One of the big things which can interrupt our bliss is becoming a victim of a scam or worrying about becoming one, many of us worry about protecting our family members too. I've seen firsthand how organisations who should do better put our data at risk and I'm keen to stop this from happening. Take Five is a national campaign offering straightforward, impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud - particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations.
UK Finance heads the campaign, which is delivered with and through a range of partners in the UK payments industry, financial services firms, law enforcement agencies, telecommunication providers, and commercial, public, and third-sector organisations. UK Finance represents over 300 firms across the banking and finance industry, providing a collective voice for their members. You can find out if your bank is a member here.
The Take Five Website has advice on protecting yourself from:
Identity theft: When your personal information is stolen and used to open bank accounts apply for plastic cards and loans or government benefits and documents such as passports, and driving licenses in your name.
Payment in advance fraud: Also known as an advance fee scam, this is when you’re convinced to pay an upfront fee in order to receive a prize/service, high-value goods or loans which never materialise.
Ticket Fraud: Criminals either set up fake websites or social media profiles to sell tickets for major events (such as sports, music or theatre) that are either fraudulent or don’t exist.
Impersonation scam: Where a criminal contacts you pretending to be a person or organisation you trust. These scams can be very sophisticated and often start with attempts to get you to disclose personal and financial information.
They have a handy memory aid to help us all stay safe:
Author's Note: I've made a few changes in recent years to help protect me from telephone scams.
If the call is not from a UK number I don't answer the phone.
When I answer the phone I don't speak. Instead I listen to see if there is a line connecting sound it's a sort of digital blowing sound. If I hear that I put the phone down.
Often the person will ask questions or not say which company they are from. I put the phone down without speaking.
if they are calling from a company I know or might wish to speak with I always take them through my security system and not the other way around. I never give them information which is not publicly available about me first. They have the option to comply or find another means to communicate with me. Protecting my data is my right and it's your right too.
This post is brought to you from FindBliss Supersavers.
Comments