Scams
Everyday people throughout the UK are falling victim to scams. There’s a scam out there for everyone. A scam is a scheme designed to con you out of your money and unfortunately scammers are becoming more sophisticated and the number of scams just keeps growing. Here are a few examples of common scams that target consumers:-Work from home scams – scammers usually advertise in local papers and on lampposts. They are often advertised as paid work which often requires money up front and make exaggerated claims about potential earnings.
For more information on home working call the National Group on Home Working – 0800 174095.
Prize Draw/Lottery scams – these can include holiday prize draws, sweepstakes and foreign lotteries. Consumers may receive a mailing or telephone call congratulating them on winning a prize but before claiming the prize you have to send money to pay for administration fees.
A consumer may also be asked to ring a premium rate number to claim their prize.
Clairvoyant/Psychic scams – generally consumers will receive mailings in which so-called psychics promise to make predictions for a small fee. These letters can be aggressive and can claim something bad will happen to you if you don’t send money.
Foreign money offers – You may receive a letter or email offering a huge sum of money in return for getting some money out of a foreign country. Scammers usually ask for personal information such as address, date of birth and bank details.
Phishing – This is an example of a very sophisticated scam. Scammers will send emails to consumers claiming to be from an organisation you deal with ie your bank. The email will ask you to confirm your account details. The site will be an exact replica of the genuine site. These scammers can then steal your identify and run up huge debts.
Bogus charity collections – Leaflets are usually distributed to homes typically asking for donations of clothing, shoes and household items. Claims are often made that these items will be sent to third world countries.
Many of these collections are not made by charities but by commercial operators who may make a small donation to charitable causes.
If in doubt ring The Charity Commission on 0845 300 0218.
To report a scam contact Consumer Direct Wales.
