It’s getting close to Xmas in the UK, and in other places too.
We’ve noticed a general increase in scams as the scammers exploit the seasonal spending spirit.
We have multiple calls a day, often dead calls or “Withheld” or a number which you can look up elsewhere to check, or ring back to find it probably does not exist.
We’ve had calls from “the police” about found credit cards. They are always vague about exactly what police station they work at, want personal details, can’t give a phone number for you to ring back… you know, all the things that ring alarm bells.
If someone rings claiming to be from your bank, don’t believe them. Try to find out what it’s about, don’t give any personal details, then ring the bank yourself using the authorised number on their genuine website. They should not ask you for PIN or card security codes on the phone. You may need to give a partial address and they should be able to give you something to prove they are genuine.
We are plagued right now by “Amazon”. To be totally clear, it’s not the genuine Amazon. They tell you your Amazon Prime account needs renewing, or your account has been used for suspicious purchases. Go on-line and check. We don’t have Amazon Prime so that’s quite a give away.
If your e-mail has a spam filter, you should always use it. Most that we know will tell you what e-mails have been blocked. They are not perfect, and sometimes something genuine will be blocked, but you can train your spam filter, telling it what to reject and what to accept. Our domain host has a good filter, and the e-mail client on the computer can also filter spam very well.
On mobile/cell phones, it’s usually possible to block any number. How you do it may vary. For our phones, simply pressing down on the number gives you that option.
If you are not sure, commit to nothing. Give no personal details. If they address you by your first name, tell you in a very thick Asian accent that they are called “John Henry”, talk quickly so it’s hard to hear exactly what squirmy words they are saying, ring off. If you have the slightest doubt, and scammers can be very convincing, ring off. Anyone genuine will ring back.
Be careful. Be suspicious.