https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56402378?xtor=ES-208-[42844_NEWS_NLB_ACT_WK11_Tue_16_Mar]-20210316-[bbcnews_bitcoin_newstechnology_scam]

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/another-bloody-scamcopied-from-a-fb-group.

This can even be achieved without the victim being contacted. This is possible due to bad security in part of the telephone network known as SS7: http://bit.ly/3cvNmnC

Another common sextortion campaign identified by Avast is an email in which the attackers
claim a Trojan was installed on the recipient’s machine, which has recorded their actions with a microphone and webcam, and extracted all data from their devices including chats, social media and contacts. A ransom is demanded
and often includes a note about a fake “timer” that started when the email was received in order to set a ransom deadline. This campaign is also fake and uses social engineering to coerce people into paying.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/beatthescammers/article-9281605/How-highly-sophisticated-scam-cost-Catriona-241-000.html

https://conversation.which.co.uk/scams/just-eat-phishing-email-reward-scam/?utm_source=whichcouk&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scamalert200221

received this morning.

https://www.actionfraudalert.co.uk/images/site_images/41100_password_extortion_VisaV_2.png

Fraudsters are selling airline passengers fake covid negative test certificates for £100, Europol warns, as police catch crooks flogging forged documents in UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9210829/Fraudsters-selling-airline-passengers-FAKE-Covid-negative-test-certificates.html

My son just received this ... another scam.

Beware scam alert

https://conversation.which.co.uk/scams/amazon-hacked-email-gift-card-covid-scam/?utm_source=whichcouk&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scamalert210121

Easy to fall for it. Had one once from a Parish Councillor requesting money as lost wallet and was on holiday.
Turned out he had his computer hacked and his phone was jammed for a few days as we all tried to get in touch with him.

Here is an Insight in to how the type of scam below can be investigated. No problems were found after the investigation. If you are worried, just read.

He is a scam text posted by Mary: https://www.scooploop.com/thread/scam-4

The first thing to note is that it does not identify the customer, also it makes a threat which a company would not make. On receipt of such texts/emails, the first thing to think is, do they have my phone number or email address? If not, you can stop worrying.

In the above case, the link takes you to a fake website*: https://paypal-user-id2.com Accepting cookies will reveal the bottom of the page; there you will see links to Contact Us/Privacy/Legal/Worldwide, if these links are clicked, none of them work. The aim of the site is to get your email and password, and not to infect yor computer.

If you visit the real PayPal website, you will see that the appearence is identical, and the web address is an ordinary one: https://www.paypal.com/uk/signin

*If you should visit the fake website, your browser may not allow you to, and show a warning.

To check a website that you may be worried about, visit: https://www.virustotal.com , click the URL tab and paste the address in to the text box, then press enter. The site scans with 80 different scanners. The result (see screenshot) shows 8/9 spam/phishing detections.

Received this text today.

A new payee requested was created from an unrecognised device. You can authorise or cancel this request via: https://security-requests.com/hsbc/

Is this a scam

My Beloved In God.

Greetings in the name of our lord Jesus Christ. I am Mrs Christabell Horste from Germany, a widow to late Dr. A. Horste l am 51 years old and a converted born again Christian, suffering from long time cancer of the breast, from all indication my condition is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that I might not live more than two (2) months, according to my doctor because the cancer has gotten to a very worst / dangerous stage.

My late husband and my only child died last five years ago, his death was politically motivated. My late husband was a very rich and wealthy oil business man who was running his oil,Gold/Diamond Business here in West Africa. After his death, I inherited all his business and wealth.

My doctors has advised me that I may not live for more than two (2) months, so I now decided to divide the part of this wealth, to contribute to the development of the church in Africa, America, Asia, and Europe. I collected your email address during my desperate search on the internet and I prayed over it. I decided to donate the sum of $7,500,000.00 USD (Seven Million Five hundred thousand United States dollars) to the less privileged because I cannot take this money to the grave.

Please I want you to note that this fund is lodged in a private bank here in Africa(Standard Trust Bank Africa). Once I hear from you, I will forward to you all the information's you will use to get this fund released from the bank and to be transferred to your bank account. I honestly pray that this money when transferred to you will be used for the said purpose because l have come to find out that wealth acquisition without Christ is vanity. May the grace of our lord Jesus the love of God and the fellowship of God be with you and your family.

Reply me on my private email address christhorste66@aol.com

Thanks and God bless you.

Your beloved sister in Christ.

Mrs Christabel Horste

Twice today I have had the same email telling me i am due a refund and they have been trying to contact me.
I have never taxed a vehicle.

I don't think this one has been mentioned before.

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/revised-wording-when-a-user-creates-a-thread-in-a-group-and-then-wants-to-remove-it-what-should

I have an email supposedly from Hermes but it just doesn't seem right.
It says they have my Cub01 parcel but I don't know what that means.
I am waiting on a parcel but don't know by what method it is being sent - if it is [under dispute for non arrival and no seller response]

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/when-a-user-creates-a-post-in-a-group-and-then-wants-to-remove-it-what-should-happen

I am from BT and checking if your phone call blocker is working. (Idiot he just used it) After a few harmless questions I asked him if he wanted my account number now . He slammed the phone down.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/12/5-banking-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-2021/?utm_source=whichcouk&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scamalert090121

Beware of anyone contacting you, by phone, online or in person offering a Covid vaccine.

Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/vaccine

BBC Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55560604

Message Sent By
James Adnitt (Police, Cyber Protect Officer, Hampshire )

You may have heard on The News today that someone was injected at home with an unknown substance on payment of £150.

It's f i n a l l y time to see how your 2020 shopping stats shape up - and there's one item you loved more than any other this year. That's right, your basket was brimming with:

Interested to know what your 2nd and 3rd most bought items were? Take a peek behind the orange door, and all will be revealed.

Thanks a million for all your support in 2020,

Team Sainsbury's.

Fraudsters are targeting the vulnerable with scam texts that link to fake NHS websites demanding bank details in return for Covid vaccine appointments: https://mol.im/a/9118495

I have just received a telephone call from 01865 951193. Someone who called himself John said he was calling about the insulation I had installed in my loft. When I asked who he thought he was speaking to he hung up.

More information here https://who-called.co.uk/Number/01865951193
I tried to report the call. The Telephone Preference Service does not get involved in scams and directed me to Action Fraud. Their limited options did not allow me to report this because the call ended early.

This was a pm received xmas afternoon?

Information and advice: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/beatthescammers/article-9046827/Scores-people-reveal-experience-nuisance-calls.html

Just received this today..............

Unsuccessful delivery attempt

Package from: HM Courts & Tribunals Service

Package type: Large letter

Delivery date & time: Friday, 27 November 2020 12:05

We attempted to deliver your package at 12:05 on Friday, 27 November 2020 but no one was available.

Your parcel was returned to our depot and you need to reschedule your package delivery.

Please reschedule your package delivery by pressing 'Reschedule Now' and one of our drivers will attempt to deliver your package.

Reschedule Now

Thank you,

The Royal Mail Team

Whatsapp and Facebook users are currently spreading a false warning about a scam that Martin Lewis and Action Fraud have supposed to have discovered. The non-existent scam warns that a payment to O2, Vodafone, Three, Giffgaff or EE hasn't gone through, and you should click a link to resolve it. The message describes the scam as the most advanced banks have ever seen. This is the latest version of a recurring scam. https://bit.ly/2Jh23Ae

The Emojet (https://bit.ly/36Cv3uf) malware is currently masquerading as a Widows Update email. It will tell you that you need to update Word in order to update the attached document. As always, check who actually sent it. It could lock your system with ransomware, or use your email address to send spam. Learn about fake emails and phishing here: https://bit.ly/32MAlC4

If you have trouble posting a clickable link and posting & such as in shop names such as M & S, see below:
1. You may have noticed, or experienced yourself, that when pasting weblinks on Scooploop, that they are sometimes not clickable, i.e. blue. The reason for this is, that if you type a shortened web address, such as bbc.co.uk, an important part is missing, viz.www. If you type bbc.co.uk in to the address bar of a browser, the browser will add h t t p s://w w w*, this may not be visible in some browsers, such as Chrome, but if you copy the address in Chrome it will be there!
When you paste a full address on Scooploop, confusingly it is shown without the h t t p s://w w w*. So, here is bbc.co.uk typed or copied from somewhere, and here is https://www.bbc.co.uk/ as copied from a browser. This does not apply to all web addresses, but, if yours doesn't work, you'll know why.

*I have added spaces, because even if you type or paste a full address, Scooploop's program removes it.



2. Another Scooploop funny is using & in a post. If you type &, followed by any number of other characters, & and the characters will not appear. So, if you Type M & S without the spaces, you will just end up with M

Action Fraud is warning people selling items online to be on the lookout for criminals sending fake PayPal emails.

Between January 2020 and September 2020, 21,349 crime reports were made to Action Fraud about fake PayPal emails.
Victims reported losing a total of £7,891,077.44 during this time.
Those targeted included people selling jewellery, furniture and electronics via online marketplaces.
Reports of fake PayPal emails to Action Fraud made up a third of all reports of online shopping and auction fraud during this period.

How does it happen?

Criminals have been targeting people selling items online, by sending them emails purporting to be from PayPal. The emails trick victims into believing they have received payment for the items they’re selling on the platform.

Typically, after receiving these emails, victims will ship the item to the criminal. This leaves them at a further disadvantage having not received any payment for the item and also no longer being in possession of it.


How can you protect yourself?
Sellers beware: If you’re selling items on an online marketplace, be aware of the warning signs that your buyer is a scammer. Scammers may have negative feedback history, or may have recently set up a new account to avoid getting poor feedback. Don’t be persuaded into sending anything until you can verify you’ve received the payment.
Scam messages: Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial details.
How to spot the difference: A PayPal email will address you by your first and last name, or your business name, and will never ask you for your full password, bank account, or credit card details in a message.


If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.


Message Sent By
Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)

https://conversation.which.co.uk/scams/hm-courts-tribunals-parking-penalty-charge-scam-email/?utm_source=whichcouk&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scamalert041120

Customers are being warned of a new scam that could see you unwittingly hand over your payment details to fraudsters.

Ahead of Black Friday and Prime Day shoppers are being told to stay vigilant as there have been warnings about a number of scams that could leave customers significantly out of pocket.

One message involves a fake email pretending to be Amazon that states "Your Amazon Account are on hold due to a billing issue."

It gives the customer 24 hours to update the payment information, or if not the account will be "on hold permanently."

This urgent style message means some customers are likely to skip over the warning signs to ensure they don't lose their account, especially if they have paid for a service such as Prime, or are waiting for a product to arrive.
Clicking on the link would then send you to a phishing site that asks for your details, which would hand them straight over to fraudsters.

While it looks professional there are plenty of signs that something is wrong in this example, and customers should always be alert.
What to keep an eye on:
Where has the e-mail come from? - While it may say the sender's name is Amazon or Amazon Support, if the email address is from somewhere completely different that should be the first red flag. It should say that it's from @amazon.co.uk.
Where does the link go to? - If you hover over the link it should tell you where you will be sent to, if that's not an Amazon link you recognise then don't click it.

How well is the e-mail written? - In this example "Your Amazon Account are on hold" should be the biggest sign that something is wrong. Nobody's perfect but it seems unlikely an official Amazon e-mail would have a big error in the very first sentence.

Is there a time limit? - It's very unlikely that Amazon are going to give a short time limit before locking your account, but it makes perfect sense for scammers to rush you.

Be wary of anything telling you you must act now - and even if you think it's legitimate it might be worth checking with Amazon's support before clicking anything.

There's also the additional things to consider such as whether you have actually bought anything from Amazon, whether the subject line is relevant to the email, and if the e-mail looks like others you have recieved from the site.

Amazon say they "take phishing and spoofing attempts seriously" and customers can report it directly to the company through their website.

I had quite a few calls, started checking the numbers with some marked dangerous.
Came across advise:
If 13 numbers it is a hired phone number usually from abroad and only for a short time.

Received a call and Googled -- copied ---

01976
Geographic - unassigned
The 01976 dialling code has not yet been allocated to any geographic location.

If you have received a call from a telephone number beginning 01976, it is likely that the caller is spoofing their identity.

Here is an example of a scam website: https://bit.ly/3osmeuR The whole of the contents are complete lies. The person shown, started an estate agents. If it worries you to look at it, use a private web browser such as Epic Privacy Browser: https://www.epicbrowser.com/ If you are at all worried, just look and don't click anything. Ignore the rubbish below, it comes from the website.

Have you bought anything online recently?…

Almost 34% of all retail sales during May 2020 were carried out online, and new research suggests that only 16% of UK consumers intend to return to their old shopping habits post-lockdown.

Online shopping fraud during lockdown

Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, received over 16,000 reports relating to online shopping and auction fraud during the lockdown, with losses totalling over £16m. Members of the public have reported buying mobile phones (19%), vehicles (22%), electronics (10%) such as games consoles, AirPods and MacBooks , and footwear (4%) on sites such as eBay (18%), Facebook (18%), Gumtree (10%) and Depop (6%), only to have the items never arrive.

Top tips for shopping online securely:

Choosing where to shop:
If you’re making a purchase from a company or seller you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first. For example, by checking to see if others have used the site and what their experience was.

Email accounts:
Use a strong, separate password for your email account. Criminals can use
your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping.

Scam messages:
Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. Not all links are bad, but if you’re unsure don't use the link, go separately to the website. And remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Payment method:
If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one as other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

What to do if you’ve fallen victim to online shopping fraud

We all make mistakes and these days the scams can be incredibly convincing.

If you think you’ve visited, or made a purchase on, a bogus website, you should first, take a note of the website's address, then close down your internet browser. You should then report the details to Action Fraud and contact your bank to seek advice.

Whether you've been a victim of fraud will depend on how much information you’ve provided to the website, so keep an eye on your bank transactions, if you can. Contact your bank immediately about anything that you don’t recognise, even small amounts.

For more information about how to stay safe online, please visit www.actionfraud.police.uk/cybercrime

... if you want to keep up with the endless current scams, especially since Covid, just watch the "Rip off Britain" series on BBC iplayer. A great programme which deals with so many different topics, gives you so many tips, and gets a lot of justice for some victims.

This scam tries to snare people searching online for phone numbers of government advice services, by creating ads which contain premium-rate telephone numbers. Details from Which: https://bit.ly/34iKY0O

Have received a text message on 2 different mobiles saying that 02 could not take my monthly payment. It was a bit of a coincidence that I had only just upgraded with 02 and I thought maybe that had caused some sort of problem until I realised that the first message had come through on a Pay as you Go number and, therefore, there was no payment to take.

I saved from a posting in Kahuti. Maybe you like to make a note as well.

THESE ARE THE REAL AMAZON SUPPORT PHONE NUMBERS: 888-280-3321 888-280-4331

https://www.thedailyscam.com/not-amazon-customer-support/

Received a call from above no and Googled -- copied --

The 0119dialling code has not yet been allocated to any geographic location. If you have received a call from a telephone number beginning 0119, it is likely that the caller is spoofing their identity.

The post has been removed, as it was a hoax currently circulating. It was true 15 years ago!

Posted by Vera in Anything: https://www.scooploop.com/thread/scam-warning-3

A scam voice text can be sent to a BT landline. If you do not have an answerphone, the service will keep ringing you until you answer. If you wish to stop voice texts, call 0800 587 5252. Select Option 1, then Option 5 to disable all messages

Beware of fake competions on Facebook. These ask entrants to share and like them. Facebook forbids sharing or tagging competitions with friends. Competitions can be promoted as adverts on your Facebook page. If you click to a page from the competition, you should see a blue tick to confirm that it is genuine. You can also look to see if it is on the company's Facebook page. Click to see a Centre Parcs scam, and lots of advice: https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/12644344/center-parc-scam-facebook/

Impersonation scams almost double in first half of 2020, as criminals exploit Covid-19 to target victims. PDF file: https://1drv.ms/b/s!AtxiPFXpEKB_gbYTKrjb8mo13uUEgA?e=tcjbQO

Gift Card Scams— Fake Asda email

Over 100 reports have been received of an email circulating claiming to be from Asda offering a £1,000 gift card for filling in an online form.

These emails are known as phishing and use prizes to entice people to give out their personal information.

Fake emails from supermarket chains are particularly common and offer a large shopping voucher in return for completing online forms/surveys. They will often be accompanied by a number of glowing reviews from customers who allegedly received a voucher.

The reports of phishing emails have escalated during lockdown, with criminals increasingly turning to online scams to target those who have been spending more time at home.

Earlier in the year, Essex Trading Standards released the following statement:

“Please be aware of these scam emails circulating to be from various supermarkets.

The scammers cloak the email in the branding of a popular supermarket chain and inform the recipient that they have received a money off voucher to assist with purchases during the quarantine.

The email then directs the recipient to click a link so that they may claim the coupon. Rather than being a kind offer from some of Britain’s most popular chains, it is a fraudulent email which aims to steal the credit card details of the recipient.

Look out for the tell-tale signs that the voucher offer is a scam, such as poor spelling and grammar; however, this is not always the case, and many look identical to official supermarket emails.

Never click the links or input your card details.

If an offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”