Staying safe: scams & fraud
- Location: Age UK Bath & North East Somerset
- Price: Free
Email: bathnes.thehub@hcrgcaregroup.com
Telephone: 0300 247 0050
Scams can be upsetting, but they can happen to anyone at any age. Here you can find information about common scams, ways to protect yourself, and where to get help if something has gone wrong.
Stay Scam Aware!
If you’ve been scammed, you’re not alone and there’s help and support available. It’s normal to sometimes feel worried about scams. But there is support available to make sure they don’t interfere with your day-to-day life.
Our Information Guide, Avoiding Scams: Ways to Protect Yourself, offers more information about types of scams, advice about what to do, and support organisations.
What type of scams are there?
➤ Doorstep Scam - people knocking on your door, pretending to be someone they aren’t to get money from you.
➤ Mail Scam - post or mailed leaflets containing false claims or offers that try to steal your money.
➤ Phone/Text Scam - Scammers phoning or texting you to try and get your personal information or persuade you to buy things you don’t need.
➤ Email/Online Scams - Emails or fake websites or social media profiles pretending to be legitimate to tempt you with fraudulent offers.
➤ QR Code Scams - These have been most notably seen in car parks.
➤ Relationship Scams - Scammers trying to earn your trust through a pretend relationship to get money from you.
➤ Identity Theft - Scammers are trying to get hold of your personal details to access your savings or run up debt in your name.
➤ Investment and Pension Scams - Scammers trying to steal your money and/or pension through fraudulent investment schemes
Tips to help you stay safe
➤ Never buy from doorstep sellers - you are under no obligation to buy something you don’t want. Do not invite sellers in to your home.
➤ Ask for a ‘No cold callers’ sign from the Council.
➤ Set up a password for utility companies and genuine trades people, so you know its them and they’re trusted.
➤ It is okay to say NO, and ask people to leave. You’re not being rude.
➤ Reject: decline a delivery you didn’t order. Or ignore a letter that seems suspicious.
➤ Never hand over your bank card, cash, jewellery, or other valuable items. The Police or Bank would NOT ask you to do this.
➤ Ignore calls or texts from numbers you don’t recognise, or set up call screening. You can also block/bar nuisance callers/numbers.
➤ Check the company - verify whether the offer is real, as advertised, and verifiable.
➤ Don’t click on links in emails, texts, WhatsApp messages that come from people you don’t know or recognise.
➤ Check the web address - does it have https:// (this means it’s secure)? You will also see the padlock symbol in the next the web address.
➤ Make sure you have anti-virus and malware protection on your computer or laptop, and load security updates on your phone or tablet.
➤ Act Quickly - if you lose your bank card, or if it is stolen, report the lost card to the bank immediately. Stolen cards should also be reported to the police.
➤ Ask for help - speak to trusted family members and friends to see if they’ve seen the scam, been affected by it, or do they think it's dodgy.
Too good to be true - does it sound a little too good, ideal, and all for a tiny investment...it is very likely a scam.
➤ Pause, take a breath, give yourself time to think. You are under no obligation to take up any offer you don’t want to interact with.
What to do if you have fallen victim to a scam
➤ Call the Police - If you feel threatened or you’re in immediate danger, call 999. If its not an emergency call 101.
➤ Call the Bank - If you have noticed any unusual activity with your bank account, call the centralised number 159 or the number on the back of your bank card. Many bank apps also have a direct way to call them.
➤ Action Fraud - Report any kind of fraud by giving them a call 0300 123 2040. You can also find them online: www.actionfraud.police.uk
➤ Citizen’s Advice - Contact them if a business or trader has sold you something unsafe, fake, not as described, or you were overcharged or pressured into buying something. Call: 0808 223 1133
➤ Trading Standards - find information from the Council: www.bathnes.gov.uk/trading-standards-consumers
➤ Report a phishing scam email by forwarding it to report@phishing.gov.uk
➤ Report a text scam by forwarding it to 7726.
The emotional impact of scams
We often talk about scams in financial terms and rarely talk about the emotional impact they can have. They can damage our confidence and leave us feeling embarrassed, unsettled and unsure about who we can trust - so it's understandable to feel reluctant to talk about what’s happened.
The truth is, anyone can be scammed, at any age. When you talk about it, you might be surprised by how many people you know have been scammed themselves. The best way to protect ourselves and others from scams, is to report them and speak about them. The more we know, the less effective they are, and the less power the scammers have.