For our speaker in May we had a representative from the Hampshire Constabulary talking to us about safeguarding online. Scams have been around since ancient times, so this is nothing new, there are just more ways to trick you out of your money, or your information, and the sheer volume of the problem now. There are about 200 reported incidents in Hampshire each week. Unfortunately, this leads to about 10 suicides nationally a week (against about 2 due to domestic abuse).
If you have been scammed, you need to report it, both to your bank and to Action Fraud. The first time your bank is likely to give you your money back, as a gesture of goodwill (although they won’t have got it back from the fraudsters). However, the biggest problem is then that organised crime will keep after you relentlessly, because they know you fell for it once. The best answer is Prevention, which means a change in our behaviour.
Take Five to Stop Fraud.
Assume Nothing. Believe Nobody. Check Everything. (If someone came up to you in the street, and offered you an unbelievable deal like on Facebook Marketplace, would you fall for it? if it’s too good to be true, then it’s more likely to be a scam than not).
You can call 159 and select your bank, to speak to a representative and tell them what has happened.
Action Fraud: National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre: 0300 123 2040 https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
You can set up Land Registry alerts (to check nobody is trying to change your house deeds). Consider signing up for CIFAS (www.cifas.org.uk ), to check for loans and credit applications in your name.
Understand the scale of the problem by putting your name in Google and seeing how much information is out there! Remember to change your passwords regularly too.