Telephone Fraud is rapidly on the increase - it's serious
23rd April 2012
With the increasing number of laws against IT and Telephony spam around the world, one may be forgiven for thinking the trend has been for spam to decrease. Wrong, it has resulted in more and more criminal activity being generated, because it is an easy, BIG money opportunity for the baddies!
WHY? – Simple - there are far too many honest, trusting people readily prepared to naively give the ‘benefit of the doubt’, and these nice people are the perfect prey for spammers and scammers.
Lesson One and the Only One - NEVER EVER DIRECTLY RESPOND TO SPAM WITHOUT CHECKING IT OUT
- Do not follow links in spam
- Do not confirm secure information to someone who you think should already know it
- Do not believe a caller if they say your lines will be cancelled unless you immediately pay them money by credit card
- Do not purchase anything advertised on the phone or internet if you have the slightest hint it may be spam
- Do not pursue job offers that arrive via spam (uninvited)
- Do not believe that your bank actually sent you an account warning re overdrafts or non-authorised borrowings
- Do not buy that "really hot stock market tip" you didn't request.
- Do not attempt to collect lottery winnings from lottery tickets you know you haven't bought
- Do not claim that prize for the competition you know you never entered
- NEVER assist in the relocation of millions of pounds, even if a poor widow or orphan wants to use it for the Lord’s work, or the 'Government Official' has personally hand-picked you to benefit by assisting them
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS assume that the offer is from a 'crook' that wants to fleece your bank account
If in doubt, check it out – it may take you 5 minutes or 5 hours, but it could save you thousands of pounds
Contact Bridgecall for FREE advice and guidance about Fraud Monitor (because we never charge out clients)
