Warning following increase in phone scams across Staffordshire

Staffordshire Police are encouraging people to stay vigilant of phone scams after recent reports of fraudsters using the technique to find out personal information, known as vishing.

Fraudsters are using specialist software to make incoming phone calls appears to be genuine businesses, banks and organisations.

The force are advising people of some of the common scams and to encourage people to be aware of these approaches.

Impersonation scam:

An impersonation scam is when criminals pretend to be from companies you know in order to trick you into giving them personal details and financial information.

They often cold call their victims, try and gain their trust, and then access their finances after extracting the information from them.

Remote access scam:

This type of scam involves downloading software onto your computer to obtain a refund or secure your bank account. Fraudsters utilise these downloads to gain access to your information stored on your computer.

Tech support scam:

This is another scam that involves downloading software when fraudsters will encourage you to download software in order to fix an issue such as a virus on your computer. Unfortunately, the fraudsters are then using this software to gain remote access to your tech.

HMRC scams:

A HMRC scam is when a fraudster calls claiming to be from HMRC to tell you that you have underpaid tax. They’ll then direct you to a website and ask you to make a payment.

Investment and financial scams:

These type of scams often involve a call about a “too good to be true” investment or financial opportunity where you’ll be asked to pay money over the phone or you’re directed to a website which asks for your financial details.

Prize draw scams:

This type of scam involves fraudsters calling to say you have won the lottery or a prize and ask for your personal and financial information in order to receive your winnings.

Courier Fraud

This is when criminals contact you pretending to be in a position of authority and get you to take money out of your bank account and then send it elsewhere.

Here is some advice on how to stay safe and prevent being scammed over the phone:

• Scammers will try to put you under pressure and make things seem urgent or even dangerous to convince you to act. Don't panic, take a minute and try to assess the situation calmly before doing anything
• Never disclose your personal or financial details over the phone. If you’re unsure who is asking for them, contact the organisation in question through an official channel
• Avoid logging into any accounts using public WiFi or on a public device
• Make sure your home WiFi is secure and never let anyone gain remote access to your phone or computer
• A bank will never ask you to set up a call divert to anyone else's phone, if someone asks you to do this, it's not genuine.
• If you believe you have been targeted by a scammer, hang up the phone and use a different phone. If you don’t have access to another phone line, we’d advise waiting for a short period of time before calling anyone else.
• We’d recommend signing up to the Telephone Preference Service to reduce unwanted sales calls. You can register for free on 0345 070 0707 or visit www.tpsonline.org.uk
• If you receive a call claiming to be from the bank, you can all 159 and be transferred to the bank’s customer services team. Check that your bank is included in the scheme.
• If you think you or someone you know has been defrauded, you can report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Remember:

• Your Bank will never ask you to take money from your account and send it elsewhere.
• The Bank will never ask you to leave your Credit / Bank Cards somewhere to be ‘updated’.
• The Police will never ask you to take money from your account and send it elsewhere.
• Under no circumstances is it safe for you to send large amounts of money elsewhere via the post.

If you receive a call claiming to be from the bank, you can all 159 and be transferred to the bank’s customer services team. Make sure that you use a different phone from the pone you have the suspicious call on (or wait at least 20 minutes if you are using a landline in case the scammer is still on the line).