NEWSLETTER APRIL 2019

Reports of scams and £1 Million lost in bogus Bitcoin frauds received by the States of An islander has lost £1.2 million by investing increased by 60% last year, in a bogus bitcoin fund. An experienced compared to 2017. investor in cryptocurrencies, the man was scammed by criminals who claimed to work Thankfully not all resulted in financial losses, with many islanders for a legitimate company. reporting scams in order to raise the alarm and help the Police Over a period of time, the fraudsters “Following this islander’s huge loss, issue appropriate warnings. That tricked him into investing his life we’re warning local residents to said, the total number of islanders savings by giving him regular be extra vigilant when investing in who reported losing money updates on the investment’s cryptocurrencies or any investment unfortunately rose by 67% from ‘performance’ and taking a vested that seems too good to be true and 2017 to 2018. interest in his personal life. promises high returns with no risk.

Social engineering is constantly Unfortunately, despite bank Always get independent advice evolving and continues to be one intervention, there was no way to from a professional, and make sure of the top methods that criminals recover his money. Police Constable the company you’re dealing with use to defraud the general public. Chris Ingham from the States of is legitimate.” Fraudsters are tricking islanders Jersey Police commented: into providing their personal and/or financial details by pretending to be from trusted organisations Deal or No Deal? such as banks, utility companies Brexit has been all over the media or the police. for months and fraudsters will be taking full advantage of the It’s thanks to islanders reporting confusion and uncertainty that political matter. Stop and think instances of successful and have surrounded it. It’s important twice about what someone may attempted scams that we can form that islanders are aware and extra be asking from you, particularly a better picture of how criminals cautious about the risks associated if they want your personal details are targeting the island. Please keep with such a high profile “because of Brexit”. reporting because your information could prevent someone else from getting caught out. Working together we can make a stand against scams. Following protocol We are delighted to announce that response scheme has led to more Detective Chief Inspector Chris Jersey is introducing the Banking than 200 arrests and prevented Beechey, Chairman of Jersey Fraud Protocol, an initiative which aims more than £25 million in attempted Prevention Forum to identify and protect potential fraud. It gives branch staff the fraud victims when they visit a bank means to immediately alert the or building society. Set up in the police if they spot a fraud taking REPORT: (01534) 612 612 / PO Box UK between the police, banks and place. The Banking Protocol will be 500 / [email protected] Trading Standards, this rapid rolled out in the island later this year. Nothing funny about Sextortion Close to home Spoofing Fake blackmail sextortion scams If you are a carer, relative, friend or neighbour of an islander who Our telecommunications partners, Airtel- are increasingly common. might be vulnerable to scams, you might be the only person who Vodafone, JT and Sure, are warning islanders to be extra vigilant after Typically, scammers send out a number of customers recently reported falling victim to spoofing. thousands, or even millions, of can stop them falling victim. There are some common things to This is when scammers disguise their identity by deliberately falsifying identical emails claiming to have look out for such as lots of junk mail and calls from strangers, or perhaps the person the information that appears on your phone’s caller ID display. captured compromising videos, becoming secretive about their finances. pictures or a person’s internet Often fraudsters use numbers that are identifiable, for example a bank search history. You can help by reminding them not to give out their personal information, to speak to you before they reply to or credit card line, or our local Jersey area code of 01534. Unfortunately any offers or requests for payment, and to be suspicious about any claims they have won a prize. Also let them the telecommunications providers cannot block these types of calls The scammers threaten to know not to be embarrassed to report a scam. It could prevent others from falling victim too. For more information as they are generated outside of the island, but recommend any publicise this information if they visit customers who are being targeted should contact them. The most don’t receive a “keep quiet” thinkjessica.com important thing to remember is not to give away your personal payment. The whole thing is a information to unexpected and unknown callers. bluff, but the scammers bank on a few recipients being panicked into Don’t be pushed sending the requested money. Last issue we warned islanders about authorised push payments. Paying in advance Scams of the heart To make their false claim seem for fake goods and services is still a hot topic for our partner Jersey Trading Standards Falling for someone and then falling victim to their more plausible and increase their so once again we’re reminding islanders about this scam. Basically, it’s when fraudsters deception is hugely distressing. The cost of romance chances of success, scammers pose as genuine individuals or organisations and persuade victims to transfer money fraud is both emotional and financial. often include user passwords or directly into criminal accounts. These payments are irreversible. In 2018 in the UK, close phone numbers in their emails. to 84,000 people lost a total of £354.3 million in these scams. To avoid being caught out Fraudsters prey on people’s emotional vulnerabilities and They will have got hold of this when buying goods, make sure you do your research and be wary of any requests to pay trick them into parting with their money and personal information. personal information from by bank transfer. Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve been caught out. Last year in the UK, victims lost a total of £50 million in this type of previous data breaches where, fraud, according to figures released by Action Fraud. To avoid financial perhaps unbeknown to you, you heartbreak: will have been compromised.

• Never rush into a relationship – get to know the person and ask Block it Jersey’s online questions Do you get nuisance phone calls? You can register with the Telephone fraud fears • Talk to your friends and family and be wary of anyone who wants Preference Service which is a free national service for opting out of to keep the relationship secret receiving unsolicited marketing and sales calls. It makes it illegal for According to Jersey’s 2018 companies to contact you if your number is on the central register. Opinion and Lifestyle Survey, Never send money or share your bank details, no matter how long • You can opt out by calling 0345 0700 707 or registering online 58% of islanders said they are you’ve been speaking to them or the reason they give at tpsonline.org.uk worried about falling victim to • If you do decide to meet in person, make sure it’s in a public place a digital crime such as online and let someone else know where you’re going to be. While your local provider cannot block all nuisance calls, Airtel-Vodafone, fraud, cyber bullying or scams. JT and Sure advise you to let them know so they can try to minimise the impact. The results also show all ages of the population are increasingly Don’t be a loser concerned about digital crime, Online gaming can be great fun, but interacting with strangers comes with risks. Take a stand against scams particularly the youngest demographic, rising from 29% Do you want to join the fight against scams and frauds? Then why in 2016 to 52% in 2018. Nearly If you have responsibility for young people, it’s To avoid losing more than the game: not become a Friend Against Scams? As part of a national initiative, three quarters of local residents important to have open and honest conversations the National Trading Standards is on a mission to recruit volunteers with them about the potential dangers and risks • Keep your machine clean with current computer feel the States of Jersey Police security software and protect all devices with to tackle the lack of scams awareness by providing information and surrounding playing online. should be prioritising protecting anti-virus empowering people to take a stand against scams. Friends Against islanders from digital crime. Scams encourages communities and organisations to take knowledge Equally, if you’re a gamer yourself, you should bear • Protect your online presence with strong account learnt about scams and turn it into preventive action. in mind the following. Account hacking is becoming passwords and two-factor authentication as an extra layer of protection. Enable your privacy and particularly prevalent with fraudsters gaining access There are now more than 21,000 Friends Against Scams signed up security settings, limit how and with whom you to credit card and personal information. Gamers in the UK and Jersey Trading Standards is also a Friend. Why not are also falling for phishing and spoofing attacks, share your information, and use an avatar (icon, image) rather than a photo become the first recruits for Jersey? By signing up, you will play a where they get tricked into giving up their account vital role in helping islanders spot, prevent and protect themselves and personal details when scammers pretend to be • Stay up-to-date, think before you act, and know how from becoming victims of scams. Find out more and sign up here: to block or report another user. legitimate companies offering gaming currencies. friendsagainstscams.org.uk Cryptic crime Look out If you find the words bitcoin, blockchain or virtual currency totally cryptic, for S.A.M don’t worry - you’re not alone. Cryptocurrency is the umbrella term given to digital currency of which Bitcoin has become the most talked about. It can June is Scams Awareness Month be an alternative to money, credit cards and cheques. The ‘crypto’ element (SAM)…keep your eyes peeled for of cryptocurrency means the process is encrypted and designed to be helpful tips and advice on our Forum confidential, anonymous and unbreakable between the buyer and seller. Facebook and Twitter pages for a chance to win some goodies! Hot commodities in online trading, cryptocurrencies can be tricky to understand and aren’t necessarily regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Fraudsters capitalise on people’s limited knowledge and prey on their appetite to make money, promising unrealistic returns and no risk. Report it! Before you invest your money in crypto, or any asset for that matter: If you think you have • Take your time. Learn as much as you can about the investment. Don’t be been targeted by rushed into making a decision and be wary if you’re being pressured fraudsters or fallen • Be vigilant and do your research. Always seek independent advice victim to a scam, please • Don’t assume it’s the real deal. A professional-looking website doesn’t mean it’s genuine. report it to the States of Jersey Police on (01534) 612 612.

Get Safe Online Let’s talk You can re-direct scam mail using the free postal service PO Box Get Safe Online is the UK’s If you are a member 500. Send any suspicious emails to leading awareness resource to of a group, club [email protected] help protect people, finances, or organisation devices and businesses from Remember that if you are a victim and you would like of a scam, or an attempted scam, fraud, abuse and other issues to learn more about frauds and encountered online. however minor, there may scams, our Forum partners are be other people in a similar position Find out more: available to present at seminars, and your information could be vital. www.getsafeonline.org talks and classes. For more information Get in touch with us to on the Jersey Fraud find out more by emailing Prevention Forum FSCCommunications@jerseyfsc. www.fraudprevention.je org or calling (01534) 822008.

Members of the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum

To the best of our knowledge, the information contained in this newsletter is accurate and reliable as of the date of publication. However, we do not assume any liability for the accuracy and completeness of the above information.