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CURRENT SCAMS AND OTHER INFORMATION - DECEMBER 2025 |
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Hi everyone
Consumer scam alerts - Norfolk County Council This website gives information on numerous scams that are currently circulating and on rogue traders.
Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach Good website to check that your email addresses have not been compromised. Pawned is spelt correctly in the above link.
A WhatsApp message offering a Cadbury hamper giveaway is recirculating in the run-up to Christmas. The message claims to offer a hamper of goodies and encourages you to complete a quiz, which is actually an attempt to steal your personal information.
If you’re planning a festive shopping trip, do take care to avoid these common parking scams: · Fake parking tickets on your vehicle · Fake car park fine texts · Card skimming devices in car parks · Fake QR codes For more details, please see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn8438ngpelo
Variations of fake Parking Charge Notice (PCN) and 'Parking Penalty' texts continue to circulate. Messages contain threats that you'll face legal proceedings or failure to pay will affect your credit score. If you receive an unexpected text message, don't be tempted to click on any links or follow instructions to log into any accounts. Do not respond to these messages, you can report scam messages by forwarding them to 7726. Only official bodies (councils, police and private companies that are members of the BPA or IPC) can access DVLA data to contact you about a parking contravention. If you are worried that a fine could be genuine, then contact the authority where the contravention occurred. Scam emails, texts and websites which include DVLA logos and branding in an attempt to appear legitimate. The aim of the messages is to encourage you to click on a link leading to a copycat DVLA website that asks for personal and financial information.
Residents have advised me on Scam calls that are being received from 01323 676360 and 07488 873 038 - first one pretending to be from British Telecom, the second telling them about their winter fuel allowance.
I have received scam calls from 01622 846138 and 01624 613242 which are from an Energy Supplier.
A Resident has advised that they received an Evri email asking for £1.45 saying there was insufficient information on the postal address but this is a scam as they were not expecting any Evri deliveries.
Learning how to spot Amazon gift card scams can help you stay safer online. Stay sharp by watching for these red flags: Gift cards as payment: If someone insists upon payment in gift cards, treat it as an immediate red flag and think before doing anything else. Gift cards are not a conventional payment method.
Free gift cards: Legitimate companies and organisations rarely give away items like gift cards out of the blue. If you receive a free gift card offer out of nowhere, that should raise a red flag.
Social media silence: If a well-known company’s official social channels don’t mention the “contest” or “giveaway” that arrived in your inbox, it’s probably fake. Legitimate promotions are almost always announced publicly.
Urgency or threats: Scammers often pressure you to act fast. Don’t be swayed by their demands for immediate action.
Impersonation: Scammers pose as Amazon, government agencies, or someone you trust. Take a moment to confirm and look at the contact information they reached out with.
Strange links or grammar: Poor formatting and unusual URLs are major warnings. Hover over links and look for typos or awkward phrasing. Double-check URLs in links against the company’s official website.
PIN requests: Never share a gift card code or PIN, especially through email or chat. This is all a scammer needs to steal the value of the gift card from you.
If you fell for an Amazon gift card scam, you need to act fast. Here’s what to do if you shared a gift card or personal information: Notify your bank: If you shared banking or card details, you need to report it to the relevant financial institutions as quickly as possible. They will advise you on additional steps to take to protect your accounts.
Contact Amazon: Report the gift card scam directly to Amazon using their relevant support page. This will help Amazon look into the issue and fight scammers in the future.
Report the scam: File a complaint with the FTC or your local consumer protection agency. These reports go towards helping scam-busting institutions learn about the latest tactics in use so they can do more to help future victims.
Monitor your identity: If you gave away personal or sensitive information to a scammer, investing in identity theft protection can help you monitor for signs that your identity is being used in fraud.
Take Five is often shown on Bank/Building Societies warning about scams https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/
Take Five is a national campaign offering straight-forward, impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud - particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations. Scam warning: Criminals may purport to be from Take Five, using our official branding on websites, social media posts, literature, on the phone or by text. Take Five doesn’t provide endorsement or approval for any products/services and would never call or text anyone.
What to do if your phone gets stolen - Which? Click on this link to read article.
If you do not have a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in your road and can set one up for me please, I can forward you more details. A scheme can be anything from 5 properties upwards and the main role of a Coordinator is to circulate the Alerts on crimes and scams to your neighbours either via email or posting on a WhatsApp or Facebook Group for your area. You will receive free signs, stickers, leaflets and discounts for your neighbours.
National Neighbourhood Watch have a website: www.ourwatch.org.uk which contains lots of useful information.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy and Safe Christmas and all the best for the New Year. Thank you for helping to keep your community safe.
Angela Money BEM Area Representative - West Berkshire Neighbourhood Watch | ||
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