Consumer news and scams

[SteveH]

Drivers are being cautioned about a new scam involving fake parking app promotions that exploit QR codes to deceive people into setting up recurring payments. Consumer champion Which? launched an investigation after a member of the public fell victim to this scheme.

The victim told Which? that they had tried to sign up for a parking app but were redirected to a website hosted by a company called "Alltainment", where they mistakenly entered their bank details. However, they later realised they had unknowingly subscribed to an entertainment package from Alltainment, costing ?39.99 a month.

According to Which?, the scam initiates when drivers search for popular parking apps like JustPark, Parkonomy, PayByPhone, or Ringgo on their mobile phones. If they do this using a search engine instead of the app store, the top result frequently leads to a fake website

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/new-parking-app-scam-could-cost-you-hundreds-of-pounds/

[SteveH]

Martin Lewis' tips to avoid losing money after scammers take advantage of Wilko bargain hunters
The retailer is no longer accepting online orders - but scammers appear to be

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/martin-lewis-tips-avoid-losing-27575859

[SteveH]

The UK's financial regulator has warned of an increasing number of scammers pretending to be the watchdog.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said its impersonators aim to get people to hand over money or sensitive information, such as bank account PINs and passwords.

The public reported more than 7,700 instances of this type of scam to the FCA's contact centre so far this year.

Reports of this type of scam have more than doubled since 2021, the FCA said.

It added that a common tactic used by fraudsters was to tell people they were owed compensation, and then ask for bank details or a processing fee to arrange "payment".

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66650783

[SteveH]

Warning over snooping smart devices that listen in and share your data
A Which? study found a concerning amount of data not required for products to work was often asked for.

Smart devices, including speakers, doorbells, TVs and washing machines, hoover up a worrying amount of extra personal data from owners, Which? research has found. The technology includes smart speakers and security cameras that share data with Meta and TikTok, TVs demanding people's viewing habits, and a washing machine that asks for the owner's date of birth, according to research.

Which? analysed common household brands' collection practices, finding that consumers pay additional data costs on top of the figures already spent to purchase the products. Experts investigated what information had to be shared to create an account, the permissions required by apps, and which types of activity marketing firms were tracking, reports WalesOnline.

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/warning-over-snooping-smart-devices-that-listen-in-and-share-your-data/

[SteveH]

Online scam victims should get refunds from social media firms
Barclays Bank has called for measures to tackle the issue, but here's what you can do if you are scammed.

Barclays data has revealed a rise in the number of social media scams affecting UK shoppers, with 88 per cent, leading to victims losing ?1,000 on average, starting on social media platforms. The bank said more must be done to combat scams and demanded further action from social media companies and politicians.

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/call-for-online-scam-victims-to-get-refunds-from-social-media-firms/

[SteveH]

How to protect yourself from vehicle scams as reports surge by 74%
Lloyds recorded the hike in the first half of this year, with victims losing around ?1,000 on average,

A UK bank has seen a 74 per cent rise in vehicle scam reports, with criminals targeting buyers with fake ads offering major car brands, motorbikes, classics and parts. Lloyds Bank said many scams involve fake offers of Ford Fiestas (the most commonly reported this year), BMWs, and Audis.

Lloyds Bank said there is also a significant trade in bogus ads for accessories and parts, including alloy wheels. It said vans also crop up, as potential buyers are on the lookout for cheaper models to transform into campervans, according to scam victims, who lose an average of ?998; people aged 25 to 34 are the most likely group to report being scammed.

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/how-to-protect-yourself-from-vehicle-scams-as-reports-surge-by-74/

[SteveH]

Nearly three-quarters of Brits targeted by these scams in the past year
A new survey has revealed people reported seeing more digital and online scams than 'real life' cons

A recent survey by NatWest revealed that 74 per cent of individuals have fallen prey to scams within the past year. The survey, which gathered insights from 2,000 participants across the UK in September revealed some alarming statistics, highlighting the growing threat of digital and online scams.

Among those surveyed, six in 10 (61 per cent) said they now encounter more digital and online scams compared to traditional 'real-life' cons, like door-to-door bogus sellers. Eight out of 10 (80 per cent) respondents said they worry that impersonation fraud may become harder to detect in the next five years, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/nearly-three-quarters-of-brits-targeted-by-these-scams-in-the-past-year/

[Hugo]

I received an e-mail supposedly from someone I know and it asked how I was and could I do him a favour.      I thought that it was strange at the time but never the  less I replied and asked him what was the favour?
The reply came back and said "are you online" and said that he was away for a few days and could I buy something for his friend who had cancer and that he'll pay me back when he comes home on Friday!
Needless to say alarm bells started to ring so I didn't reply but called at his house and rang the doorbell but no one answered the door first of all.    It turns out that my friend had a camera doorbell so I spoke to him and told him what had happened.    It turned out that he was in fact away for a few days but the e-mail was a scam and his other friends had all received a similar e-mail,   So I deleted mine

[SteveH]

Warning over ?29.95 monthly charge showing up on bank accounts from 'mystery' websites
Consumer experts are urging those affected to take immediate action

A consumer watchdog has issued a warning to people who search for loans online. UK borrowers are being signed up to paid-for subscriptions on sites they?ve never heard of or signed up to.

Which? believes some customers are unwittingly paying ?29.95 a month for these subscriptions. It?s thought they may have inadvertently opted into a service without realising the full consequences.

Which? said people had been asked to approve a charge of 12p or 14p to ?verify? their bank account when using a loan broker website, Birmingham Live reports. There are a total of 13 different ?savings? sites which boast of offering daily discount codes to users and subscribers.

But the watchdog is now investigating complaints after users said they had never heard of the websites in question. In a statement, Which? said: ?It?s likely that some were signed up after inadvertently ?opting in? to a service, perhaps by ticking a box or failing to untick one when searching for a loan.?

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/warning-over-2995-monthly-charge-28000970

[SteveH]

Gone in 15 seconds - CCTV shows trick thief used to steal phone in McDonalds
The woman lost her phone in McDonald's thanks to a piece of paper and a short conversation

Police have released CCTV of a woman's mobile phone being stolen in just 15 seconds to highlight the distraction techniques currently being used by thieves. The victim had the device pinched from a table in a McDonald's restaurant by a man who distracted her simply by asking her to sign a piece of paper.

The footage shows the crook first approaching a man and woman at the fast food branch in Nottingham city centre and engaging in conversation with them both. He goes on to ask the unsuspecting victim to look at and sign the piece of A4 paper, using the sheet to cover her mobile phone which was on the table.

He then uses the same hand which is holding the paper to steal her device which was underneath before making his escape. Nottinghamshire Police said the force had

cont https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/gone-15-seconds-cctv-shows-28029500?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Woman replies to simple text message and her life 'will never be the same again'
A 61-year-old woman from Gwynedd, Wales, has told how she was conned out of more than ?17,000 by a caller pretending to be from the fraud department at HSBC bank

The 61-year-old, from Waunfawr, Gwynedd, shared her bank details with a man claiming to be from HSBC and had asked her to share a one-time password to stop two 'suspicious' transactions.

The scam started when she received a text asking for a payment of just ?1.41 for an undelivered Royal Mail parcel. After paying the amount with her HSBC card, she got a call from 'Dave from Swindon', who said he was HSBC's fraud manager and needed the password.

"He told me to check the telephone number on the back of my card and to compare it with the number he was calling from, so that I knew he was genuine," the woman said. "In fact, the last digit was a three instead of a four. He explained the bank's fraud department had grown and he was calling from a sub-department, hence the minor discrepancy."

cont https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-replies-simple-text-message-31385975?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland customers issued urgent ?10,000 warning
There's a major alert over the rise in crypto investment scams in the last year

Rousseau/PA Wire)
Sign up to our free newsletter for the top North Wales stories sent straight to your e-mail

More Newsletters
Enter your Email?
Subscribe
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you?ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info
A major bank has issued a warning about crypto investment scams, with victims standing to lose more than ?10,000 on average and young adults often being particularly at risk. Lloyds Bank has recorded a 23% rise in reports of cryptocurrency investment scams by customers in its banking group (including Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland) between January and September 2023, compared with the equivalent period last year.

Victims are losing ?10,741 on average, up from ?7,010 last year, the bank said, with many of the scams it analysed originating on social media, reports WalesOnline. The most common age range for crypto scam victims is 25 to 34 years old, Lloyds said.

Would-be crypto investors typically make an average of three payments before they realise they have been scammed, taking around 100 days from the date of the first transaction before they report it to their bank, Lloyds added. Fraudsters often pose as investment managers, promising that any payments made by the victim will be invested on their behalf, often with the promise of huge returns.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/lloyds-halifax-bank-scotland-customers-28084911?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Common Black Friday scams and how to spot them if you've been duped

Two words that strike either complete joy or total dread in the run up to Chritsmas: Black Friday. It's the time of year that people use to find an incredible bargain and even those who don't like shopping can find a smidge of comfort in it as it means they can do all their Christmas buying and browsing online.

This year Black Friday falls on November 24 and even if you don't like shopping, it does offer good opportunities to ease the burden on seasonal budgets and deals are there to be snapped up.

Bargains are definitely there to be had - but where there's an opportunity, there's also a scammer looking to take advantage. Because whilst most of us are busy preparing lists of who to buy for, criminals will be preparing to strike as eager shoppers get swept up in the excitement of the season, cloning legitimate retail websites or offering shoddy or non-existent goods.

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/how-to-avoid-getting-scammed-when-shopping-this-black-friday-and-christmas/

[SteveH]

Identity theft warning for Christmas shoppers and how you can avoid falling victim to fraudsters

Shoppers and businesses are being warned about a surge in fraud ahead of Christmas. Fraudulent attempts have spiked by over 20 per cent this year, and the trend is expected to peak during the festive shopping period, according to credit information company Experian.

Identity theft, also known as 'third party' fraud, where someone?s identity or personal details are used without their consent or knowledge, is on the rise. Fraudsters often target credit cards because they can get swift access to your funds, Experian says that there was a 22 per cent increase in this kind of crime between January and September 2023, compared with the same period last year.

Eduardo Castro, managing director of Identity and Fraud at Experian UK and Ireland, said: ?The cost of being scammed by a fraudster is not just financial, as victims experience substantial distress too. All unsolicited messages should be approached cautiously unless they are sure it?s genuine, and if there is an offer online that seems too good to be true, it more than likely is.?

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/identity-theft-warning-for-christmas-shoppers-and-how-you-can-avoid-falling-victim-to-fraudsters/

[SteveH]

Fake Prime and Wonka chocolate bar warning from FSA

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning to consumers over fake branded chocolate bars.

The FSA is warning members of the public not to buy or eat fake ?Wonka Bars? or ?Prime? chocolate bars for safety reasons.

It comes following a recent incident at a Nottinghamshire market which saw some of those who ate the chocolate hospitalised.

Fake branded chocolate bars may be unsafe to eat, and there is a possibility they are being made or repackaged by unregistered businesses or criminals who will not follow hygiene, labelling and traceability laws.

With Christmas approaching, the FSA are urging people not to buy fake branded chocolate for friends or family.

Tina Potter, head of incidents at the FSA, said: ?Last year, fake Wonka Bars were removed from sale after having been found to contain allergens which weren?t listed on the label, posing a major health risk to anyone who suffers from a food allergy or intolerance.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23970992.fake-prime-wonka-chocolate-bar-warning-fsa/