The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau estimate that around one third of all fraud is carried out by telephone.
The most common phone scams are:-
- Computer Support Scam
- A Fraud Investigation
- An Investment Opportunity
e.g. A phone call telling you that your computer has a problem or is being used by hackers or has been sending out spam emails or anything similar will worry people and then the scammer claims to have the solution. The scammer normally poses as a worker at Microsoft or Virgin Broadband or Apple or BT or similar well known company. The caller offers a solution to the problem – at a price of course. If allowed access to your company they will steal whatever confidential information they can get.
Computer support companies will never phone you like this.
Fraud investigation scams calls are usually made by scammers claiming to be HMRC or Metropolitan Police or the FBI. They talk about some kind of threat or illegal activity, but the authorities never make such calls. The scammers want to frighten you then force you to pay a fine.
Callers offering investment opportunities are wide ranging and always scams as no reputable investment business would cold call people they know nothing about. Never trust a caller’s sales pitch without verifying it.
If you have any experiences with scammers, spammers or time-waster do let me know, by email.
