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Criminals continue to impersonate trusted organisations such as HMRC, banks, Amazon, Sky, Royal Mail and parcel delivery companies to steal personal information, banking details and money. These scams commonly arrive by text message, email, phone call or social media and are designed to create urgency, fear or excitement to encourage quick action. Common Current Scams 🔹 HMRC fraud Messages claiming you are due a tax refund and asking you to click a link to claim it. 🔹 Bank impersonation scams Calls or texts claiming your account is at risk and instructing you to move your money to a "safe account". 🔹 Amazon account alerts Emails warning of suspicious account activity and directing you to a fake login page. 🔹 Sky account offers Calls or emails offering discounts, upgrades or refunds while requesting personal or financial information. 🔹 Parcel delivery and parking payment scams Texts claiming a small fee is required to release a parcel or settle a parking charge via a fraudulent website. 🔹 Computer takeover scams Fraudsters may call unexpectedly claiming there is a problem with your computer, internet connection, bank account or security software. They may pretend to be from Microsoft, your broadband provider, a bank or a technical support company. They will try to persuade you to install software, visit a website or grant remote access to your device. Once connected, they can steal personal information, online banking credentials and money. Remember: A genuine company will not cold call you and ask to take control of your computer, tablet or smartphone. Protect Yourself: Remember ABC A – Assume nothing Never assume a message, call or email is genuine simply because it appears to come from a trusted organisation. B – Believe nothing Do not believe claims that create urgency, fear or excitement, such as refunds, account problems, special offers or security threats. C – Check everything Always verify requests independently by contacting the organisation using trusted contact details you've obtained yourself. Stay Safe ✅ Do not click links in unexpected messages. ✅ Never share passwords, PINs or one-time passcodes. ✅ Never transfer money because someone claims your account is at risk. ✅ Never allow an unexpected caller to take remote control of your computer, tablet or smartphone. ✅ If someone asks you to install software or visit a website so they can "fix" a problem, end the call immediately. ✅ If you're unsure, stop and speak to someone you trust before taking action. ✅ If contacted by someone claiming to be from your bank, hang up and ideally via another phone line, call them back using the 159 service or a trusted number. ✅ Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM). ✅ Report suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. If you are the victim of Fraud or Cybercrime 🌐 Report online here: UK's Home for Reporting Cyber Crime & Fraud - Report Fraud 📞 Or call: 0300 123 2040 Remember Take a moment to stop and think. A genuine organisation will not pressure you into making important decisions, an immediate payment, or money transfer. Think ABC: Assume nothing. Believe nothing. Check everything. |