How can I reduce the risk of being scammed?
A response by Jon Caldwell, Security Consultant, at Caldwell Security.
More Blogs available at https://caldwellsecurity.co.uk/blog.
First and foremost, do your research and make sure you keep up to date with the types of Scams being reported in the Press and Social Media. You will be able to reduce the risk of being Scammed if you are aware of any Scams circulating, especially those in the UK.
Regularly read articles in the various on-line services, such as Action Fraud www.actionfraud.police.uk or Herts Police via www.herts.police.uk/Information-and-services/Advice/Advice both of which offer some useful information on cyber security and scams.
It is vitally important for you to be ‘suspicious’, not only of the content of any unsolicited texts, e-mails or letters, but you also should never trust any unexpected contacts, or telephone calls.
It is also very important to resist any demands to act quickly. Legitimate Organisations will never put pressure on their Customers to take action quickly, and will always be willing to call back, or allow time for their legitimacy to be verified.
It is important to never hand over money, or sign any documents, before you have checked the persons credentials, and their Company’s validity.
Never send money to anyone you don’t know, or trust, whether in the UK or abroad, and this includes Banks, Government Organisations, or other allegedly trustworthy businesses, until you have been able to verify, they are legitimate.
Never give your banking details, or personal information, especially passwords, to anyone you don’t know or trust, as this information is valuable, so please make sure you protect it. Always get independent, or Legal advice, if an offer involves money, time, or commitment.
For those who use Computers, Laptops, Tablets and Mobile Phones they should ensure they have Virus Protection from a reliable source, and ensure their software protection is regularly updated.
Never open any attachments, or links, in e-mails, until you are really sure they are from a legitimate source. Always log-on to a Website directly rather than clicking on links within an e-mail.
If you are concerned, please visit the Caldwell Security Website, where you can join the Prevention Scam Service, and you will be able to forward any suspicious e-mails, or texts, to Jon Caldwell, who will be able to advise on whether they are Scams.
Please ensure you use strong ‘passwords’, and use different passwords, especially for high-risk accounts, that might be the target from Criminals. Be careful not to use passwords which can be identified from your Social Media accounts, such as names of your Children, Pets etc.
With the increase in data breaches, where personal and financial information is stolen from Organisations, and individual’s, computer systems, there is an increased risk of fraud. By harvesting personal information, and financial information, through data breaches, Criminals are able to commit fraud, and damage people, businesses and services.
The Crime Survey of England and Wales reveal there were 3.4 million incidents of Fraud in 2016-17. However, it is believed fewer than 20% of Fraud incidents are actually reported, which means the scale of fraud is very significant, and under-reporting is hampering an understanding of the threat.
To reduce the risks of being scammed on the telephone, or at your doorstep, have an already thought-out excuse to end the conversation, and ask the person to call back a little later. The excuse might be, a young child has been left unattended, or something is cooking and might catch fire, or you have a visitor who you cannot ignore, or something similar. Expect the Caller to try and put you under pressure to continue the conversation immediately, but any legitimate Caller will always agree to call back when convenient.
If you spot a scam, or have been scammed, please report it to the Police, or Action Fraud, and don’t be embarrassed about reporting a Scam, because the Fraudsters are cunning and clever. They are always looking for new ways of taking your money, so by reporting a Scam you will make it more difficult for the Criminals to deceive others.
You may want to consider joining the low-cost Caldwell Security Scam Prevention Service, details of which you can find by clicking HERE
Caldwell Security Consultants will provide, no obligation, security mitigation recommendations, but they do not provide installation, or supply, of any security products.