‘Pig Slaughter’ Among Four Compelling New Scams Which One? says you should know about | UK News

Featured Sponsor

Store	Link	Sample Product
UK Artful Impressions	Premiere Etsy Store

“Pig slaughter” and fake missing person scams are some of the more recent ways scammers are trying to get hold of your money.

A new wave of convincing scams is “bombarding consumers from all directions,” according to consumer group Which?.

The group has issued a warning about the four most convincing scams seen so far this year, such as “pig slaughter” and bogus missing person appeals.

Lisa Barber, which one? technology editor, said: “It’s appalling that in 2023 scammers are still thriving, as a new wave of convincing scams bombards consumers from all directions.

“Consumers can help protect themselves from scams by accessing the wide range of free, expert advice on the Which? website, from signing up for our scam alert service to getting answers on how to get your money back if you fall victim to scams. a fraud. .”

Which? says scams to watch out for include:

pig slaughter

The scammer and the victim typically meet on a dating site and, after gaining their trust (“fatting them up”), the scammer eventually asks the victim to switch to a private messaging service, removing them from the protections offered by the scammer. dating website.

The scammer claims to have been a successful investor, usually in property or cryptocurrency, and offers to invest some of the victim’s money.

Sometimes the victim is shown a scammer-controlled cryptocurrency trading platform and encouraged to sign up and deposit money.

A UK victim lost £107,000 in a scam like this, which one? she said, believing that she was investing in apartments for retirees abroad.

Bogus missing persons appeals

People are being asked to share fake posts online about missing persons.

Nearly identical posts are shared around the world with the location changed. Comments are disabled on posts so people can’t alert others to inconsistencies.

After the post has gained a lot of likes, it is edited to be about something different, like an investment scam – the large number of likes adds credibility.

Which? suggested sharing only posts from official organizations, such as the police or missing persons charities.

paypal scams

When people receive a “money request” from a genuine PayPal address, it may look real, but scammers can send out fake payment requests, often for high-value items, or posing as HMRC demanding “back” tax payments. “.

Don’t pay PayPal invoices you don’t recognize or call the phone numbers on those invoices, which ones? saying.

Fake App Scams

Apps that install malware on phones, steal data and perpetuate scams.

App stores take steps to address the issue, but the threats persist. When installing an app, click on the developer’s name and check what other apps they have created. Also check that the app’s permission request, such as a request to use the camera, is relevant to the app’s features.

Also remember that app reviews can be fake.

Read more:
Scammers posing as genuine vendors
Text messages tell thousands they have fallen victim to a £48 million scam

People who believe they may have been scammed should contact their payment provider and report the scam to Action Fraud.

Earlier this month, the government published a new strategy aimed at tackling fraud – ban cold calling for all financial products, such as those related to insurance or fake crypto schemes.

There are also plans for the government to work with Ofcom to tackle number spoofing so that scammers can’t impersonate legitimate UK phone numbers.

These plans will allow banks to delay payment processing longer to allow suspicious transactions to be investigated.