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Scams Bulletin December 2013

The purpose of this scams bulletin is to enable Hampshire residents to be aware, and therefore guard against, the type of scams currently being reported to the Hampshire Trading Standards Service.

Trading Standards will collate information on scams to provide information and intelligence to the public and other agencies but will normally only intervene when the victim is vulnerable and has been financially abused.

In appropriate cases Trading Standards will also seek to take enforcement action through the courts.

If you are worried about a potential scam please contact: Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06 or online using the Online consumer complaint form

Auction Sites Scam

Auction Sites are a popular and convenient way of buying presents. Whilst the majority of
sellers are genuine, there are some criminals who use auction sites to offer counterfeit
goods or those that do not exist.

Scammers use Christmas as an opportunity to advertise popular items such as
smartphones, tablets, gadgets and designer goods. They display a low price to catch your
attention. However, in reality the goods are not real, and once you have made your bid or
payment, you will receive nothing in return.

The Scammer will ‘hide’ behind a fake website or email address and the chance of
catching up with them to claim your money back is slim.

Real life case study

Mr J was looking on an auction site for a laptop. He noticed one being advertised at a
low price. He thought the price seemed too good to be true, so contacted the seller
by email to enquire further. The seller responded and said he wanted a quick sale for
cash. Mr J offered to purchase the goods at the agreed price. The seller then
responded and said that he was currently on holiday and could not post the goods,
but if Mr J made an upfront payment, he would arrange a meeting point where his
friend could deliver the laptop. At this point, Mr J sensed a scam and pulled out of the
deal.

How to protect yourself

 Always use a recommended method of payment for the site, rather than making
direct payments to the seller

 Research the seller before you bid

 Check the sellers customer feedback but bear in mind this can be falsified

 Be cautious when dealing with sellers abroad or private individuals

 If you are going to pick up purchases in person, take someone with you and let
people know where you are going

 If in doubt DO NOT PURCHASE

Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on
08454 04 05 06
Or online using the
Online consumer complaint form

Charity Donation Scams

Most collection and appeals are legitimate but, unfortunately scammers can exploit
people’s charitable nature and steal money which the donor thinks is going to help a
charity.

Do not stop donating money to your good cause of choice. Instead take a few simple
precautions to protect yourself, and your charity, against online fraud.

 Visit the charity’s own website by typing the address into the browser yourself,
rather than clicking on a link in an email.
 Before you donate any money, check the website is secure. There should be a
padlock symbol in the browser window frame when you attempt to log in or register.
 If you receive unsolicited emails from charities you have never heard of or have no
association with, do not respond and do not click on any links. It is best to delete
them.
 Do not respond to requests that ask you to donate through a money transfer
company. This is a tactic commonly used by scammers as it makes the payment
hard to trace.
 Ensure the charity is genuine before divulging personal information or payment
methods.
 When supporting disaster relief abroad, consider donating through the Disasters
Emergency Committee.
 If you do not want to make an online donation check with a legitimate charity if they
accept other ways to pay.
 If you think you have given your payment details to a bogus charity, contact your
bank or credit card company immediately.

Charity bag collection scam

Hampshire Trading Standards Service has continued to receive complaints about charity
bags that are delivered or left outside a person’s property. The wording on the bag
invariably asks the resident to fill it with unwanted clothes or household items, which will
then be used abroad or sold to support a charity. However, the bags may have been
delivered by bogus commercial companies who will profit from the donations.

Don’t be put off making donations to genuine charities but remember to carry out a few
simple checks first of all. Do not rely on the contact details on the bag as this may be fake.
Instead look up the official telephone number or website address to make sure your
donation is going to the genuine place.

If in doubt, throw the bag away.

For further advice or to report a scam contact the
Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06
Or online using the Online consumer complaint form

Computer Scams

Hampshire Trading Standards Service warns residents to be alert to the following scams
when working on their computers. In particular when browsing the internet or receiving
emails.

Ransom ‘spam’

This scam operates, where an email is sent, appearing to be from a genuine financial
institution. However, the email contains an attachment that looks legitimate but is malware
that encrypts computer files.

If the attachment is opened, a displayed countdown timer appears and demands payment,
or a ransom, to decrypt the files. This may be in the region of £500.

Once the payment is made, no work is carried out and it is not possible to restore any
encrypted files.

Police warning scam

A similar scam operates where a ‘warning’ appears on a computer containing a police logo
and a message that an illegal site has been entered and internet access will be blocked
until a fine is paid. They then asked for an up-front payment of £100 to remove the block,
which should be made through a money transfer business.

If payment is made, the money will be lost.

Tips to protect yourself

 Do not respond to or open attachments from unknown sources
 Do not click on links in emails from unknown sources
 Make sure you have suitable anti-virus software protection installed
 Don’t reply to any unwanted email
 If in doubt, delete the email without opening it

Hampshire County Council Trading Standards Service has continued to receive calls from
worried consumers who have been approached by fraudsters, attempting to scam them
out of large amounts of money. The fraudsters will dupe victims into revealing their bank
details, and are using ever more sophisticated and cunning tactics to access this
information.

NEVER give out you bank details to a caller. If you think you have been a victim of a
scam, contact your bank immediately.

If you require further advice or wish to report a scam, contact:

Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on
08454 04 05 06
Or online using the Online consumer complaint form

Inheritance Scams

Hampshire Trading Standards Service has continued to receive complaints about
inheritance scams.

The scammer, who claims to be a lawyer or government official, will send a letter alleging
a person sharing your family name has died and left behind a vast amount of money.
They will say as no relatives have been identified the money can be released to you, due
to your surname. They will ask for a fee to release the money. Once paid, you will not
hear from them again.

Real life case study

Mrs P received a letter from a business based in Spain, alleging that someone with the
same surname as her had died, leaving an unclaimed inheritance of £5million in a bank
account. The business explained that unless a beneficiary was found, the money
would be paid to the government. Mrs P was advised that as she shared the surname,
the business could release the money. They suggested that 80% of the money would
be split, with the final 20% paid to a charity. They asked Mrs P to contact them to
discuss this proposition further.

Mrs P recognised this offer as a scam and sent the letter to Trading Standards for
information.

’PayPal’ Scam

Real life case study

Mrs S received an email from an address that contained PayPal. It was advising that
someone had tried to gain access to her account. The email was asking her to update
her contact and payment details. Mrs S, who does not consider herself to be
vulnerable, said at first glance she thought this was genuine, but noticed the English
used in the subject line was poor – “We are detected that someone try to get access to
your account”. This prompted her to contact the official helpline for PayPal who
confirmed this was a scam.

Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on
08454 04 05 06
Or online using the
Online consumer complaint form