Beware phone calls from 'your bank' after receiving fake texts

Scammers will initially cast their nets wide, sending thousands of fake text messages seemingly from legitimate companies. But for some, that’s just the start of the con, as we found victims can often suffer a secondary hit from the same criminals.

This one-two jab can be highly effective for fraudsters. They use the initial bogus text to establish trust, and at times, even the caller ID has been spoofed to make it look like your bank's genuine phone number. Read more about this type of scam.

Two-step scams

7 pension scams to watch out for

The Pensions Regulator says there is a greater risk of pensions scams right now as people who are struggling could be more susceptible to fake promises of early pension access or higher investment returns.

There are seven common types of pension scams. Make sure you know what to look out for.

Pension scams

Fake Emirates WhatsApp message

Random WhatsApp messages that claim to be from a large reputable brand are usually a scam and links included in the messages can install malware onto your device or phish for your personal information. The fake Emirates WhatsApp message advertises a link where you can ‘win’ a free holiday.

Always check the brand’s official website and social media pages to verify the information in the message. View our screenshots of a typical WhatsApp message scam.

Fake holiday giveaway

House fire - Crayford 🔥

Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled a fire on Crayford Way in Crayford. 

Half of the ground floors of four terraced houses were damaged by fire and the the first floors and the roofs of the properties were destroyed by the blaze. A number of people left the buildings before the Brigade arrived. Crews cooled and removed two gas cylinders as a precaution as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.

Station Commander David Reed, who was at the scene, said: "The roof spanning across four terraced houses was completely alight.

"One of the Brigade's 32-metre turntable ladders was used as a water tower at the scene to get water on the building externally. 

"Crayford Way is closed between Thames Road and Mill Place whilst crews work to make the scene safe and people are urged to avoid the area due to heavy congestion.

"The fire was producing a lot of smoke in the local area, so we advised residents to keep their windows and doors closed.

"There are currently no reports of any injuries."

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took 10 calls to the blaze. 

The Brigade was called at 1724 and the fire was under control by 1949. Fire crews from Plumstead, Deptford, Eltham, Lee Green and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

 The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Source: LFB

Explaining Two-Factor Authentication for extra online security

Two-factor authentication can increase the security of your online activities. This video explains phone-based two-factor authentication, with a demonstration of how to enable it on Twitter.  

Many major web service providers now offer phone-based two-factor authentication under a variety of different names. The video has some useful links for these in its description on youtube.

Little Guide to Two Factor Authentification (video)

Stepping up to multi-factor authentication

New guidance on implementing MFA to better secure online services from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Find out how to turn on 2-Step Verification

How to setup Google 2-Step Verification  (video):-

Use 2-Step Verification without your phone (video):-

For the tech savvy, 2 Factor Authentication without a phone, using Keepass or Safe In Cloud (password managers) to generate TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password or Passcode - 6-digit code for 30 seconds) codes (shown in the useful video):-

Vandalism appeal near Old Bexley Equestrian Centre, Kiln Lane

Please be aware that at some time last night on Wednesday 3 August or early hours of Thursday 4 August 2022, Old Bexley Equestrian Centre had their boundary fencing vandalised cut, and removed along the unmade section (Byway) of Tile Kiln Lane resulting in a number of horses escaping onto Tile Kiln.

The vandals had also broken and damaged the ‘stop up vehicles’ gate half way up.

This is an appeal to residents to check your CCTV footage or If you think you may have seen or heard anything suspicious, or have any information related to this incident then please contact St Mary's & St James Ward Police on 101, or 020 8721 2816, or via email at stmarys.stjames.snt@met.police.uk alternatively you can call them above or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 1111.

If any one saw or has any information in this regard please contact 01322 557745.

Source: Nextdoor

Celebrity investment scams surge, with victims losing up to £370,000

Fake cryptocurrency ads are the most popular type of scams that use images of celebrities to endorse dodgy money-making schemes. The scams, which offer you the opportunity to make money by investing in fake schemes, are exploiting victims amid the cost of living crisis.

Find out which celebrities' images and reputations are being abused by fraudsters and what the scam ads look like so you can dodge them.

Celebrity scams

Avoid and Report Bitcoin Scam sponsored on social media.

 

If you think you've spotted a scam online, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has a tool that you can use to report misleading or scam online ads.

How to spot a holiday scam

From fake accommodation listings to dodgy reviews, see our top tips for spotting the signs that a holiday offer is too good to be true.

For example, an Atol logo in your travel company’s brochures, adverts and websites should mean your holiday will be protected. But if you still have concerns, you can search Atol holders on the Civil Aviation Authority website.

Give yourself some peace of mind so you can get excited about your next getaway.

Spot holiday scams

Beware of this Revolut text scam

The banking app Revolut is being spoofed and its customers have reported receiving text messages saying that a payment has been scheduled or that a new device has been set up on their account.

The text appears to come from Revolut and asks you to call a different number where a scammer will ask for your personal information. Find out what the scam text looks like and what to do if you receive one.

Revolut text scam

Sunday Farmers Market and Police Roadshow at Hall Place

Police Roadshow is being Run at Hall Place Farmers Market, 10am until 2pm Sunday 7th August.

Local officers will be attendance along with Violence against women and girls officers.

https://www.hallplace.org.uk/event/sunday-farmers-market/2022-08-07/

https://www.facebook.com/hallplacebexleyfarmersmarket/

Hacked social media accounts used to post indecent images of children

 

click image to view enlarged

Social media accounts are being hacked and flooded with indecent images of children, potentially causing distress and reputational damage to the account holder. Action Fraud reports of this nature have been increasing month on month since January 2022 and so far this year, over 60 reports have been received.

Based on the review of these Action Fraud reports, there appears to be no financial motivation behind this hacking, with no report received mentioning a ransom demand. Offenders have not been limited to just indecent images, but have reportedly uploaded videos of the same nature. The majority of victims were not aware of the hacking until they received an email from the social media platform informing them that their account had been suspended.

What you need to do

• If you come across indecent images of children online, report it to the police by calling 101 or visiting your local police station. You should take with you the device you were using when you came across the images.
• Do not, under any circumstances, screenshot, save or share the image. You will not be required to share the images with the police when making a report.
• Use 2-step verification (2SV) to protect your social media accounts. 2SV can keep people from gaining access to your accounts, even if they know your password.
• Ensure your social media accounts use a strong and different password to your other accounts. Combining 3 random words that each mean something to you is a great way to create a password that is easy to remember but hard to crack.
• Victims of account hacking should not pay any ransoms, whether it is monetary or in the form of a ‘testimony’ video.
• If your social media account has been hacked, you should report it to Action Fraud by visiting actionfraud.police.uk, or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Source: Action Fraud (27-07-2022)

Avoid and Report Bitcoin Scam sponsored on social media

The video below explains the scam post on social media seen on 1 August 2022. The posted quotes:-

"Thousands flock to ATMs after Martin's interview.

Martin calls on all Britons to take advantage of this...

SALOMEBUSINESS.COM

Martin calls on all Britons to take advantage of this...

Something about your generation I've noticed, she said not unkindly once I had fallen silent, is that you give up very easily. Autumn 2018. A young woman starts a job as a research assistant at Oxford. But she can't shake the feeling that real life is happening elsewhere. Eight months later she find..."

Avoid and Report Bitcoin Scam sponsored on social media as per screenshots of the fake url https://photos.app.goo.gl/MWemiJVDySZxn6BRA taken and viewed on the date indicated.

This was reported as misleading scam on Facebook and at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website

Report a suspicious website

If you have visited a website you think is trying to scam you, report it to the NCSC and they'll investigate. Their reply after reporting:-

"Please read through the information and fill in the form below

Thank you for reporting a suspicious website

We will analyse the content of the website you have sent to us. If we discover activity we believe to be malicious, we will work with the website hosting company to try to get it taken down. 

We are unable to inform you of the outcome of our review, but we can confirm that we do act upon every message received. 

Make yourself more secure online

The NCSC has published plenty of advice that will help you protect yourself from phishing, hackers and other cyber crime.

The NCSC’s top tips for staying secure online

Phishing attacks: how to deal with suspicious messages and emails

Securing your devices".

Needless to say do no click on links that turn out of the blue. Take time to research and check this blog for advice and further information on similar scams. 

For reporting information visit our page at https://bexleywatch.blogspot.com/p/reporting.html

If you think you've spotted a scam online, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has a tool that you can use to report misleading or scam online ads.