How to Stay Ahead of The Scammers

Be aware of the latest scams

By far the best way to protect yourself from scams is being aware of them, and keeping yourself up to date about the latest developments, a bit like having your own firewall! That way any scams that are targeted at you, you can easily spot, and avoid.

Did you know how much a scammer might already know?

It is likely that scammers will already know some of your personal information before trying to contact you. This may include your name, address, mother's maiden name and even details about your direct debits. This can be often due to data leaks.

A data leak is when confidential information is sent from an organisation without authorisation, whether it is sent unintentionally or taken by a hacker. An example could be that you have created an account on an unsecure website which included your name and phone number. If this data is leaked to a scammer, they will already know who you are before they have called you.

Because of this, it is always advisable to be suspicious of uninvited or unexpected calls.

What will scammers try and do?

Scammers will try and steal your personal data and information. There are several details that scammers may try to obtain, including bank details, personal identification, medical information, verification codes and more. They obtain this information by:

1. Phishing Attacks

   This could be a fake email or text asking you to click onto a link and to provide your bank information. If clicked, hackers will try to get your personal information or install malware.

   These links won’t just be sent by themselves, the scammer will try to create some reason that you need to click on the link. For example, you may get an email stating that a streaming subscription you have, like Netflix or Amazon, has been suspended and you need to update your banking details.

   The link will take you to a page where you will be asked to type in your banking details. With lots of scams it’s you who ends up giving the scammers the details they want. I would advise for you to check your bank account and see if the payment has or has not been made. If you think there is a genuine reason the payment has not gone through, then only provide payment through the official site or app. If the payment has not gone through there’s usually an obvious reason, perhaps a card has expired, and you have forgotten to change the details to a new one.

2. They may have managed to install Malware

   Malware, or malicious software, is designed to harm and exploit computer systems. There are different types of malware, each with a unique way of causing trouble. Here are a few common types:

   • Spyware: This type of malware watches what you do on your computer. It can see which websites you visit, record what you type, collect your personal information, and even take pictures of your screen. It can sneak onto your computer through ads, hidden software, or monitoring tools.
   • Trojan Horse: Trojans pretend to be genuine programs, like a game or an email attachment, but they carry harmful software. Once you open a Trojan, it can do many things, such as creating a hidden way for hackers to access your computer remotely.
   • Worms: Worms are a type of malware that can copy themselves and spread from one computer to another without any help from you. They use weaknesses in your computer's system or software to move around, causing a lot of problems by overloading networks and spreading other malware.
3. Selling personal data

   If a data leak happens and the stolen information is sold, the data can be abused by criminals. This can lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and unauthorized access to personal accounts. The stolen data might be used to create fake identities or apply for loans and credit cards, causing serious financial problems and damaging the victims credit score.

What do I do If I receive a suspicious phone call?

If you receive a phone call from an organisation or anyone else asking you for personal information, and it feels odd or suspicious, you should hang up then call the company they are claiming to be from directly. Always remember that banks (and most reputable companies with sensitive information) will never ask for any personal information over the phone.

Do you know the organisation who called you?

It might be that the call was genuine, and you do know who they are, but you still have your suspicions about providing sensitive information. It’s always better to be cautious so stop, think, then act on it. If you are familiar with the organisation, you will likely have a genuine number or email to hand to contact them on from previous correspondence. 

What if I do not know the organisation who called me?

The best thing to do in this situation is to do your research on the company they are claiming to be. Google is a useful tool to check the reviews on an organisation to see if they are genuine and what type of service they provide. On top of this, if they have called you then google the phone number and see what results come up.

How to check out to see if a call, email or letter is genuine?

Use a known email or phone number to contact this company, to check if the call is legitimate. Be careful of cloned sites, look closely at the domain name and check for poor spelling, design issues and any other red flags. You could use the google website safety checker to see whether a website is currently dangerous. You just need to provide the URL. https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search?hl=en_GB