Beware of the rise of Coronavirus scams in Ceredigion

Please be aware.

In this thread, we look at some of the scams that have developed around the Coronavirus outbreak. We want to make sure you are aware so that you can take action to protect yourself, your family and our community.

With people in Ceredigion already anxious and fearful, low life scammers are preying on these emotions to trick people out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

So what should you look out for to avoid falling victim yourself? We’ve run through some of the scams to be aware of:

Be Wary of Calls, and Even Visitors to your Home

Expect an increase of scam phone calls. These could follow typical patterns of the callers claiming to be authority figures such as Police, HMRC or you bank. These usually request a transfer of money or a hand over of sensitive information such as account login and pin code.

Online Shopping Scams

Due to the high demand for hand sanitisers and face masks, scammers have set up fake websites offering these products. People who order from these fake sites are left out of pocket and the goods never end up arriving.

Amazon Prime is a popular one, claiming that an account has been hacked and requesting that you enter your details to address the issue.

Also if you are a Netflix user, emails could be sent to you claiming there was an issue with your last payment or direct debit.

Fake Texts – The Lockdown Fine

Usually bad emails end up in your spam, but scammers can get hold of your phone number and send you bogus text messages. One popular one that everyone needs to be warned about is the Lockdown Fine. The text message says you’ve been fined for stepping outside during the lockdown. Anyone who receives this text should ignore it. it is simply another use to steal the payment details.

WhatsApp Users

Scammers request to forward your WhatsApp code. This gives them full access to your messages, photos and videos. Someone who knows your phone number could request to register your WhatsApp on a different device, and when a code is sent to you, the hacker will then message you to try and coax you into forwarding this on to them. When they have access to all your details, they could then use this to request money.

Free School Meals

The department of education has issued several warnings about a scam email designed to steal your bank details.

‘As schools will be closing, if you’re entitled to free school meals, please send your bank details and we’ll make sure you’re supported.’ Please ignore this email and speak to your nursery and school directly.

These scammers prey on the elderly and vulnerable. So please share this information with them, perhaps give them a call to make them aware of these frauds.

So what can you do or how do you spot a scam?

WHICH – have got 10 tips to keep you safe from fraudsters using these scams to steal your information and money.

This link will give you all the information you need: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-spot-an-email-scam

 

Thanks for reading and please stay safe from the Alexanders team.