Posts

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How can you avoid a timeshare exit scam?

If you like the millions of other timeshare owners across the world, find themselves in the position where you feel stuck by your timeshare and desperately want to find a way out, then there are some important things to consider before you start your journey to financially unburdening yourself from a timeshare contract.

Has your timeshare become unaffordable, or perhaps you have been hit, like the millions of others, with financial strain due to the Covid-19 pandemic? For the majority of people life is changing all the time and we don’t always find ourselves in the exact same position we … Read more

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Holiday Fraud warning after Lockdown ends.

Following the government’s announcement that Lockdown restrictions will be eased, Action Fraud is warning that scams will be more prevalent than ever and to remain vigilant when looking to book your next break away.

Action Fraud and ABTA, The Travel Association, are warning members of the public to be vigilant when thinking about booking our post COVID-19 vacations this year. For those of us that may be lucky enough to be able to book a holiday this year, officials are warning not to be too eager and remain vigilant as the holiday scams are still out there and as ever, … Read more

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TV and Radio Presenter Scammed out of life savings

TV and radio presenter, Helen Skelton has spoken out and revealed she lost her life savings after fraudsters fooled her over the phone.

Speaking on ITV breakfast show with Lorraine Kelly, Helen Skelton told viewers to be cautious after the busy mom of three was distracted and believed fraudsters who claimed to be calling from her bank.

She explained how the fraudsters asked a few simple questions over the phone and they gained access to her bank account and stole her entire £70,000 life savings. She explained that whilst at home looking after her children, she was called out of … Read more

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Thousands of Brits Fall Victim To Universal Credit Fraud

The Government has admitted that thousands of people who fell victim to a Universal Credit Fraud, might have to be put back on the old benefits system.
It was revealed this week, tens of millions of pounds is believed to have been stolen by fraudsters, leaving genuine claimants owing hundreds. Criminals have been making bogus claims online possible through a loophole in the online system, whereby the fraudster makes an application and claims advance loans.

Brits can get up to 100 per cent of their advance claim ahead of time to stop them having to wait five weeks for their … Read more

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Warning: Don’t let a scam ruin your retirement!

Action Fraud have released a warning to those with pension pots to protect, that scammers are targeting everyone with a pension, no matter how big or small.

Pension scams can be hard to spot. Scammers can be articulate and financially knowledgeable, with credible websites, testimonials and materials that are hard to distinguish from the real thing. Some victims of pension scams have lost more than £1m to fraudsters, according to new figures, amid a surge in criminal activity targeting the savings of over-55s.

While the average amount swindled out of pension scam victims was £91,000, some people had lost … Read more

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One of UK’s Biggest Scammers Jailed For 11 Years

A conman who scammed £113 million In UK’s biggest cyber scam is jailed for 11 years.

Feezan Choudhary was jailed in 2016 for 11 years after a court heard how he had orchestrated a huge scam where he targeted 750 RBS and Lloyds customers and stole a combined total of £113 million from their accounts.

“Vishing” or “voice phishing” is a type of phone fraud in which the scammer manipulates the victim into sharing private financial information which can then be used to make cash transfers. Choudhary was dubbed “The Voice” by police because he put on Scottish, Welsh and … Read more

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EE Fined For Spamming Customers

The Information Commissioners Office has fined EE £100,000 for sending millions of marketing texts without permission to do so.

Mobile giant EE has been fined £100,000 for sending millions of text messages to customers. The ICO said EE sent more than 2.5 million messages in 2018. The messages asked customers to download an app and upgrade their phones. EE also sent follow up texts to the customers who did not open the first message.

EE told the ICO that the texts were sent as service messages and because of this were no subject to the electronic marketing rules. However, the … Read more

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HMRC puts an end to fraudsters spoof calling victims

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have put new defensive controls in place to put an end to fraudsters spoofing the tax authority’s most recognisable helpline numbers.

Fraudsters have increasingly mimicked legitimate HMRC helpline numbers (often beginning with 0300) to dupe taxpayers and steal money. Last year alone, HMRC received over 100,000 phone scam reports.

How the scam works

HMRC have long warned about fake tax related scam calls. Fraudsters posing as HMRC use many different tactics to extract money from victims. However, HMRC say that there has been a sharp rise in the amount of scam calls being made to … Read more

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Scam Victim Wants to Warn Others

Wendy Williams, was just one of over a thousand people targeted by the ‘Wolves of Wind Street’, a group of fraudsters who targeted elderly victims with a free boiler scam. Renewable Energy Centre Ltd, offered victims a free boiler under what they said was a government scheme, all people had to do was pay a one-off upfront fee of either £299 or £399.

The company managed to con 1,200 people into paying this fee, but only three households ever received their new boilers. The three elderly victims who did receive their new boiler, were actually unknowingly signed up for … Read more

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Virgin Media issues warning to customers over scam phone calls

An elderly man is warning people to be vigilant after he was targeted by scammers.

A man is warning customers to be vigilant after receiving numerous scam phone calls claiming to be from his telephone provider. John Brown, from Darlington, had been receiving missed calls and automated messages from ‘British Telecom’ stating his internet and broadband with Virgin Media would be cancelled.

The messages, which he received almost daily in the space of four weeks, told him he could remedy this by calling a certain number and pressing ‘one’ to speak to someone claiming to be tech support. Already suspicious, … Read more

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