The Little Book of Big Scams – Third Edition

Fraudsters have many ways of seeking to gain our confidence. They are manipulative, imaginative and creative when convincing us to part from our savings. Fraudsters are predatory criminals; they count on the fact victims will feel too ashamed or foolish to report the scam to the police.

Frequently they will exploit our generosity convincing us to help someone in need or provide enticing investment opportunities beyond those available on the high street.

They are unscrupulous in their choice of victim and often it is honest, trusting and hardworking members of the community that are targeted. They may approach us in person, by post, telephone, email or social media.

When our trust is broken or we feel ashamed, our confidence is diminished and we may not want to ask for help. Fraudsters rely on this. At Cheshire Police we're committed to preventing crime and supporting victims. The `Little Book of Big Scams' is designed to raise awareness of

the varied ways in which fraudsters may seek to target you, and provide practical ways to protect yourself from falling prey to their crimes.

Please take the time to read through the contents of this booklet, it could save you or someone close to you, a lot of money and heartache!

If you've been the victim of fraud and haven't told the authorities please contact us via 101. You may be asked to contact Action Fraud and you can do this via 0300 123 2040 or online at actionfraud.co.uk

We can refer you to Cheshire Cares who provide support and advice. They can make referrals to partner agencies, assist with preventative measures in order to protect you further criminality and help you to recover from the emotional impact of the crime.

`A Scam is Fraud ? Fraud is Crime'

Jon Betts Detective Superintendent

CONTENTS

1 Introduction 3 10 Golden Rules 4 Banks Joint Declaration 5 Identity Fraud 7 Courier Fraud 9 Holiday Fraud 11 Mass Marketing Fraud ?

Scam Mail 13 Investment Scams 16 Door-to-Door Scams 18 Dating and Romance Scams 20 Banking and Payment Card

Scams 23 Mobile Phone Scams 25 Ticketing Scams 26 Online Shopping and Auction

Fraud

28 Internet Scams 30 Frequent Scamming Tools 33 Fraud is Not a Victimless Crime 36 Handy Hints to Protect Yourself 39 What to do if you get scammed ?

Contacts and Reporting Advice

BE SUSPICIOUS

BIG

SCAMS

INTRODUCTION

Cheshire Police are pleased to bring you the third edition of `The Little Book of BIG Scams', reproduced by kind permission of The Metropolitan Police Service's FALCON Fraud Prevention team. The booklet was originally inspired by a publication, created by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

In this third edition of `The Little Book of Big Scams' we have added some new scams that have come to notice, for example concerning holiday accommodation and event tickets and have updated our information and advice on the other scams detailed in the book.

The book should be seen as a general guide to many of the scams currently operating in the UK and we hope it will increase your awareness of these scams and teach you some easy steps that you can take to protect yourself and others.

Every year the British public loses billions of pounds to fraudsters who bombard us with online, mail, door-to-door and telephone scams.

Scams, or frauds, can be difficult to investigate. They can be complicated and often involve many victims and suspects and enquiries outside of the UK. They can take a lot of resources to investigate and courts may find it difficult to convict suspects because of the grey area that may appear to exist between dishonesty and sharp practice. Prevention, through awareness, is therefore a vital tool in combating scammers.

BE SUSPICIOUS

1 THE LITTLE BOOK OF BIG SCAMS

Scams do not discriminate

Scams target people of all ages, backgrounds and income levels. The Cheshire Police Economic Crime Unit has seen the devastating effects this type of crime can have on people and their families. One of the best ways to fight the scammers is to take steps to prevent yourself from being caught out in the first place.

Some adults may be especially vulnerable to financial abuse. Consider liaising with your local Social Services safeguarding adults department if you are concerned about someone you know who may be vulnerable. When contacting your local Social Services ask for Adult Social Care.

Protect Yourself

If you want to stay on top of scams and up to date about crime prevention advice, visit the Cheshire Constabulary website at cheshire.police.uk or which contains current information on the different scams targeting consumers. It also provides tips on guarding yourself against scams, new scam stories, scam alerts and advice on reporting scams.

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF BIG SCAMS 2

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