Colchester

BE FRAUD AWARE

The Eastern Region's Regional Organised Crime Unit exists largely to deal with high-level crime, such as terrorism, gun crime, slavery and child exploitation, but it does produce some useful information on economic crime which is focused on fraud

Nuisance calls Which? explains how to block them
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Click on this link for advice and information from Essex Police about fraudulent activities generally.

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This time it's a scam letter Which? reports on fake Post Code Lottery letters falsely claiming you've won thousands of pounds

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Recovering your money Which? gives useful advice on how to get your money back

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Scamwatch Which? helps a reader who was scammed after selling on Facebook

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HMRC issues scam warning Which? warns people to be wary about unsolicited so-called HMRC calls and emails

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Tips on spotting scams Which? advises you on how to spot scams in this podcast

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I fell victim to a credit card fraud Which? researcher shows how easy it is to fall victim and how long you may have to wait to recover your money

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Job scams Which? warns that fraud job adverts are appearing on LinkedIn and Indeed and other websites

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Monzo customers targeted Which? offers advice about this scam and how best to avoid this type of scam or other dubious websites

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Cheap mortgage scams Which? warns about dubious emails purporting to offer ultra low mortgage rates

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Spotting online shopping scams Which? advises people when shopping online as to what should be a red flag before they buy anything

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Beware of fake popups on your computer Which? explains how to spot these fakes and how to deal with them

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New rules to protect victims Which? announces cash access victims protection becomes law

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Watch out for ads on YouTube Which? curates the dubious adverts promising cash giveaways

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Best free and paid for mobile anti-virus Which? tests antivirus software for mobile devices

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5 holiday scams to be aware of Which? lists the scams under different categories and describes them

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Watch out for fake Facebook ads Which? highlights these ads offering free rail travel for a year

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Electoral commission date leak Which? discusses whether your personal data is at risk

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Lloyds Bank issues warning to football fans Which? tells people how to avoid online ticket scams as they doubled in last year

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Copycat sites of Joules Which? warns of scams on Facebook impersonating Joules

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Parking app scams Which? warns drivers about apps that trick drivers into paying expensive subscriptions

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Drivers stealing goods after Amazon OTP code given Which? tells people to immediately report this to Amazon in the first instance

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How to spot an email scam Which? gives people their 10 top tips to avoid falling for these phishing emails

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The most common types of insurance fraud Which? tells you how to fight your corner if you fall victim

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7 signs of an investment scam Which? warns people against falling for various investment scams

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Scammers impersonating Wilko on copycat sites Which? points out that the Wilko sale is instore only

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Beware of unofficial ULEZ sites Which? warns people to use only the official ULEZ site and not to use third party sites to pay ULEZ charge

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Facebook posts for dubious driving licence documents Which? describes a phishing scam offering exam free driving licences

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Recovery scammers trick vulnerable victims Which? explains how so-called recovery services operate

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Monzo customers can check if they're on a scammer call Which? explains everything about their call status tool

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Young adults targeted by impersonation scams Which? describes what these are and how to remain safe

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Criminals exploiting digital switchover on landlines Which? warns that the switchover is free but criminals are asking for personal information including bank account details

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Victim loses £6000 after buying camera from eBay Which? explains how they managed to help the person get their money back after Barclays and the FOS initially denied it could have been due to malware

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Online Safety bill to become law Which? explains chief points about the new law and how it will affect you
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Hijacking headlines Which? explains how scammers exploit the news to defraud people

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Halifax customers targeted by fraudsters Which? warns about new Halifax scam set up to steal online banking details

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Phone scams Which?gives tips on how to avoid phone or vishing scams

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Small businesses targeted on Facebook Which? highlights so called page deletion alert and warns people against following the links

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Beware fraudulent landlords Which? warns that to avoid a bank refusing a reimbursement don't believe people posing as landlords or pay them anything before you've seen the property and carried out additional checks

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Bogus Jo Malone advent calendars on Facebook Which? warns people about the scam adverts offering unbelievable savings on Jo Malone calendars

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Regulator weakening fraud protections risks Which? reveals that the PSR (Payment Systems Regulator) is delaying implementation of new rules and is watering them down which is leaving poorer and more vulnerable people exposed

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Messaging scams Which? gives tips on spotting messaging scams appearing on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber or any other platforms

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Suspicious subscriptions Which? tells how people are targeted by £30 per month so called savings sites when searching for loans

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Cold call police impersonation scams Which? warns that this scam has returned in a new wave of cold calls

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Four energy scams to be aware of Which? warns that fraudsters are playing on household money worries

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Latest scams alerts Which? lists latest collection of scams to look out for

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Are AI chatbots risking new wave of scams Which? investigates whether Bard and ChatGPT are doing enough to protect people

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Banks rated in reimbursement after fraud Which? reveals new data shows huge variation in banks reimbursing scam victims

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Fake Currys websites con bargain hunters Which? warns people to beware of unrealistic low prices

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Victim of fake job offer loses thousands of pounds Which? uses example to show how to avoid any kind of job scam

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Crypto investment fraud is rising Which? advises extreme caution with this volatile and largely unregulated market

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Halifax customers targeted by scammers Which? explains how the scammers operate and warns against following any links from unexpected texts

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How to spot a social media scam Which? gives 6 tips to help you protect yourself

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Vehicle buying scams on the rise Which? advises on how they work and how to avoid falling for them

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Staying safe online Which? gives 7 tips to help you keep safe online

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Charity scams Which? asks if you are inadvertently donating to a scammer

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Latest scams Which? alerts you to the scams you need to be on the lookout for

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Copycat Royal Mail sites sell fake stamps Which? warns about fraudulent ads offering 60% off stamps appearing on social media

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A scammer tried to sell someone Taylor Swift tickets Which? tells this story and gives advice on how to avoid falling for this type of scam

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How to avoid postal scams Which? explains what they are and how to spot them

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Ransomeware Which? explains what this is, how to protect yourself and what to do if your computer is infected

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Rogue parking ads still rife on Google Which? advises how to avoid them and that Google is still a vehicle for parking scams despite notifying Google

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Spotting and reporting scam ads in search engines Which? gives tips on how to spot, report and avoid falling for fake search engine adverts

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6 ways to protect yourself in 2024 Which? gives 6 tips to help you avoid becoming a victim

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Fake polymer notes Which? warns about counterfeit notes being offered for sale on Meta

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5 text scams to watch out for Which? rounds up the texts you're likely to receive right now

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Investment scams on Social Media Which? gives 5 tips on how to avoid investment scams

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Adverts for fake driving licences Which? found 26 dubious ads across social media

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Phone scams Which? offers advice on how to deal with these - commonly known as vishing scams
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6 ways fraudsters win your trust Which? reveals the underpinning tactics of most scams using these psychological tricks

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Tax scams Which? warns you to watch out for fake HMRC calls, texts and emails

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Spotting HMRC phone, text and email scams Which? explains the different kind of messages and also includes 2 recorded examples
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Holiday scams Which? gives 6 tips how to avoid scams when booking a holiday

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Fake Health Lottery letters Which? highlights a spike in these letters claiming you have won thousands of pounds

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Spot and avoid postal scam Which? explains what they are and also warns they are difficult to spot

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Scam adverts Which? asks if you are still being targeted

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Scams you need to know about Which? describes 5 scams - often bizarre but sinister anyway

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Broadband users targeted Which? explains how this scam works and advises you how to outsmart the scammers

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Notorious crypto scams found on app stores Which? reveals dubious crypto apps supposedly enabling you to trade in crypto currency

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5 subscription scams and traps Which? considers you need to know about - the return of unwanted recurring payments

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Cold call drains pension savings Which? tells the story of one person caught out by a complex pension scam

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5 current email scams Which? reveals 5 email scams doing the round

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Revolut bank account fraud takeover over warning Which? exposes poor support and security from Revolut after business customers' accounts are drained

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Car leasing nightmare Which? reveals car leasing company scam on Instagram

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Dubious investment ads Which? reveals questionable investment ads inviting you to join WhatsApp investment groups

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AI scams Which? tells you how to avoid them using examples

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Latest scams in March Which? updates you on the latest scams to be aware of in March including a convincing Apple ID scam

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I lost £750 to a scammer but only got £12.50 back Which? reports that Santander wouldn't reimburse victim and warns us all how to be super vigilant before paying any money

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Supporting a fraud victim Which? tells you how to support a victim to recover after being scammed

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The Third Age Trust has shared information about u3a members who were victims of scams:

One reported a phishing email supposedly received from Norton, an anti virus software company, about payment to renew an account she does not have. It said that they would deduct over £220 unless she cancelled within 48 hours. If you receive an email like this, please don't click on the links and please take independent advice before paying any unexpected requests for money.

Another reported a company specialises in products aimed at older adults who had taken extra money out of her bank account without her knowledge. With the help of the member's bank, any further charges on the account from the company were stopped and eventually the company paid back the money. Check your bank accounts regularly and immediately report any suspicious debits that you do not recognise. Most banks are able to put a stop to any charges and give advice on how to get refunds where appropriate. Another good practice is to search for reviews and credit ratings before buying from a new company.

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The Third Age Trust have issued a Scam Alert pointing out calls which purport to be from the Fraud Department of your bank regarding “suspicious transactions” on your account. Click on Bank Fraud for more information: ...
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...and, last but not least, Barry Linton of Thorpe Bay u3a, who works as a volunteer with Essex Police, has produced a page for the Thorpe Bay website itemising some Fraud Alerts. Click on Thorpe Bay Fraud Alerts...