Here is a round-up of the latest fraud alerts from Kent Police.
Puppy scams linked to gift card payments
Be on the lookout for criminals advertising puppies or kittens for sale and requesting payment via Gift Card vouchers. They will state that you need to send them the gift card voucher codes as payment prior to collecting the animal.
How to protect yourself –
• Do your research: if you are making a purchase from a website or person you do not know and trust, conduct some research first. Look up reviews of the website or person from whom you are buying. If you are purchasing an item from an online marketplace, you can view the seller’s feedback history before going ahead with the purchase.
• Trust your instincts: if you are unable to view the animal in person, ask for a video call. If you are buying a young animal, make sure you can see the mother and rest of the litter. Any responsible seller will understand why you want to view the animal in person. If the seller declines, challenge them on why. If you have any suspicions, do not pay any money until you are certain it’s genuine.
• Choose your payment method wisely: avoid paying by bank transfer or Gift Cards. Credit card or payment services such as PayPal give you
a better chance of recovering your money if you become a victim of fraud.
Ticket fraud - football
For those of you who love football be wary of too good to be true offers for football tickets for the premier league or other games. We have had reports recently of people buying tickets via online marketplaces and sending their money via bank transfer or supplying Gift Card voucher numbers, only to never receive anything in return.
How to protect yourself from ticket scams –
Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent or a well-known ticketing website.
If you are buying football tickets, be aware that it is illegal to resell them under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act in most instances.
Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. Credit card or payment services such as PayPal give you a better chance of recovering the money if you become a victim of fraud.
Bank impersonation
These types of offences are on the rise. They will invariably start with the caller claiming to be the investigations department from your bank and they will confirm some basic details with you, like your name, address, date of birth etc. They will then claim that there is some sort of problem with your existing account and that they have set up a safe new account for you to transfer your money into.
However, it is all a scam and once the money is transferred, the criminals will quickly empty this account. Always remember that your bank, the police or any genuine organisation or company will never ask you to move money to protect it, under any circumstances. They will also never ask you to download something onto your computer or other device. Apply the protection principle of ABC, and never assume or believe a call is genuine. Always confirm. So, take their details and then disconnect the call. Then using another phone other than the one you were called on, call
your Bank via using 159. If you do not have access to another phone, then wait 5 minutes and ring a family member or friend, a voice you know, to
ensure that the line has been disconnected and then ring your Bank.
HMRC scam emails
Watch out for these fake email impersonating HMRC. Action Fraud have received over 700 reports of these from across the UK this month. The email will state that you are eligible for a tax refund and you need to click on a link to claim this. However, it is a SCAM and you will be directed to a realistic looking website where criminals will steal your personal and financial data.
Calls impersonating Medway Council
Medway Council have issued the following alert in relation to a member of the public having received a call from a number that was spoofing a Medway Council number. “Residents are being warned about potential scam calls from a false Medway Council phone number.
In a recent case reported on Monday, July 29, a householder received two calls in which a recorded message stated there had been unexplained activity on their bank account – which proved to be incorrect. The calls are believed to be made using a “spoof” number, which is when
scammers change their caller ID to disguise their identity from the person they are calling. To avoid risk of fraud, never give out personal information in response to a call or rely upon the Caller ID as the sole means of identification, particularly if the caller asks you to do something which might have financial consequences. If someone rings you asking for your bank details, do not provide them.”
NatWest fake/phishing emails
Be on the lookout for these FAKE NatWest emails claiming that your account’s contact number has been updated. Action Fraud have reported receiving over 151 reports of these across the UK. The email will state that your request to change your mobile number on your account has been received and updated but that if it was not you requesting the update, then click on the link within the message to cancel the request. However, it is a scam and the link will take you to a realistic-looking website under the control of the criminals where they will steal your personal and financial data. If you receive a communication from your Bank and are uncertain, you can contact them by ringing 159.
Fake Evri test message
A Kent resident asked that I remind everyone about the threat of fake text messages impersonating Evri, as they received a text from a mobile number about re-delivering a parcel. As the intended victim was expecting a parcel, they unfortunately clicked on the link within the text message and started to complete their details. However, when it started to ask for personal data, they realised it was scam. Then applying the scam awareness of ABC (never Assume or Believe a message is genuine and always Confirm) they contacted the company who confirmed it was scam.
Information on Evri’s website states the following –
“How will Evri contact you?
Generally, we will contact you by email or text message to advise where your parcel is in our delivery process. At times, this may include a tracking link. We may also contact customers by email or text message and ask for information in relation to an ongoing claim.
• Our emails will typically be from @evri.com, @hermeseurope.co.uk or @myhermes.co.uk.
Our SMS messages:
• Will not show the sender’s name as a mobile phone number.
• Will never ask you for payment.
• Will never include a link except for a tracking link called https://evri.link/…… (Please be aware even if the link does show as https:/evri.link/….. we cannot guarantee this is genuine. If you are unsure do not click a link and do not enter any personal details.
Amazon scams
Whilst travelling around the county delivering presentations to various groups, several people have stated there is a high level of fake Amazon phone scams and text messages circulating. Therefore, I thought it would be useful if I circulated the official information from Amazon on how
to identify if a call or text message is fake. Please see the following –
“How do I know if a call was from Amazon?
If you receive a suspicious phone call claiming to be from Amazon, here are some things you can look out for:
• Amazon will never ask for payment or offer you a refund you do not expect.
• Amazon will never ask you to make a payment outside of our website (EG via bank transfer, e-mailing credit card details, sharing gift card details over the phone, etc.)
• Amazon will never ask you for remote access to your device EG by asking you to install an app.”
In relation to fake text messages, they state the following –
“How do I know if an SMS was from Amazon?
Smishing scams are becoming increasingly advanced: Scam messages can be inserted into a thread of legitimate messages that you might have received from Amazon. If you receive a suspicious SMS claiming to be from Amazon (sometimes called Smishing), here are some things you can look out for:
• Scam texts will often say there is a problem with your account, ask you for sensitive information like passwords, or state that you are owed a refund. Amazon will never ask for your password or personal information by text Message.
• Amazon will never ask for your personal information, or ask you to make a payment outside of our website (EG via bank transfer, emailing
credit card details, etc.) and will never ask for remote access to your device EG by asking you to install an app.”
If you think that you may have been a victim of this or any other type of scam, then contact your Bank immediately, which you can do by calling 159 and report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
