scams to watch out for

The Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) warned drivers to be aware of scammers posing as the agency in a bid to steal their personal details to commit fraud. The set of scams includes a road tax text message scam warning the recipient that their payment has failed and asking them to update their bank details. It also claims if they do not do so they will be fined £1,000.

The DVLA has confirmed this is a scam and urged drivers not to do as the text says. If drivers enter their personal information, scammers could empty their bank accounts or use licence details to commit major offences on their behalf...........

full article  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/dvla-warning-issued-over-road-23417990

[Nemesis]

If you ever buy books on line , avoid a firm called SORTON. Their web site makes out that they sell books, no mention of digital downloads. All goes ahead, they say that they have delivered your parcel, blah blah blah. When you investigate they only sell digital downloads.Many people have been misled with their tactics including myself. Wish I had found the reviews earlier. All they do is state that they do not give refunds and the said book has been e-mailed to you. Not much use when you have ordered a book to give as a gift. Caveat Emptor!

[Ian]

Do you have the URL for that, Nem?  I couldn't find it just now. They cannot, by law, refuse refunds, especially for contracts completed in your own home.

[Ian]

Depressing news from The Register:

FBI: Cyber-scams cost victims $6.9b-plus worldwide in 2021

[Nemesis]

Depressing news from The Register:

FBI: Cyber-scams cost victims $6.9b-plus worldwide in 2021

If you type in Sorton you can access their web site and also read reviews from other people. It seems that all the reviews are in the same vein.

[Ian]

Thanks.  Well, the first point is that they're guilty of misrepresentation, itself an offence under the The Consumer Rights Act (October 2015). 

This is an interesting one, since I assumed (wrongly) that this sort of blatant misrepresentation was no more.  This company is clearly trying it on, but they need to be sorted out. However, the law is on your side.

When you buy anything online and specifically ebooks, certain important factors come into play:

1. Public statements, such as those in advertising or on labelling, made by the trader, the producer or their representative about the digital content, must be accurate.

2. You have the right to expect that the digital content is 'as described'. Even if you examine a trial version and find that the actual digital content matches or is better than the trial version, it still has to match any description given to you by the trader.

3.  It is an important element of a contract that traders must give you specific pre-contract information, as set out in the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. In particular, information given to you by the trader about the main characteristics, functionality and compatibility of the digital content forms part of the contract.

4.  Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 you have the right to cancel most 'distance' contracts within a cancellation period of 14 days.

5.  If you enter a contract because a trader misled you or because a trader used an aggressive commercial practice, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 give you rights to redress: the right to unwind the contract, the right to a discount and the right to damages.

6.  A trader is not allowed to exclude or restrict your legal rights in any way. If you inadvertently agree to a term in a contract that excludes or restricts your rights, you are not bound by it because it is considered an 'unfair term'. This specifically includes 'no refunds' notices.

Last resort is the small claims court, which is very easy to and I can provide all the letters, etc. you might need.

[Ian]

If the company dissolves (they do that a lot) then as long as you paid by credit card you have the extremely strong Section 75 protection from your credit card issuer.

[Ian]

Lots of useful info in these links:

'Unfair terms in consumer contracts and notices'

'Sale and supply of goods: your consumer rights'

Supply of services - your consumer rights