Latest Scams

Beware of this phishing email 'from' American Express - do not click the links, ithey will take you to a fake version of the American Express website, which scammers will use to trick you into giving away your personal information.

The email reads as follows: 

We are writing to you because we need to speak with you regarding a security concern on your account. Our records indicate that you recently used your American Express card on November 05, 2015.

Beware of scam browser popups, similar to those pictured, which inform you that your computer has been infected with a virus and invite you to call a free-phone number to have it removed.

The popup alerts attempt to mimic genuine messages like the ones produced by real anti-virus software, or by Windows. 

The alerts claim that your computer is infected with a virus that cannot be detected by ordinary anti-virus software, but you can call a free-phone number to speak to a technician who will be able to remotely remove the virus for you.

A scam which attempts to fool people into thinking a fraudulent caller is legitimate is becoming increasingly common.

'Number spoofing' is a trick whereby fraudsters are able to display a different number on your phone to the one they are actually calling from. This means that a scammer can call you, pretending to be from your bank (or other trustworthy organisation) and the number that appears on your phone will actually be the real phone number of the organisation they are pretending to be from.

This was reported in Warwickshire but could also easily be happening elsewhere, so be vigilant, especially if you have been the victim of a rogue trader or other doorstep scammer.

There have been reports that householders who have previously been the victims of cowboys or rogue traders are being visited by bogus Trading Standards officers, who have fake ID.