Online & phone
On the
phone
You are at home and the telephone rings. The voice on the other end
claims to be a fraud investigator from your credit card company. He
tells you there has been suspicious activity on your credit card.
But first, he needs to confirm some details as a security check.
You are worried about your account and you’re keen to help. You
give him you are card details and he promises to get back to
you.
It sounds plausible, but you have just been had. And that
fraudster is off spending on your credit card.
So how can you avoid being scammed over the phone? Detective
Inspector Roger Cook, head of the Force’s Cheque and Credit Card
Unit, has this advice:
- Never reveal any details of accounts or personal information.
Remember, if the caller is genuine then they will have access to
all the relevant details. Let them give you the security details so
that you can confirm them. Do not supply further security
information unless you are satisfied as to whom you are in contact
with.
- If you are concerned about the source of the call then ask the
caller for a main switchboard number through which you can be
routed back to them. Alternatively, take their details and then
make your own enquiries via a published card supplier contact e.g.
on the reverse of your card.
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Online
You have finally found a buyer for that item you advertised on an
online auction.
The cheque arrives, but it’s for a lot more than the agreed
price. Your buyer gives you an explanation and asks you to return
the balance as a cash transfer and deliver the item at the same
time. You send off the goods and do the transfer without waiting
for the cheque to clear and then you find out that the cheque was
stolen or counterfeit. Now they’ve got your goods and your
cash.
Our advice is:
- Be sure of whom you are dealing with
- Don't release funds until cheques have cleared
- Be very wary of cheques made out in excess of the asking
price
If you’re thinking of buying on an online auction, make sure
that the address and postcode provided by the supplier is valid. If
you’ve got doubts, don’t send any money.
If you do fall victim to fraud on an online auction, contact
your nearest police station.
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Phishing attack
Q: I have received an email from my bank informing
me that they are upgrading their security software. The email is
asking me to forward my user name and password to them, or is
asking me to log into a website, via a link, to complete the
procedure.What should I do?
A: You should never, ever, respond to an
unsolicited request from anyone asking you to pass on your security
details (whether it be your log in name, password, mothers maiden
name or other security identifier). A legitimate organisation, such
as a bank, will never ask its customer for these details.
If you are ever in doubt as to whether to proceed, it is always
safer to say no! Then, telephone your bank on an advertised number
and tell them exactly what you have received. The bank will always
be happy to receive a call from you where security of your account
is concerned.
Alternatively, you can report the abuse to the internet service
provider (ISP) that the fraudster is using. You can usually do this
by sending the scam e-mail you have received to
'abuse@fraudsters.isp.com', where fraudsters.isp.com
is the domain name that the fraudster is using. For instance, if
the return address of the e-mail you have received is
info@address.com, then you should send the message to
abuse@address.com.
What is phishing?
It usually involves an email purporting to be from a bank or other
financial institution asking the potential victim to re-activate
their on-line bank account, or to register via a fake website which
looks very much like your regular bank website. You will be asked
to input your user name and password at this website. These details
are then picked up by the criminals who will then transfer money
away from your account.
The fact that you have received an email does not, in any way,
suggest that there has been a breach in the security of your bank.
These criminals will send out thousands of emails (SPAM) to people
who may not even have an account with the bank mentioned, in the
hope that some (who do have such an account) will respond to
it.
In many cases, the web site you are taken to will replicate the
real banks website and contain links to the real website. It will
often replicate the security padlock at the bottom of your
screen.
Remember
- Although the internet is a useful tool, you must be aware that
it also allows bad people to be bad....better!
- Know who you are dealing with. If you don't know...don't
deal!
- Keep your user name/passwords/PIN numbers safe, never tell
anyone what they are.
- Make sure that your Personal Computer is secure. There are many
free software fire walls and malware/spyware sweepers
available.
- Check your bank statement. If you find any unusual transactions
that you cannot recall, speak to your bank immediately.
External useful websites:
Don't forget, you can also speak to one of our Fraud Desk
officers on 020 7601 6999.
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Where there's a
Will, there's a way
Imagine your surprise when you receive an email from a legal firm
to tell you that you are the only known beneficiary of the will of
"Joe Bloggs".
Joe died in an accident on the Kigali Highway and has left millions
of dollars. After intense research, the law firm has discovered
that you are the only known beneficiary. To confirm the point, they
have sent you a copy of what looks like the will of Joe Bloggs,
naming you as a beneficiary.
The fraudsters will even create a web site based around the name of
a well
known law firm where you can find more information and contact
telephone
numbers.
Be warned, you are being scammed.
Do not reply, even out of curiosity. If you do reply, you are only
confirming that the email reached someone.
For more information, contact our Fraud Desk on 0207 601 6999.
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