Police warn against the dangers of online fraud
With the height of the festive season approaching, Police Scotland is reminding people to be on their guard, in both the actual and virtual worlds, against the risk of online fraud.
According to police, in the Highlands and Islands alone there has unfortunately been a number of incidents targetting individuals and businesses online with scams.
Unscrupulous groups and individuals may look to take advantage of the increased number of online transactions being carried out however, scams also come in the form of letters, texts and calls.
Police have issued the following advice to help people make sure they avoid falling victim to a scam:
• It is imperative that you access online banking through trusted web addresses and not through a link sent by a third party.
• Be sure to check HTTPS is on the browser bar address and is accompanied by the padlock symbol.
• Remember, a bank will never call or email and ask you for passwords, account details or to move money to a ‘safe account’.
• Be on your guard against unsolicited calls from someone claiming to be from their bank. Always double check numbers you’re given to call back on or call through the main customer care number for the organisation and ask to be put through. If you decide to ring back and verify the call it is advisable to do so on a different phone line like another landline or mobile. If you are still unsure, consider visiting your local branch instead of speaking to someone over the phone.
Signs that you may have been scammed include:
• unexplained transactions made to your bank account.
• Additional financial products pop up on your credit report that you don’t remember taking out.
• Bank statements meant for your address aren’t delivered — this could be a sign of ID fraud.
• You’re rejected for credit when you’ve got a good credit history.
Anyone who has been scammed is advised to end all further communication immediately, call their bank and cancel any recurring payments and report the scam to the Police Scotland via the 101 phone line.
Further preventative digital and cyber advice is also available through the Police Scotland website at http://www.scotland.police.uk/