04/02/2013
Business Rebate Scam
Businesses are warned to beware of cold calls from fraudsters
who claim to be able to reduce their business rates. Warwickshire Trading
Standards received a complaint from one business that was told that for a
payment of £474, their rates would be reduced. The caller invoiced the business
and told the owner it would take around five weeks for the process to be
completed.
The business paid half the invoice immediately but the caller
then disappeared without trace.
Businesses can challenge their rates for free, visit: https://www.gov.uk/business-rate-appeals
04/02/2013 Office of
Fair Trading Scam
Fraudsters are cold calling consumers, claiming to be the OFT warn
Warwickshire Trading Standards. The callers claim to be able to obtain Payment
Protection Insurance compensation for the consumer. One consumer was asked to
pay £250 up front in Ukash vouchers for this ‘service’.
Had they done so the fraudster would have simply disappeared!
This is an advanced fee fraud. Beware of anyone asking for up-front fees
for any service, especially if they request the money be paid using Ukash
vouchers or Western Union money transfer. These legitimate ways of transferring
money are used by fraudsters because it makes them difficult to trace.
The OFT will never cold call consumers.
Consumers should be aware that they do not need to pay anything to claim
PPI compensation. For more information visit: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/ppi-loan-insurance
04/02/2013 Porn Virus
Scam
A consumer reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards that their
computer had been ‘locked’ and a ‘Police’ pop up had appeared claiming this was
because the user had been downloading music and pornography illegally.
The user was asked to make a credit card payment of £100 to ‘unlock’
their computer. The pop up notices appeared professional and made use of Police
logos.
Trading Standards are warning consumers that this is an example of
‘ransomware’. Ransomware is a kind of malicious software that
seizes control of a computer and demands a ransom to relinquish its hold over
the machine.
It is possible that almost 3% of compromised users
pay these bogus fines, making the scam very profitable.
Law enforcement bodies do not collect fines in this
way. If your computer has been compromised do not pay up. To do so will also
reveal your credit card details to the fraudsters.
Computer users should instead run good anti-virus
software on their machines to clear the virus and protect themselves from
future infection. For more information on computer safety visit: www.getsafeonline.org.uk
04/02/2013
Small Business Advertising Scam
A Warwickshire small business that paid £360 by debit card for
advertising from a cold caller, later found that other payments had been made
to promotional companies from his bank account without his permission,
totalling over £1000! The businessman cancelled his debit card but then
received aggressive calls and bailiff threats.
Businesses are advised not to accept advertising from cold
callers. Check advertising contracts thoroughly and ensure the advertising
opportunity is a genuine one. For more information about advertising scams
visit: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/Web/corporate/wccweb.nsf/Links/5D0649278E3ED2CB80257886003647F7/$file/20120111_Business_scams.pdf
04/02/2013
‘Job’ Offer Scam
Job seekers should beware job offers that could see them out
of pocket warn Warwickshire Trading Standards.
A Warwickshire job seeker reported receiving an unexpected
email offering her a job. The offer came from someone who wanted to send her
money which she would put in to her bank account and then transfer to a third party.
She would then be paid.
Trading Standards are warning that this a scam. The money
sent to the unwitting job seeker would probably be a stolen or forged cheque.
This would initially clear and the job seeker would send on the money to the
third party.
However, when it became clear to the bank that money was
stolen, this money would be reimbursed to the rightful account owner, leaving
the job seeker out of pocket!
Please
feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate
(including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.).
If you have any information you wish to provide to
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or
to appear in future email alerts, please email me.
For more information on scams, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Old Budbrooke Road Warwick CV35 7DP
tel. 01926 414039
mob. 07771 975570
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday
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