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Here are just some of the scams we should be on the lookout for.

Police are warning people over doorstep scammers who pose as ex-offenders. The scam involves people posing as ex-offenders going door to door selling items and Greater Manchester Police force are so concerned they have issued a warning. Bogus sellers are posing as reformed criminals and targeting homes in and around Greater Manchester.

Scammers have been visiting homes and telling residents that they are working as part of a probation service scheme, officers say there is no such scheme and have warned residents not to answer the … Read more

As people are becoming more and more aware of the types of scams out there, scammers are having to create new ones, to replace the old ones. We are all aware of Phising but have you heard about Vishing, Spoofing, Twishing and Smishing ?

Neither had we, but these are just some of the digital-age scams financial investigations unit’s all over the country are looking at. Here are some of the scams to look out for.

First there was Phishing, where fraudsters send out spoof emails in an attempt to steal personal information, such as passwords and banks … Read more

A colossal crash for cash scam, which netted £2 million for its ringleaders, has seen more than 150 people convicted for submitting bogus claims.

 

The full scale of the fraud can now be revealed, as the final 3 defendants in the case have been convicted. All of the parties involved have either admitted or been convicted of the conspiracy to defraud.

What is Crash for Cash?

The car in front of you slams on their brakes for no reason, leaving you with no time to react and resulting in you hitting them. Another example is where a driver flashes … Read more

An American telemarketer wanted in the US for allegedly committing $6 Million worth of fraud, has been caught, after 6 years on the run.

 

Osvaldo Gonzales was initially arrested by authorities in the Philippines on suspicion of domestic violence. As Gonzales was not a permanent resident in the Philippines, authorities checked records held by the National Bureau Of Investigations. This showed he was wanted in the US for wire fraud.

Wire fraud is a crime in which a person concocts a scheme to defraud or obtain money based on false representation or promises. This criminal act is committed using … Read more

Be Aware: Financial Fraud can be devastating for those targeted and, more often than not, it’s the most vulnerable at risk !

 

Credit cards have changed the way we live, making money easily accessible and improving our lifestyles, but alongside this is the growing problem of bank fraud, often with devastating consequences for the innocent victims that fall prey to these crimes.

The most concerning types of fraud which the police are keen to highlight, are currently being used to target the elderly and most vulnerable, are listed below:

The Delivery Thief: This tactic relies on the simple joy … Read more

A Financial scam is committed every 15 seconds in the UK and can leave those affected in financial turmoil.

 

 

It has a devastating impact and often targets the most vulnerable people in society. Many people are left feeling socially isolated and too uncomfortable to discuss it with their friends and family.

A new scheme to target the problem, which was deemed out of control, was launched in May 2017. The Banking Protocol is a rapid response scheme and has, so far, led to 197 arrests and prevented £24 Million worth of attempted fraud.

Since March 2018, all 45 … Read more

Our Vault LTD fined £70k by the Information Commissioners Office, after making 55,364 nuisance phone calls.

 

In a statement, the ICO said it had issued an Enforcement Notice to the company, ordering it to stop its illegal marketing activity.

Our Vault had been cold-calling people who had previously registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and had not consented to being contacted by Our Vault.

Our Vault claimed that all their personal data was checked against the register. However, following an investigation by the ICO, Our Vault were found to have never requested a TPS license. A TPS license … Read more

Over the past 12 months, HMRC has requested the takedown of more than 20,000 corrupt websites. HM Revenue and Customs claims to have saved the public over £2.4 million, by shutting down websites and fraudsters who run them. Most people with a mobile phone have probably received a text purporting to be from HMRC which looked authentic. The public have been made aware that these texts are fraudulent, by the government, who stated that they would never contact an individual by text, despite this being the way in which many people have been scammed.

Fraudsters alleging to be from HMRC … Read more

TSB loses 12,500 customers after database migration crashed its system for millions in April. The bank says it has been overwhelmed by incidents of fraud following the technical meltdown.

Thousands of customers have been receiving fraudulent messages and emails and the bank has been unable to properly assist customers due to the sheer volume of incidents.

So far TSB has received 95,613 complaints from customers who have been locked out of their online bank accounts and mobile Apps; some customers even gained access to accounts that did not belong to them.

The cause of the problem was an IT migration … Read more

Wesley Scott Aldred, from Kissimmee, Florida has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for violating the conditions of his probation order. He was previously convicted for telemarketing fraud in 2015, for participating in a timeshare resale fraudulent scheme. The company, named Premier Timeshare Solutions, defrauded timeshare owners all over the United States, including South Illinois, where Mr Aldred is currently serving his sentence.

Whilst on probation for that conviction, Aldred was found to be engaging in a similar telemarketing scam which targeted Timeshare owners. Aldred and nine other defendants were indicted in May 2014 for felony charges, including conspiracy … Read more