The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Get Safe Online have joined forces to urge internet users to be vigilant against online fraudsters.
Our research highlights the increasing danger of online fraud:
- 23 percent of UK internet users say that they, or their close friends and family, have fallen victim to phishing scams in the last year. This is up from eight percent the year before.
- The OFT estimates that three million UK consumers fall victim to scams sent by email, internet, post, text and the phone, collectively losing £3.5 billion.
For more research, see the 2008 Get Safe Online annual report (PDF format).
In the current economic climate, the attraction of ‘get rich quick’ scams can only increase. Just when consumers need to be most careful they are most at risk.
The good news is that common sense plus a little bit of knowledge and advice can help people avoid scams altogether.
The OFT has a great website that describes common scams and cons. You can also call them on 08454 04 05 06 for clear, practical consumer advice.
For more security advice, see visit GetSafeOnline.org:
{ 5 trackbacks }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
My boyfriend got a VERY convincing email this morning from “alliance and leicester”… it’s only because he makes websites/is used to the web that he spotted after all the http://www.mybank.allianceandleicester etc etc (that all looked really legitimate) was a little rubbish “.sdhjsd.kr” or something at the end, meaning it wasn’t alliance and leicester’s domain at all.
Also worth adding to your tips that if you call someone – make sure you call them on a number that’s on your statement/you’ve been given with your telephone banking, rather than a number that’s in the email/they give you. Obvious but vital.