Scams Awareness
Published on 19 July 2021 12:30 PM
Here at Age UK Milton Keynes, we are encouraging all our staff and volunteers to become Friends Against Scams.
Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards Scams Team initiative, which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering people to take a stand against scams.
Friends Against Scams - Get Involved Today
Amazon shoppers need to be wary of a fresh batch of emails claiming to be from the online retailer. A new scam has just been spotted by security experts at Amazon and it's so convincing it's simple to see just how easy it is to be fooled. The sinister trick begins with an official-looking email from Amazon which claims that an order has been received and a payment confirmed from the account holder. Scammers make sure that the invoice is for a high-value item which immediately raises a concern for the person who has received it. The spoof message even features a link that takes the victim directly to Amazon's website. With no apparent way to stop the order from going through, the email message contains a phone number that customers are urged to call if they have any issues with the items that have been billed to their account. Of course, this number has nothing to do with Amazon and, once called, the cyber thieves then try to take full advantage. According to Amazon, anyone ringing the fake hotline won't instantly speak to someone. Instead, the call will be returned a few hours later with the tricksters then asking for full card details to stop the purchase from going through.
Be wary if receiving a phone call from someone suggesting that your loft insulation needs replacing because it is no longer fit for purpose. The caller will tell you that your neighbours have already had a survey that was being offered and you are one of the last to be contacted. This is a scam - so end the call before they attempt to ask you for payment for a survey.
