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June 2017

O n l i n e S h o p p i n g & A u c t i o n F r a u d This month we have seen an increase in the number of online shopping & auction being reported. Online auctions and marketplaces such as eBay and Gumtree have become a very popular way of trading online. However, fraudsters are using them to take advantage of your to sell poor-quality or non-existent items. For example, in one instance a victim met up with a seller via Gumtree to purchase a tablet for £500. He then proceeded to hand over the cash only to return home to find there’s no tablet in the box but, it is in fact filled with potatoes.

Typically with shopping and auction type , you may find that something you’ve bought online never arrives. Often the products you’ve paid for are less valuable than shown in the advert, different from the description, or you weren’t told crucial information about the product or terms of the sale. If you’re selling, you may not be paid by the buyer. The buyer will give an excuse as to why they can’t send payment and will ask you to deliver the items you’ve sold first and expect the money later. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF : - Check the item description carefully & ask the seller any questions if you’re unsure of something. - Read up on the terms & conditions of any auction website. - Make sure you’re aware of the dispute resolution police of any auction website. - Pay through the auction site every time. Don’t click on links the seller sends you. - Avoid paying via bank transfers. Use a recognised service such as PayPal which protects your money until you’ve resolved any problems with the seller. T a k e Five, stop and think.

1- Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password. 2- Don’t assume an email or phone call is authentic. 3- Don’t be rushed or pressured into making a decision. 4- Listen to your instincts. 5- Stay in control – don’t panic and make a decision you’ll regret.

Get more advice online at www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk Te x t M e s s a g e S c a m s Text message scams, also known as ‘Smishing’ – This is when criminals pretend a message is from your bank or another organisation you trust.

They will usually tell you that your account has been compromised and will ask you to deal with it by calling a number or visiting a fake website to update your personal details. All it takes is your name, date of birth and address for fraudsters to steal your identity and access your bank accounts, take out loans or take out mobile phones in your name. Please take a moment to stop and think and realise that this is fraud. HOW TO SPOT BOGUS TEXT MESSAGES : - It asks you to provide sensitive personal or financial information, passwords, or to make transactions by following a link within the message. - It asks you to call a certain number but that number is unknown to you. In this case, call your bank on a number that you trust to check the number and message is authentic. E.g. – such as the number on the back of your card. - The sender uses an urgent tone, urging you to ‘act now’. - Their spelling, grammar is poor. They may use odd ‘spe11lings’ or ‘cApiTals’ within the message. - Don’t assume anyone who’s sent you a text message – or has called your phone or left you a voicemail message – is who they say they are. R o m a n c e F r a u d There has also been an increase in the number of romance frauds being reported. This type of fraud is a trick where think you have met the love of your life online but they don’t exist and are most likely a criminal gang out to gain your trust and convince you to send them money.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF : - Protect your privacy and do not reveal too much information online, especially on social networks. - Never send any money to people you have not met; fraudsters often demand money for a variety of emotive reasons. - If you use internet dating, keep all communication via that website – avoid using personal email addresses or social networks.

March 2017