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From video calls and social media to online shopping and banking, the coronavirus pandemic has made the online world even more vital to everyday life. But that also means we have to be more vigilant online, as scammers looking to steal our personal information and our money adapt their techniques to the current COVID-19 crisis. In fact, the UK is the most targeted nation for COVID-19 related email spam, with 20.8% of all coronavirus related spam being sent to UK email addresses. We've talked to experts on scams and cybersecurity, so click or scroll through to find out more about the tell-tale signs to look out for and how to keep yourself safe.
Frances Carruthers
22 April 2020
Features
Years ago when I had a Barclaycard, the "Fraud dept of Barclaycard" phoned me up. They started asking for details, name first then my account password. I refused on the grounds they had phoned me so they knew it. They started getting stroppy saying they needed to be sure I was who I said I was. So I refused and put the phone down. After a gap I phoned the fraud dept on the number I knew. Turned out the call was genuine! Oh well!
Got another one - don’t know how common this is or if it’s been given a name yet. I needed to rent a van, and found a decent, but believable, price online. I called to make the booking, it all sounded plausible, and I needed to pay deposit and hire charge up front. The clue I failed to spot was that the payment had to be made by bank transfer. On the morning of the hire I got a call claiming the van was damaged and couldn’t be supplied, but if I found another hire they would refund the difference along with my original payment. They even helped by finding a few local places I could try. A year later I haven’t had a penny back - deposit, hire charge, or the difference I paid for the alternative hire. I’ve tracked down several other victims of this scammer, some have been partially paid back, some none. I have a court order for the payment, but since their address is fake, all I have is a phone number, so it cannot be enforced.
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15 January 2020