New year and same old scams say police
Since the start of the year, 5,600 reports of attempted scams and scams were made to The Police Service, with many people left counting the cost for months and years to come.
The estimated total lost to scams each year in Northern Ireland is around £19 million, according to Chair of ScamwiseNI Partnership, Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock.
He said the staggering statistics show just how ruthless scammers are.
Chief Superintendent Pollock said: “We should never lose sight of the fact that behind every loss, no matter what it has been, is a person or a business owner who has been taken advantage of in the most despicable and callous way.
“In some cases, the impact of the scam has life-long consequences.
“The biggest amount of money we have seen lost this year has been a person who lost £350,000 as a result of a cryptocurrency investment scam.
“These may seem like a good way to boost savings, however, they are often high-risk investments with limited regulation or safeguards,” said Chief Superintendent Pollock
In terms of the types of scams, Chief Superintendent Pollock said most frauds and scams are committed at distance, with criminals exploiting communication networks through phones, social media, emails or text messages.
These can include impersonation scams, where people are contacted online through WhatsApp, via text or online on Facebook, investment and romance…
