Be #ScamAware

14-27 June 2021 is Scams Awareness fortnight – an annual campaign put on by Citizens Advice to give you information on how to spot scams and what you can do about them.

According to Citizens Advice, every 15 seconds, someone in the UK loses money to a scam.

Scams can affect us all, so it’s important that we keep up to date on the latest scams and help protect others by talking about them with friends and family.

Spotting a scam

If you’re concerned that a phone call, text message or email you’ve received might be a scam, there are a few way tell if it is.
It could be a scam if:

it seems too good to be true – like winning a competition you don’t remember entering or inheriting some money from a relative you didn’t know you had
you’ve been contacted by a person or company you weren’t expecting to hear from – like a text message about a parcel delivery you weren’t expecting
you’ve been asked for your personal information like passwords, bank details or security pin
you’re being asked to respond quickly, giving you little time to think about what you’re about to do or discuss it with friends or family
what you’re being asked to do makes you feel uncomfortable in any way.

Never give money or your personal details to anyone you don’t know or have only met online, and don’t click on any links they may send you.

Take action

If you’re concerned that you might’ve been contacted by a scammer or you’re looking for advice, check out Citizen Advice’s information on scams or call its consumer service for support on 0808 223 1133.

If you’ve been scammed or are aware of a scam happening in your area, please report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or read their advice on reporting scams.

By reporting scams you can help prevent other people from falling victims to them.