Information Bulletin
31 May 2005
Fraudsters Seeking Personal Details
Trading Standards Officers are warning people to be wary of emails asking for personal details (name, address, telephone number, date of birth, passport or driving licence number, credit card or bank details, security numbers or passwords, and so on) in order to claim a prize or to ‘update your details’.
David Marsh, Trading Standards Service Manager for Shetland Islands Council, says: “Scams (whether by letter, phone, fax or email) are the most common single reason why people in Shetland contact Trading Standards for consumer advice. In the past, the fraudsters behind these messages have usually demanded payment (often described as an ‘administration fee’, or concealed in the form of a premium rate telephone claim line) in order to claim a supposed prize. I’m pleased to say that most people are now wise to the fact that any prize which might materialise will almost certainly be worth far less than the money spent to claim it.”
However, those who want to separate you from your hard-earned cash are not easily put off.
The latest scam messages reported to Trading Standards are asking for personal details which could be used to impersonate you (so-called ‘identity theft’) and allow access to your money.
As ever, the first advice is “Don’t respond”.
If you receive such an email, forward a copy of the message to the abuse team of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) from where the e-mail originated, for example:
abuse@hotmail.com
abuse@yahoo.com
abuse@compuserve.com
The ISP may close the fraudsters' email facility, putting them to the bother of setting up a new email account - but, more importantly, anyone taken in by the scam who tries to reply to the original email will be unable to make contact.
If such an email purports to be from a company which you recognise (perhaps your bank, or an internet shop with which you have previously done business), don’t click through any hyperlinks (these may well lead you to a spoof website set up to impersonate the real site). Instead, report the email to the company.
Above all, guard your personal details – never disclose such information in response to unsolicited emails, pop-ups or web pages.
And remember: "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!"
NOTES
Copies of the leaflet How to recognise a scam: is it too good to be true? are available from the Office of Fair Trading website www.oft.gov.uk or by calling 0800 389 3158.
The Council’s Trading Standards web pages at www.shetland.gov.uk/tradingstandards have information about scams, together with general consumer advice and information and links to other useful websites.
For advice on any consumer issue, either as an individual or on behalf of a business, people in Shetland can call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06, Citizens Advice on 01595 694696, or Trading Standards on 01595 744800.
The Trading Standards Service is based at the Council’s Grantfield offices, where they can also be contacted by email to trading.standards@sic.shetland.gov.uk or fax 01595 695887.
David Marsh, Shetland Islands Council’s Trading Standards Service Manager, is available for interview if required – please contact trading.standards@sic.shetland.gov.uk or call 01595 744800.
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