In the early part of 2020, the Coronavirus was only at its beginning stages. Still, the world came to a halt. Lockdowns were issued in every country and people were advised to stay indoors with an exemption to essential workers. This may seem like the golden opportunity for scammers to call residents landlines, but unfortunately for them, they too were stuck in their homes. There was a decrease in scam calls during this time due to the lockdown.
As we continue to move forward with this ongoing pandemic, we started getting used to the new normal. Despite restrictions, employees are easing their way back to their workplaces while some worked remotely. Now, scam callers are finally back in their workstations, and they know that many of us are still self-isolating in our homes. Be prepared to counter these scams that will be plaguing our phones this summer.
"Pay me £1,000" - Scam callers pretending to be representatives of big companies will try to convince the victim to buy their services or products. If the victim was not swayed by their sales pitch and instead asked the fake representative to take them off their list, they would reply: "Pay me £1000 and we will." These scam calls can also come from fake government representatives, telling victims that they have unpaid taxes or fees, and if not immediately dealt with they will be arrested. Unfortunately, some would find this believable when there is a threat of arrest.
Police Call Scams - A fake police officer will call you and claim to have arrested someone who has committed fraud and was using your bank account. In some cases, these enforcers won't ask for your card details but would connect you to a 'secure line' to your bank. They would also ask if you know the person they have arrested; this is their way of determining whether you live with someone or alone in your home. To further sell you the idea that they are genuine, they are willing to give you their information: their name, police station, and a police ID.
Track and Trace Scam - Callers claiming to be NHS representatives will tell their victims that they have come into contact with someone infected by Coronavirus and should be tested immediately. Before they could send out the test to them, they must first pay for it and the representative then proceeds to ask for the victim's bank details. This is a red flag, any representative of the NHS will never ask for money, your bank account, social media, PINs, and passwords.
Green Homes Grant Scam - As an assistance, the UK government provided vouchers to residents for energy-efficient home improvements. However, homeowners were required to apply through an online application to obtain these vouchers. Scammers used this process to their advantage by contacting residents, telling them that they can help with the application, getting suppliers and home improvements done for a price.
Boiler Scam - A company going by the name of "The Boiler Company UK" has been contacting homeowners. They claim that their boiler guarantee has run out and would need to renew, which they will then ask for your bank details.
Avoid these scams
Be vigilant when taking unknown calls, because these scammers will do anything to get your bank details. There are many ways to deflect these types of calls. If they are an unknown caller, you can always hang up the phone. If they pretend to be representatives from government agencies, check facts first by dropping their call and calling the agency they said to represent. You can also have yourself listed on the "Do Not Call" registry to avoid being called by telemarketers.
But the best defense you have against nuisance calls will always be call blockers. CPR Call Blocker is UK's best-selling call blocking device, guaranteed to stop 100% of robocalls and scam calls. Our CPR Call Blocker V5000 alone can block up to 6500 numbers. It comes with 5000 pre-programmed robocall numbers but lets you further customize your block list by allowing another 1,500 numbers of your choice. Nuisance calls are very frustrating, but you can put a stop to it by investing in a CPR Call Blocker today.
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