13 March 2017
Beware the Scammers
First there was Telephone Scamming, then Online Scamming. For both of these their prevalence is increasing with each passing month and their complexity seems to be evolving in an attempt to give that seed of doubt to the unsuspecting victim (could it really be true?)
The explosion of “online” for just about everything you can imagine has also led to ever greater opportunities for those that wish to take advantage of other individuals. This started with the blindingly obvious scam (an individual in some far off state would like to hand over thousands of pounds and all he needs is your bank details) but they are now becoming increasingly more complex. The latest seems to be a well thought out PPI Scam using iTunes vouchers. Click this link to see how one poor lady fell victim.
It’s easy to say that if something looks too good to be true then it probably is but when someone is dangling the carrot of a few thousand pounds at you it’s easy to become blinkered, especially when they are becoming ever more complex.
Both at home and at work I am inundated with Scam emails each day. Usually the Anti-Spam software catches them but occasionally one gets through and at work you then become reliant upon the staff spotting that something isn’t quite right. Training and awareness are paramount and we look to ensure that all our staff have the correct training, understand the dangers and aren’t afraid to ask if they don’t know. We need this to protect both the firm and our clients.
Keeping the scammers at bay feels like a constant battle, but a battle we have to keep fighting to protect the undoubted benefits that “online” brings for everyone. To be honest when I am unsure I ask the wise sage that is Google.
These are the ramblings of our Practice Director, Paul. Closing in on 50 and being dragged “usually kicking and screaming” into the modern technological world.
