You probably think it won’t ever happen to you: you’ll easily be able to sniff out the latest scams and you won’t be outwitted by a fraudster.
In fact, more than half of adults think they’ll never fall victim to a scam, according to a study by Virgin Media O2 (opens in new tab).
But, that same research shows that 43% of people know someone who has been scammed.
We highlight the latest scams, how to protect yourself and what to do if you become a victim.
The latest scams
As fraudsters use increasingly sophisticated tricks to deceive us, it’s never been more important to stay vigilant and protect yourself against scams.
Fraud offences have been rising steadily as scammers prey on our anxieties over the Covid pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. There were 4.5m fraud offences in the 12 months to March 2022, a 25% increase on pre-pandemic levels, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Linda Morgan, information security culture manager at the wealth manager Quilter, comments: “People are increasingly worried about their finances, which is ultimately a gift to scammers looking to take advantage.”
Energy bill discount scam
Be wary of texts and emails from “gov.org” or Ofgem addresses asking you to apply for energy bill discounts, rebates or payments.
The National Cyber Security Centre received more than 1,500 reports of scam emails pretending to be energy rebates from Ofgem in just two weeks during the summer, according to the ONS.
For most people the…
