More than seven million people are estimated to have been deceived by a scam in the past 12 months, according to Citizens Advice, a charity. Meanwhile another seven million adults said they know at least one other person who has been deceived by a scam.
The advice provider found that more than a quarter (26pc) of those personally deceived were duped while online shopping – with these types of scams including the likes of fake websites and counterfeit or non-existent goods. Effects of being tricked include financial struggles. One in five (20pc) of those caught out by a scam said they were significantly impacted by the financial loss they suffered. Around one in eight (12pc) said they fell into debt or had to borrow money, while one in ten (10pc) said they had to use emergency savings. Some (20pc) were unable to carry out their work or caring responsibilities as a result of being scammed.
Almost a quarter (22pc) transferred money after being pressured or convinced to, and with many devious scammers hiding behind messaging apps, 42pc were contacted through social media.
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice said: “With living costs piling up, lots of us are looking at ways to shop savvy or boost savings. But opportunistic scammers are preying on hard times to trick people into handing over their cash, and their tactics are getting harder to spot.
“Anyone can be scammed and the impact can be devastating – leaving people not only out of pocket, but in some cases unable to go about their daily lives. It’s important to be alert – if you’re not sure about something, get advice. If you think someone might be trying to scam you, act straight away.”
Among those who Citizens Advice has supported with online shopping scams in the past year include consumers who have paid hundreds of pounds for items like clothes, mobile phones and furniture – only to receive products that are counterfeit, not as advertised, unsafe – or nothing at all. Many reported that the company they bought from either took more money from their bank account, didn’t respond, or disappeared online altogether.
As part of its annual Scams Awareness Campaign, Citizens Advice is giving the top five scams people have unwittingly fallen for in the past year.
- Online shopping scam(26pc) – fake websites and counterfeit or non-existent goods
- Investment scam(18pc) – such as ‘get rich quick’ schemes and cryptocurrency scams
- Other financial scam(18pc) – such as banking, fake loans, card and bank account fraud
- A friend or family member ‘needs help’ scam(16pc) – tTricked into thinking someone you love needs money urgently
- Mobile network scam(14pc) – being scammed into taking out a new contract or paying for a new handset
The charity is urging consumers to be cautious when taking advantage of shopping deals ahead of Black Friday and Christmas.
Criminals can lure people into taking a number of actions in a bid to steal their money. Financial information, like card or bank account details, was handed over by 17pc – and around one in eight (13pc) admitted to divulging confidential security details like passwords, pins or codes.
More than a third (35pc) said they fear being scammed again.
Advice
Citizens Advice say something might be a scam if:
- Someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly, or you’re asked to transfer money quickly
- You’re being asked to share personal or security information like passwords, pins or codes
- You suspect you’re not dealing with a real company – for example there’s no postal address
- You’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way – paying by debit or credit card gives you extra protection if things go wrong
- The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice
More advice online – about how to check if something might be a scam.
Trading Standards warns
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and UK International Consumer Centre (UKICC) in the summer warned consumers and businesses against scams using its name and branding. Trading Standards had been alerted to scams using fraudulent LinkedIn profiles, fraudulent emails and letters falsely claiming to represent CTSI or UKICC.
