ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, A HMRC FINAL DEMAND.
Scammers phone unsuspecting members of the public claiming they have overpaid or underpaid their tax. And a warrant is about to be served for your arrest. Beware - never give out your bank details and hang up immediately. Call the HMRC and find out if you need to take any action regarding your tax situation. Text messages can also be sent urging you to follow a link.
ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, A FREE GIFT OR TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION.
This scam offers a free gift or trial offer. If you pay postage and packing to receive the ‘gift’ beware as you may, without realising it, set up a Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) allowing the company to take any amount out of your bank account at any time. When purchasing a free gift/trial offer/subscription make sure you know if you are setting up a CPA or a direct debit.
ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, AN IDEA FOR A GIFT.
Gift cards are ideal for that hard-to-buy for person but be very aware of buying these online as gift cards are easy to fake and could cause embarrassment to your friends and family when they try and use them if they are fakes.
ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, THE PRESENT I HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR.
Pop-up shops arrive on the web, often advertising the must have Christmas present that the shops have sold out of. They claim to have these must have items for sale that will be delivered in time for Christmas. They do not have these items and they will simply disappear once they have made their cash out of unsuspecting customers. High street pop-up shops often have counterfeit and faulty items for sale. Beware if the goods on sale look too good to be true.
ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, FIVE GOLD BARS.
Investment scams are still around offering excellent returns on investing in precious metals carbon credits etc. Never invest in anything unless you have done your homework and checked with the FCA website that the company is registered with them. Be wary of overseas investment offers.
ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, A REQUEST FOR A DONATION.
Fake charities prey on our feeling of good will at this time of the year and their marketing can be very convincing. Make sure that the marketing you have received is genuine. If it has a registered number go to the Fundraising Preference Service home page or call them on 0300 999 3418 to check if they are legitimate.
ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, A PRIORITY AND CONFIRMED WINNING TICKET IN A LOTTERY.
This scam is still around in various forms. If you are in the lottery you receive notification from ensure it is legitimate. Do not use the contact details on the letter or email find your own number for them from a trusted source? Do not send cash to release your prize. If you hadn’t entered in the first place you can’t win it.
ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.
We all want to share our Christmas with someone special but do not let your need cloud your judgement. Only use well established and trusted dating websites. Do not click on links from someone you do not know or trust. Do not communicate with anyone you find on these sites away from the site as you could be putting yourself into a vulnerable position. Do not send money no matter what emergency transpires especially if you have never met them in person.
ON THE NINETH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, A PHONE CALL FROM MY BANK.
The scammers call you pretending to be from the bank and explain your bank card is out of date. Due to the coronavirus they will deliver new cards to you that day. A person calls at your door asks for your card and for you to confirm its pin to ensure they have the right new card for you. You are then handed an envelope with what feels like a credit card inside and off walks the scammer with your bank card. Inside your envelope is just a credit card size piece of plastic.
ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, A PARCEL DELIVERY NOTICE.
Be aware of this scam. The Sorry we missed you whilst you were out please call us on the number below for immediate delivery. Once called you will pay a high premium and likely that the scammer will tell you there is a surcharge as no stamps were on parcel and the driver can’t accept cash. They then obtain your card details over the phone.
ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS A SCAMMER SENT TO ME, A PHONE CALL FROM THE POLICE.
Scammers phone members of the public claiming to be from the Police to tell you of ‘suspicious activity on your bank account’. Someone at the bank is putting counterfeit money through your account . They have arrested someone using your Bank Card. The scammers then convince you to help them with their enquiries by withdrawing money from your account to a safe account or to prove the money in your account is counterfeit. The Police will never ask you to help them or get you to act on their behalf.
ON THE TWELVETH DAY OF CHRISTMAS PPP SENT TO ME CONTACT NUMBERS FOR HELP INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE:
To find out more contact Trading Standards on 01635 519930 or at tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk
You can also call Citizen Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 to report a scam.
https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/
Thames Valley Police 101
For Christmas Scams poster see link here.
