There’s never been a better time to stay alert and ahead of clever scammers who are preying on consumers. We’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest scams. You can also have a look at a few recent text and email scams that we have spotted. Have you received any of these scam examples?
TV Licence Scams
Warnings have been issued about TV Licence scam emails tricking the public into handing over personal details. Action Fraud have reported a significant increase in complaints about the bogus email...
Disney+ Phishing Scam
Warnings have been issued about fake Disney+ subscriptions offering a £2 a month deal. The scam email leads to a dodgy website which attempts to lure their victims offering the...
Turkey Earthquake Charity Scams
Warnings have been issued to be on your guard about scammers taking advantage of the Turkey and Syria earthquake disaster. Fraudsters have been quick in their attempts to defraud those...
Energy Bill Rebate Scams
Warnings have been issued about fake texts and emails masquerading as the UK government. The message directs consumers to click on a link to a fake OFGEM website in an...
WhatsApp Family Scam
Warnings have been issued about bogus text and WhatsApp messages supposedly from a friend or family member asking for money. The messages come from a random number with a message...
WhatsApp – Fake Emirates Holidays
Warnings have been issued about a scam posing as Emirates Airline on WhatsApp. The airline have advised they are not giving away 5000 free flights to Europe, Asia or domestically...
Facebook Petrol Scam
Beware of a fake petrol giveaway scam that is circulating on Facebook. The scam promises cheap fuel if you follow a link to a website and complete a survey. This...
WhatsApp Support Fake Messages
Beware of messages masquerading as WhatsApp admin support. The scam is an attempt to steal your personal details and may ask for information such as a 6-digit code, a pin...
WhatsApp Cadbury scam
There has been a warning about a phishing scam offering a free Easter Chocolate basket from Cadbury. This scam has been circulating on WhatsApp and social media directing consumers to...
Fake charity scams – Ukraine war
Scammers are using the invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to take advantage of the goodwill of many to steal money and personal information.There is a warning to be aware...
Bank Transfer Scams
Bank Impersonation scams are still occuring and have reached alarming levels with figures released indicating that victims of bank transfer scams are losing £28,000 every hour (Source: UK Finance/Which?). These...
Fake NHS PCR text messages
There is a warning about fake COVID-19 scams circulating that state you have been a close contact with someone with covid and to pay for a PCR test. NHS PCR...
WhatsApp Family Message Scam
There are new warnings to be vigilant about unexpected WhatsApp messages. The scam poses as a family member or friend and is also known as the ‘Mum and Dad’ or...
New Fire Regulations Scams
With the laws regarding home fire regulations and smoke alarms changing in February 2022 the public are being warned to be vigilant for potential scams. Watch out for cold calls...
Omicron COVID-19 Variant Scam
There are warnings being issued about a scam NHS email circulating about the new Omicron covid variant. The public are being warned to be vigilant and not to click on...
Lidl scam email warning
Police in Wales are warning about a fake Lidl supermarket email circulating. The scam offers a free prize by completing a survey. This type of email phishing scam is quite...
WhatsApp Messenger Scam
Police and Trading Standards are warning the public to be vigilant about a WhatsApp scam circulating. The WhatsApp message comes from an unknown number, posing as a family member who...
Covid-19 travel certificate scam
Be aware of a new scam circulating by email and text message asking you to apply for a ‘Covid-19 travel certificate’. This scam is an attempt to access your personal...
Bogus New Driver Insurance Scam
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) are warning about a new scam called ‘ghost broking’ targeting new drivers on social media. The scam offers new drivers unrealistic cheap insurance deals, however...
Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scam Warning
The Police Scotland Cybercrime Harm Prevention Unit have issued a warning for businesses to remain vigilant of scam emails. Known as Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams, these phishing email messages...
Missing Pet Scam
In Scotland, the public are being warned about a scam targeting people who have a lost pet. The scammers contact the victim by phone and pretend to be from a...
DVLA Scams
Drivers are being warned about fake text messages supposedly from the DVLA asking them to update their details or renew road tax. These messages are a scam and may have...
NHS Covid Passport Scam
Warnings are circulating about fake digital passport text messages and emails. This scam advises that for a small fee you can apply for a corona virus ‘digital passport’ which proves...
Hackers have access to your device scam
Be aware of a phishing email scam where a hacker claims to have infected your device with a virus. This scam is a ploy to trick you into believing your...
NI number ‘suspended’ phone scam
Warnings have been issued about a new National Insurance number scam where the victim is told that their ‘NI number’ has been compromised. The scam starts as an automated phone...
Amazon Brushing Scams
A warning has been issued by Police Scotland about Brushing scams. This scam involves the delivery of parcels to unsuspecting people. These parcels are ordered from fake accounts in an...
‘Missing Information’ Census Scam
A scam is circulating that is related to the Census that took place in March in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is a phishing style text message that states...
Missed Delivery ‘Smishing’ Scams
Be aware of ‘missed delivery’ scams that are circulating. Similar to the ‘shipping fee’ texts and emails, these messages masquerade as supposed missed deliveries asking for a fee to redeliver....
FluBot ‘Package Delivery’ Scams
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) are warning about a ‘package delivery scam’ targeting Android devices UK wide. This malicious spyware known as a FluBot can get installed when the victim downloads a...
Text message scam warning
Watch out for ‘New payee has been added’ text messages which are masquerading as well-known banks such as Lloyds, HSBC and Halifax. Please stay vigilant if you receive unexpected ‘security...
Impersonation Scams
Alarming statistics have been released from UK Finance regarding impersonation scams, when a fraudster pretends to be from your bank in order to steal money. The number of cases has almost doubled...
Royal Mail Parcel Scam
Please be wary of any texts or emails claiming to be from Royal Mail. Emails and texts have been circulating regarding a parcel awaiting delivery and asking for a settlement...
WhatsAPP Text message scam
There is a new warning about a WhatsApp scam that is circulating which poses as family or friends in your contact list. There are 2 messages, the first is an...
National Crime Agency Scam
We have just been alerted to a new scam making this rounds. The scammer is calling from this number - 07766 416967 - and is claiming to be the National...
Amazon phone scams
A warning has been issued about scam phone calls being received from mobile numbers posing as Amazon. The type of automated scam calls vary with some advising there has been...
Bogus HMRC Phone Call
Stay away from Dennis Gray, answering his fake tax call could make you pay! We are aware of a person using the name of Dennis Gray, who’s reaching out to...
National Insurance Automated Call Scam
There are warnings over a new cold call scam that advises members of the public that the safety of their National Insurance number (NI) has been compromised. The automated phone...
Fake Corona Virus Vaccine Text Messages
Fraudsters have been targeting the public with fake text messages offering the COVID-19 vaccine. The bogus text message advises the recipient they are eligible and directs them to a fake...
Black Friday Sales Warning
With Black Friday fast approaching and promotions already out in the marketplace, there are warnings for consumers to be wary of fake deals and to be on their guard for...
Pet Sales Warning
Illegal puppy farms and kitten breeders, scams and over inflated prices are just some of the issues facing consumers who are looking to buy a furry friend. The pandemic has...
Brexit Scams
With uncertainty about the UK leaving the EU, scammers are taking advantage of nervous consumers with a host of new scams. From unofficial websites offering European Health Insurance Cards (Ehic)...
Fake Job Listings
Jobseekers are being warned to be vigilant online when applying for jobs. The pandemic has seen a surge in people looking for work and scammers taking advantage by advertising fake...
Computer Software Fraud Call Scams
Police and Action Fraud have issued alerts about a cold call scam that allows criminals to log into personal devices remotely and steal money. This type of scam is common,...
Appliance Insurance Cover Scams
Warnings have been issued to the elderly and vulnerable about cold calls being made to sell insurance cover they don’t need. The callers advise the victim that their existing warranty...
HMRC Telephone Scams
Police in South Yorkshire have issued warnings about an HMRC phone scam which involves the victim being accused of tax fraud and told there is a warrant for their arrest...
Amazon Prime Day Warning
The second day of Amazon Prime Day is upon us and the public are being warned to watch out for email scams that may be circulating. The list of offers...
Online Romance Scams
Police are warning people using online dating platforms to be vigilant after seeing a spike in dating or romance scams. Romance fraud is when scammers create a fake profile on...
HMRC Outstanding Tax Scams
There has been a rise in recent weeks of SMS, email and phone scams posing as the HMRC and threatening court action and jail if overdue tax isn’t paid immediately....
Courier Fraud Alert
Action Fraud have recently reported that there has been a spike in courier fraud. Courier fraud is when scammers impersonate banks or authority figures over the phone in an attempt...
Fixed Penalty Notice Scam
Warnings from Suffolk police have been given about an email phishing scam posing as the HM Courts and Tribunals Service. The fake email asks for a £25 penalty notice to...
Student Loan Scam Warning
With the return of students to higher education a warning has been issued about the potential circulation of phishing emails or texts at this time of year. Fraudsters posing as...
People’s Postcode Lottery Prize Letter Scam
Participants of the People’s Postcode lottery in Scotland are being urged to be extra cautious when checking their post. Scammers have been sending official-looking letters from the London head-office advising...
Fake Center Parcs Competition
Wiltshire Trading Standards has issued a warning about a competition scam on Facebook that tricks people into divulging their personal details. A bogus Facebook page called ‘Center Parcs Longleat Resort’...
Track and Trace Contact Tracing Scam
Since the release of the NHS Scotland Covid-19 contact-tracing app last week, there have been more reports of criminals cold calling victims and demanding £500 for Covid-19 tests. The Scottish...
TV Licensing Offer
During lockdown there have been numerous phishing emails pretending to be TV Licensing. The scam claims an error with a direct debit payment; To ‘renew the license and legally watch TV’ the outstanding amount must be paid via the included link. The ‘free 6 month TV license’...
Supermarket Phishing Scams
Tesco, Lidl and Morrisons are only three of the supermarkets attacked by phishing scams offering ‘Free Shopping’. The Morrisons scam lured shoppers with free groceries worth £250 via WhatsApp. By clicking on the link, you are taken to a survey with a competition offering...
Puppies and Kittens
Lockdown has seen a huge demand by consumers wanting to buy a furry friend. Across the UK animal lovers have lost money after paying deposits for puppies and kittens that don’t exist. The scammer places an ad on pet-specific websites, general selling sites (such as eBay...
Online Shopping
Online shopping has soared during lockdown. NatWest reports a huge increase in consumers ordering items from fake websites that never arrive; these are often goods which are sold out on the brand’s official online store. There have been warnings about...
Netflix Payment Details
There have been reports of bogus Netflix branded e-mails which direct recipients to update their account payment details. Recipients click on the link on a fake payment web page, enter their details and have their credit...
HMRC Phishing Scams
There has been a surge in fake texts, emails and phone scams claiming to be from the HMRC. The message reports eligibility for a Government £519 tax refund for help towards COVID-19. The email, sent with official looking Government logos,...
Driving License Updates
Recently there have scams involving copycat sites that charge consumers £40 to update the driving license address, a service that is free on gov.uk. Sites offering the service appear via paid Google ads, above the official website, and deny a scam...
Bogus NHS Contact Tracing
In Scotland there have been scams linked to the government’s contact tracing scheme, ‘Test and Protect’. The NHS will NEVER call a consumer asking for details. The scam involves a cold caller claiming to be from the NHS, who reports...
Scout is fast. He gathers all the latest info and gets it to the team faster than any human could. He can cover 100m way faster than Usain Bolt (6.14 secs) and has a toy hamster, called Hammy.
