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Purchase scams, where you pay for something you never receive, continue to lure victims in with tempting offers and adverts online.
Which? is warning online shoppers to be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true after spotting several scam ads this week. Find out what we discovered and how you can spot, avoid and report a purchase scam.
The Advertising Standards Authority received 1,691 reports of scam ads last year, and it has revealed the top trends that fraudsters are using to lure in victims.
From artificial intelligence scams using fake videos of King Charles to travel scams ‘offering’ free or super-cheap train tickets, find out the most reported scam ads and what platforms are doing to combat them.
Scam advertisers are using devious new tactics to impersonate brands such as British Airways and Tesco, despite being vetted by Bing and Google. Both search engines have introduced identity verification processes for advertisers in an effort to combat scams but these checks aren't always effective.
Which? are warning the public to treat all online advertising with caution, no matter how convincing. Which? explain the three tactics used in these scam ads.
A new national campaign against fraud launched in February, with adverts running across various channels including TV, radio, social media, and billboards in public places.
Stop! Think Fraud aims to help people understand the different types of fraud and the tactics which criminals can use against them. The campaign also provides advice and guidance on the actions people can take to prevent them falling victim to fraud.
Did you know that in just one year, 1 in 17 adults were victims of fraud? Criminals can target people online and in their homes, often emotionally manipulating their victims before they steal their money or personal data.
This is why the government has launched this new national campaign which encourages people to take a moment, and to Stop! Think Fraud when they come into contact with a potential scam. The campaign will remind people to check for some of the common signs of scams before providing personal details or payments if requested.
The National Campaign Against Fraud is brought to you by the UK government in partnership with City of London Police, National Cyber Security Centre and National Crime Agency.
Famous names that have been used illegally in fake ads to con unsuspecting people to part with their hard-earned money. Martin Lewis DOES NOT DO ADS and reveals his fury in the following videos:-
The following video highlights such a bitcoin scam:-
In the following video, Martin Lewis reveals his fury on an online ad and praises a retired teacher who shares her scam story:-
Examples of such ads include:
- fake celebrity news, such as reporting a celebrity has been assaulted or has died when that is not true, or links through to websites making these claims
- false celebrity endorsements, such as claiming a celebrity made their money through cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and is encouraging others to do the same
- false claims that a celebrity or TV programme endorses products such as CBD gummies, diet supplements, or other health products
- clearly false or outlandish claims for products, for example that a device can save 90% on energy bills, or offering miracle cures.
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 urlhttps://photos.app.goo.gl/MWemiJVDySZxn6BRA taken and viewed on the date indicated.
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.
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.
This is a device that claims it can cut fuel consumption for your car too
good to be true? Sadly, yes it is.
A member was playing a word puzzle mobile app when they saw an advert for
a device claiming it could drastically cut fuel consumption in their
car.
Sadly, it certainly is too good to be true. This is a fake advert
appearing under a non-existent publication called ‘TechTrends,’ and it’s hosted
on getecodriver.com – the same website that sells the ‘EcoDriver’
device.
It’s described as a ‘chip tuning box’ that plugs into the on-board
diagnostics port of your car. At the cost of £39.99, it’s claimed to reduce fuel
consumption ‘by up to 55%’.
Sounds
plausible? It isn’t:The EcoDriver allegedly ‘adjusts the boost pressure, the quantity of
fuel, injection timing, and pressure to increase the performance of your car.’
Sounds plausible? It isn’t. Which? car researcher Adrian Porter
explains:
“It’s understandable that people would be drawn to such a device. The
cost of running a mid-sized petrol hatchback has risen £400 in a year, or from
14p per mile to 17.9p per mile – which is clearly a massive increase. But don’t
be taken in by scam devices such as this one.
Car manufacturers are sinking untold millions to produce economical cars
with subsequently low CO2 emissions. Failure to maintain low averages across the
cars they sell could result in massive fines being levied against
them.
It’s really not as simple as just popping on a third-party device that
‘re-maps’ your engine, which is what the Ecodriver proposes to do. Done
incorrectly, re-mapping your engine can be dangerous to you and damaging to your
car. It could also increase fuel consumption rather than decrease it, and
invalidate both the manufacturer’s warranty, and your insurance as it could be
counted as a car modification.
There’s another risk: that the device could access the personal data
that’s stored in your car’s computer. We used the on-board diagnostics port to
hack a car as part of an investigation carried out in
2020.”
- fake celebrity news, such as reporting a celebrity has been assaulted or has died when that is not true, or links through to websites making these claims
- false celebrity endorsements, such as claiming a celebrity made their money through cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and is encouraging others to do the same
- false claims that a celebrity or TV programme endorses products such as CBD gummies, diet supplements, or other health products
- clearly false or outlandish claims for products, for example that a device can save 90% on energy bills, or offering miracle cures.
