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As the year draws to a close, scammers are ramping up their efforts to swindle people out of their hard-earned cash or savings. Ruthless fraudsters are currently targeting pensioners with fake text messages or emails, claiming to offer this year's winter heating payments and enticing energy customers to apply for non-existent rebates. Recent research has revealed that one in four (24%) adults come across multiple scams every week. Digital platforms such as emails, phone calls, texts, social media messages, digital adverts and online marketplaces were identified as the most common starting points for scam encounters, according to the State of Scams in the UK report. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to these cruel scams . The research was published by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in collaboration with fraud prevention service Cifas and financial software provider Tietoevry Banking, reports the Daily Record . Jessica Hampson, CEO of CEL Solicitors, a legal firm that assists thousands of scam victims in reclaiming their money, commented on the trend of criminals targeting older people: "They are from a very trusting generation and were brought up to respect authority, so if someone is doing a bank impersonation scam and sounds quite authoritative, then they are more likely to listen and follow their guidance. Scammers know this and absolutely prey on that age range." These types of scams can be remarkably sophisticated, according to Sarah Lenette, financial crime specialist at Starling Bank, who said: "Impersonation scams are when a fraudster poses as a person or business in order to make people believe they are speaking to the legitimate person or business. "They may pose as a business representative, government official or someone who works at your bank." What to do: Bear in mind that you should never divulge personal or financial details or one-time passcodes without verifying you are speaking to the genuine organisation or person. If you're being asked for this information by a 'company', I'd suggest ending the call and ringing the company directly using the number listed on their official website. If they claim to be your bank, dial 159. This is the simplest way to contact most banks to verify if a call is genuinely from them. Starling Bank also offers a feature called 'Call Status Indicators', which alerts customers whether we're actually on the phone to you or not. Jessica Hampson said: "We have also seen a lot of family impersonation scams, where the scammers send text messages or call pretending to be a family member. They work because your defences will naturally drop because it's a loved one and you think they're in need, so these types of scams really prey on those emotions." Ms Lenette cautioned that some criminals are now employing AI technology to replicate the voices of relatives and friends, requiring only three seconds of online audio recordings. She said: "There are a few warning signs for this, such as the tone with which the 'person' is speaking. Think about whether their voice sounds flatter, if there's any background noise that might come with a usual voice clip, and if there are any sudden shifts in pronunciation and unnatural pauses. "If the voice is meant to be that of someone you know, I'd also recommend thinking about whether this sounds like something they would really say, as well as how they are 'saying' it." What to do: Ring the family member on a trusted number to verify if it's genuine and establish a safe word or security question. Ask them for the safe word or pose a question, such as the name of their pet, that a fraudster wouldn't be able to answer. Ms Lenette said: “Romance fraud is when fraudsters create online dating profiles, pretending to be someone they’re not in the hopes of tricking daters into sending them money.” There are several red flags to look out for. She explained: “If something about them or the conversation feels off, you should ask yourself questions such as if you’re being given excuses as to why you can’t meet in person or have a video call, if your ‘partner’ has asked you to keep the relationship a secret, and if you can find this person on other social media platforms. A lot of romance scams involve scenarios where the scammer can’t meet you in real life. Ms Hampson said: “We have seen a lot of scammers pretending to be oil rig workers or doctors that are working in third world countries so they can’t come over to see you in real life.” Ms Lenette said: “An important way to keep yourself safe is to never send money to someone you’ve never met, no matter how much you trust them. Allowing another person to access your bank account, taking out a loan, or transferring money on someone else’s behalf, puts your money at risk. Talk with a trusted friend or family member about new relationships. They may be able to provide support and help you to see things in a different light.” Reverse image searching on Google is also a handy way to see if they are using somebody else’s pictures, added Ms Hampson. These types of fraud often start on social media platforms such as Instagram . Ms Lenette said: "Investment scams, including cryptocurrency scams, are how fraudsters try to convince people to part with their money through the offer of above-average levels of return, at what appears to be minimal risk. "These scams can apply to both our general savings and finances, as well as our pensions , with the fact that many people save for pensions means they can be a prime feeding ground for scammers." Ms Hampson said: "Be really mindful if somebody just adds you out of the blue and seems to have a very unrealistic lifestyle - for example, posting pictures of loads of money, posing next to sports cars etc - and tells you that they made the money from a particular investment." Ms Lenette said: "You should also thoroughly scrutinise any investment promoted by a celebrity - as developments in deepfake technology make it extremely easy for scammers to use the faces and voices of trusted celebrities to promote their scams. For example, someone like Martin Lewis has been impersonated hundreds of times. Ultimately, the key rule of thumb for all investment scams is to ask yourself if it sounds too good to be true." Ms Hampson has witnessed numerous investment scams beginning as romance fraud. She explained: "They'll often hook you into a romantic connection and then say I am investing in this, can I recommend this for you." What to do: Search the company's name on Google alongside the word scam to check whether there have been any warnings or negative feedback about it. You can also verify the company name on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) website to discover if there are any alerts issued against that firm.
