Related Articles
From texts from people posing as family members to fake emails from the Royal Mail, here is a round-up of the scams you need to know about this week.
Scammers posing as family members
Scammers have been texting people and pretending to be a family member in order to get money from them.
People have been receiving texts that begin “hello Mum” or “hello Dad”.
The scammer then says they are messaging from a new mobile number as their phone was lost or damaged before asking for money to buy a new one.
They sometimes claim they need money urgently to pay a bill.
Telephone cold calls regarding ‘your EPC’
Someone in Norfolk received a cold call which stated that “the Government requires all houses to have an energy rating”.
READ MORE: Baby is born in lift at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn
The caller then claimed they could “rate the house for free” if the resident agreed to a visit that day.
Domestic properties only require an Energy Performance Certificate – or EPC – when they are being built, sold or rented out.
Emails claiming to be from the Royal Mail
The council’s trading standards department is highlighting Action Fraud’s warning about emails claiming to be from the Royal Mail.
The email states the recipient has missed a delivery and that an item is waiting to be collected.
Some emails claim the item was sent by “HM Revenue & Customs”.
The email also provides a link to “view delivery options”.
This link opens a fake version of the Royal Mail website which is designed to steal personal and financial information.
Flyers offering tree care work
People living in the NR2 area of Norwich have been told to stay “on their guard”.
The council has received reports of flyers offering work on “trees, hedges and shrubs” being hand-delivered.
The flyer provides a phone number but no further information about the business.
What do I do if I think someone is trying to scam me?
If you believe someone has tried to scam you with a fake telephone call, email or text, you can call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
You can forward suspicious emails to the National Cyber Security Centre by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Action Fraud, the UK national fraud office, offers an online fraud reporting tool and its phone number is 0300 123 2040.
