06/02/19How to avoid scammers
Scamming, phishing and fraudulent activity are often targeted towards the elderly. Official statistics show that 53% of over 65s have fallen victim to scams. Consequently, they are left feeling isolated, embarrassed and upset that they hadn’t recognised sooner they were being scammed. So, we’ve created the following list from leading experts on how to prevent and advise you and your loved ones to stay safe online.
Preventative measures and points of caution:
- The email is sent from a different address to whom it is sent from
- The email address doesn’t match or relate to the company’s website address
- Be cautious of emails that address you as ‘dear customer’ rather than your full name.
- The email asks for personal information. Take particular caution if there is mention of bank details.
- The email contains grammatical errors and is not written with good English.
- If you have reason to believe an email is fraudulent, do not open it and delete it.
- Avoid unnecessarily signing up to online websites and giving out your personal details
- If you receive an email from an individual or company you know, and it seem unusual, don’t open or reply to it. It could be a scammer posing as someone you know.
- If you are frequently receiving these emails, it might be worth installing security software to protect your systems of technology against viruses.
However, if you do fall victim to online scammers, here are a selection of companies to contact who will be able to help you with your situation: