Tandridge
Neighbourhood Watch
Dont Get Scammed
Don't Get Scammed
As we become more aware of the common types of scams, the criminals are getting more creative to try and catch us out.
If we don’t respond to cold callers, in person, by phone, by mail, by email or by text message we will not become a victim of a scam. This is not to blame anybody for becoming a victim of a scam but to help us all to keep one step ahead of the fraudsters.
There are simple steps to take, for example,
Never buy anything from a cold caller, don’t encourage the “Nottingham Knockers” to return.
We can provide you with free window stickers, provided by Trading Standards to help deter cold callers.
Never give any personal or financial information (such as your PIN or passwords) over the phone and don’t be afraid to hang up.
Any legitimate caller won’t be offended if you tell them that you will hang up and call them back later on a number that you know. There are a number of FREE services available from phone providers to block most unwanted calls such as BT Call Protect.
If you receive an email encouraging you to follow a link, make sure it’s genuine. Hover over the sender details to see the full email address of the sender. If in any doubt then don’t click on a link but if you wish respond then contact the organisation by a known phone number or manually enter the website or email address.
If you receive a text message with a link, beware that fraudsters can make a text message appear in a group of legitimate messages.
If in any doubt then don’t follow a link.
There is a campaign to “take five” which means if you have any doubt take five minutes before responding to any contact. In that time you can think without pressure and decide whether to respond.
We have probably all received cold calls from fraudsters trying to take money from us whether it's "Windows support" or someone claiming to be from our bank having detected a treat to our security.
These callers try to build our trust and can be very plausible. The take five campaign aims to encourage to "take five" minutes to think before acting on a cold call. The five key points are:
Never share your security details, legitimate organisations will never ask for them.
Don't assume everyone is genuine.
Don't feel pressured.
Listen to your instincts.
Stay in control.
This short video illustrates the principle of Stop, take a moment and think.
