Anti-scam toolkit

Here is our ‘anti-scam toolkit’ - it will help you protect yourself, your family and your money in 2023.

Be aware of your inner voice. This is the one that tells you that this offer is too good to be true, or that you feel manipulated by the person you’re talking to, or that the scenario just doesn’t make sense, for example. This voice is too often ignored as we think it is just ‘a feeling’ and so not important, but actually it’s your brain making lightning-fast calculations, based on your lifetime of knowledge and experience. The reason scammers try and hurry you is that they don’t want to give you time to listen to your inner voice. So, make sure you do listen - it could save you a lot of money, and distress.
 
Be suspicious. There are classic scammer tactics that you should rouse your suspicions immediately, regardless of the story that you are being told. 
•    You are contacted by a cold caller – this is unrequested contact by email, text, phone, on social media or at your front door – usually by someone claiming to be from a respected authority, such as the police, the government, an energy supplier or your bank
•    You are put under pressure – you are told that you must act now because if you don’t something bad will happen. 
•    You are asked to click a link in a text, email or on social media. 
•    Your personal details are requested. Legitimate companies simply would not ask you for them

Be polite, but cool. Scammers may try and engage you in conversation to manipulate you. They are relying on your good manners; counting on the fact that if you see them as friendly, you will be less likely to question them or end the conversation abruptly. You can remain polite but be cool in your approach with them; they are not your friends. If you’ve been called or there is someone at your door, simply say “no thank you”, put down the phone or close the door. If on social media, email or text, simply ignore the message. If you are worried that any request is legitimate, you can always check later, by calling official numbers. Never use a number provided by the cold caller.

Be nosey. Ask for names and other details and note them down as these questions will make your scammer uncomfortable. Ask questions such as “can I take your name and surname please?” what branch are you calling from please?” “Can I take your email and desk number please?” “Where did you get my number from?”  “What is my account number please?” Asking questions will give you time to gather your thoughts and get the measure of the person you’re talking to – legitimate companies would not get flustered or annoyed – they would be thrilled you were taking such a responsible approach. An added bonus is that the scammer may tire of the interaction if they’re not making swift enough progress with you and move on.

Be calm. Do not allow yourself to become anxious and feel like you must make an important decision quickly. Take a deep breath and stay calm. It is extremely unlikely that if there was an issue that required immediate action, you would be contacted to make it. The professionals – the very people that the scammers are claiming to be – such as the police, the government, the local authority or your bank, would deal with it themselves.

Be private. Give nothing away. Not your bank details, your PIN, your card details, passcodes, money, personal details, your mother’s maiden name, nothing. No one has any right to ask you for this information and do not, under any circumstances, provide it. When it comes to passwords, choose a complex one that’s easy for you to remember but impossible to guess (iW0nd3r3dl0n3lyasaCl0ud). If you’re on social media with your cat Fluffy, make sure that if “what is the name of your pet?” is a security prompt, you answer “Spiky”. Privacy will keep you safe.

Be vigilant. Scammers are opportunists and feed upon our greatest anxieties. Their full-time job is to manipulate their victims into parting with their money and fear can really help them. For example, the energy crisis had been hitting the headlines for weeks when the government announced its Energy Bill support scheme. Overnight, Energy Bill Support scheme scams appeared. Vigilant people knew that they had to take no action because support would be given automatically, and so they recognized the scammers for what they were.

Be sure to report it. Reporting scams is important because it helps the authorities understand how and where the scammers are operating, and the scale of the problem. The information you provide could help stop another innocent person becoming a victim of scams and the information a stranger provided could also have protected you.