CRUEL con artists are continuing to exploit the coronavirus crisis through a number of new scams.
Warwickshire Trading Standards is warning residents and businesses to be wary of the latest hoaxes – including ‘smishing’ and ‘SMS spoofing’.
Smishing is where a fraudster sends a bogus text message purporting to be from a genuine organisation or business.
SMS spoofing also involves sending fake text messages – but in this case, the messages appear in a chain of texts next to genuine messages the mobile phone user has already received, making them appear more plausible.
The messages usually ask recipients to phone a number connected to the fraudsters or follow a link to a bogus copycat website, allowing scammers to steal personal or financial information or trick people in to making payments.
Current scam messages include links to claim Covid-19 relief payments, council tax or business rate ‘holidays’, free school dinner funds or similar.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/wec7vdh for more information and advice.
FRAUDSTERS are also creating fake fundraising platforms and bogus crowdfunding, falsely claiming that donations will support research into a vaccine or help people who are ill or self-isolating.
The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator is urging people to ‘give safely’.
Visit www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/resources/safer-giving-advice for more information.
INVESTORS are also being targeted by swindlers offering schemes or products that appear to offer high returns, sometimes by claiming that the investments are ‘healthcare’ related.
In reality, fraudsters offer ‘too good to be true’ investments that are either worthless or don’t even exist.
Visit www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart for more information.
