Fraud News

HMRC has now started writing to certain taxpayers to let them know if they owe or are owed tax under the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. From Tuesday 7 September, letters will be delivered to some households as part of a normal annual process.  

It is possible that fraudsters may try to take advantage of the situation.

Remember:

Electricity users are being warned about a doorstep scam where victims are offered discounted credit for their top-up electricity meters.

It’s estimated that 85,000 households have been affected by this scam since the beginning of the summer. Victims have paid for discounted electricity top-ups, but later found the money did not reach their energy suppliers and had to pay for the electricity again.

Top up Safe

One of the latest Facebook scams Sophos is warning Facebook users about starts with a link to a Facebook page called: ’10 Things Adults NEVER Tell Their Kids !!’

A global survey has found that more than a third of computer users think that ‘when it comes to security, all websites are equally dangerous, all over the internet’.

The result came in response to the question: Where do you suspect is the greatest danger of malware infection on the internet? The remaining responses were:

One of the latest scams spreading virally through social networking website Facebook tries to make users believe that there is a hidden message in the Coca Cola logo.

Messages to watch out for include:

‘The SHOCKING hidden message on Coca-Cola logo!
I cant BELIEVE this
Revealed’

‘SHOCKING SATANIC Message In The Coca Cola Logo’

Anyone who clicks on a link like this that one of their friends seems to have posted will go on to spread the links to their friends as well.

Residents are being warned about a new telephone scam where they are urged to buy a home security system to protect themselves from knife crime.

The telephone scammer asks residents if they have heard anything about the recent spate of stabbings in the area and urges them to protect themselves by investing in new security measures.

Scammers claim to be from the council

Police are warning residents to be cautious if they receive a telephone call informing them they have won a lottery or prize draw.

There have been recent cases of this scam happening in South Yorkshire. As fraudsters move and change the geographical areas they operate in, all UK residents should also be vigilant about this type of fraud. Any UK resident who has lost money to a fraud like this should report it to Action Fraud.

How does the lottery scam work?

There are a number of bogus recycling bags and flyers in circulation, claiming to raise funds for the Down’s Syndrome Association by recycling clothes.