See the 6 dangerous scams doing the rounds rights now - and how to protect yourself from them

 

Millions of pounds have already been stolen by fraudsters as a result of a new generation of scams.

Whether you've been a victim in the past, or are worried about your online safety, here’s my quick guide on what to watch for right now.

Sorry about the ‘vishing’ and ‘smishing’ business – I didn’t make those terms up!

Vishing

The fraudster calls you and pretends to be from your bank – or impersonates an authority figure like a policeman.

You are told your account has been compromised and need to transfer your cash to a new account which is actually the fraudsters.

The fraudster tells you to call the number on your bank card but stays on the line when you hang up. If you don’t check for a dialling code they then pretend to be the bank and take your money.

Smishing

This method of fraud targets online banking. The fraudster uses a cheap bit of technology that means they can impersonate your bank’s number.

They ask for your online banking passwords or codes and trick you in to giving them what they need to access your account Then they get you to transfer money or pinch it themselves.

Courier fraud

This kind of fraud works in the same way as vishing. Only the fraudster tells you that they will send a courier to collect your bank card after getting your details.

In the worst examples, people are told their local bank staff are the fraudsters and are made to go in and transfer the money out, ignoring the cashier’s warnings.

Solicitor/business fraud

This scam targets solicitors handling big transactions or mortgage payments or businesses.

It works in the same way as the others, but the sums are huge. I’ve seen £350,000 tricked out of one business.

Email fraud / fake site fraud

We've all seen those dodgy emails that used to do the rounds asking for your details.

Well now they’re very, very convincing.

Don’t forget the golden rule

No bank will ever ask you to hand over your personal passwords or details – and they’ll never ask you to transfer money out either.

Be sceptical, think before you click and if you think you’ve been tricked get in touch with the business asap. - UK Mirror