The Isle of Wight Against Scams Partnership has issued an update on scams that have come to light in the local community recently.
Islanders are being urged to be very wary of any unsolicited phone calls, emails and texts and to remember to never click on links in any messages!
Here is a roundup of scams currently in circulation.
• Reports of scam texts and emails purporting to be various difference mail providers, claiming that you need to pay extra for a package or asking you click on a link which could install malware onto your device – the companies all involved state that they would never contact you in this way (how would they know your phone number?) and would put a card through the door.
• Reports that the National Insurance scam has been using an 01983 number – don’t believe that just because it appears to be a local number that it is genuine, numbers can be purchased and are frequently cloned.
• A message purporting to be from Google to say that your phone has viruses and you have to click the link to repair the problem – Don’t – this is a scam.
• There appears to be an increase in reports of banking texts and some residents are reporting that these messages are being followed up by phone calls stating that there is a fraud on your account, they may even draw your attention to the number they are dialling from – it will be the banks number – again these can be cloned. Hang up do not engage with these criminals and call your bank on a number you have found yourself to ensure that your account is secure.
• Lots of reports in the past few weeks about rogue traders. Whether they are looking to carry out work on your property or buy gold or jewellery from you; our advice remains the same – Do Not trade on the doorstep as you will be conned out of money and if they are carrying out work it is likely to be of poor quality and the price they quote at the beginning will escalate during the process.
You can report scams online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or on the phone – 0300 123 2040. Phishing emails can be forwarded to [email protected]. Scam texts can be forwarded to 7726.
If you have a vulnerable relative, friend or neighbour you should share this information with them – it could save them from falling victim to one of these, or any other scam.
There is also a telephone scam supposedly from Amazon.
It is a recorded voice message with an American accent, regarding a new phone you have purchased and asking you to press 1 if you did not order it.
DON’T DO IT, JUST HANG UP.
This one is particularly interesting as I have had numerous calls from this ‘lady’ and always on a different number and that is always a ‘7’ mobile number. I have been saving these numbers as scams. Now I have blocked the numbers. But they will still keep coming I guess, from Am-Ah-Zon. Yuck. How can anyone fall for that?
I have had numerous calls from ‘her’ too, always from what looks like a mobile phone number and always a different number. I just don’t bother to pick up now. If the person ringing is genuine they will leave a message.
The Royal Mail one is very convincing.. Be careful people!
Every day for over a week I have had email supposedly from Microsoft says my account would expire unless I clicked a link to update my information. This is also a scam and I reported it and blocked it but it kept coming from different addresses.
‘Good afternoon, how are you? Are you the owner of the property?’
‘What are you going to try to sell me?’
Click!