One that our fraud department at work has been seeing a lot of recently, I thought it might fit the profile of some users here! :-D
Old timer gets an email, phone call, text and in some cases even a letter etc. claiming to be from TV Licencing and saying that a mistake was made when they were told that they now had to pay for their TV licence and a refund is due. All they need to do is provide their account details.
When the account number is given they get a call or message saying that there is a problem processing the payment, can they provide the one time code, password etc and they will sort it.
Of course, said account gets promptly emptied.
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I don't doubt it still happens but I can't believe anyone these days being stupid enough to give out their bank account details.
But I know they can be very cunning and convincing.
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About once a year I get the same scam one saying the DD for my TV licence has not gone through and I should check/re-enter my account details using their link.
I've always deleted them as I could see any issues straight away just by visiting my online bank account.
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It didn’t help that the real licence authority sent me an email at the beginning of this month entitled “Relax you’re covered for another 12 months”. I left it a week to check my online accounts. Nothing. I can’t remember when it falls due but I couldn’t see any payment in recent weeks.
I checked again today and still nothing showing. So I spent 15 mins online only to discover my licence runs out in two days time and they will take the payment early next month. So why tell me a month ahead that I am already covered for 12 months? This creates confusion that a scammer can exploit along the lines of following up the “Relax” email and offering to check why the payment has not gone through.
They don’t need to know you’ve had the email, they will get lucky on about 10% of approaches and go from there.
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How many times have your bank, HMRC, Amazon, ebay, utilitiy company etc etc emailed or wrote to you saying they will NEVER ask for account or bank details and if they appear to do so it is a fraudster?
Yet people still fall for it.
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The elderly who are losing their marbles are such easy prey for these scammers. Sadly my 92-year old father-in-law has fallen victim to one of his own sons scamming him! It has been a nightmare for my wife and other family members to sort out, with the help of the Office of Public Guardians.
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>> I don't doubt it still happens but I can't believe anyone these days being stupid
>> enough to give out their bank account details.
My Granny used to say 'there's nowt so queer as folk'.
As part of my work I can issue grants from a charity. The preference is for these to go by bank transfer. Lady who'd been referred for help happily starts to tell me her 16digit card number and would no doubt have gone on to expiry date etc.
Explained that what I needed was her a/c no and sort code and she clammed up.
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M-I-L lost her iPhone in Aldi the other week. I have all her passwords etc.
I checked find my iPhone and it says it was still in vicinity of Aldi.
By this time her son was in process of helping start the cancellation of her bank cards. Why? Cos she kept them all in the phone holder.
What are your bank passwords? Oh they are saved under my contacts.
How do you access your online banking? Oh that’s on my phone app?
Do you know your bank account details? No the card is in my phone case!!!
Aaarrgghhhb!!
Luckily I went back to Aldi and by this time someone had handed it in as she had left it in the packing shelf!!
As with all scams, the reason they do it is they have a success rate for zero outlay cost.
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What are bank cards? :-)
Must admit I switched to Google Pay ages ago and rarely carry my cards now. There's loads of info on my phone but you'd need (at least) my fingerprint to get at it. I don't keep pins or passwords anywhere though. Bank account details are with the electronic statements, on my NAS. (Or, as pointed out below, on any cheque you issue, whatever that is LOL)
I even got SWMBO using Google Pay in Portugal this year, despite strong resistance.
Last edited by: smokie on Sat 29 Apr 23 at 09:24
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>> Luckily I went back to Aldi and by this time someone had handed it in
>> as she had left it in the packing shelf!!
>>
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>> As with all scams, the reason they do it is they have a success rate
>> for zero outlay cost.
>>
The difference here would be that it wasn't a scam, it would have been a potential theft.
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>> I don't doubt it still happens but I can't believe anyone these days being stupid
>> enough to give out their bank account details.
Your bank account details are on every cheque you issue.
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I think those big buildings in the high street that are now all turned into restaurants used to issue them.
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>> What's a cheque?
>>
Funnily enough, one of the cases that I have been working on this week is a business that issues a huge number of cheques. We keep trying to get them to use electronic transfers but they are reluctant. I think it's more of a control thing, rather than a trust issue with electronic payments.
There is also a large amount of cash receipts, but that's another issue.
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During covid the Foodbank's accounts were managed via an app. It was a small step to go to online payments which saves a huge amount of time an energy for the Treasurer (me). We operate in a welathy area and a lot of the donations come in from old school farmers who write cheques - I can now scan these in as deposits, saves a hell of a lot of time. Paying by BACS or Bank Tranfers is so much easier. We had a £4k grant to spend in two weeks...imagine writing a dozen or so small value cheques in that time.
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Post arrived shortly after writing this - in the post was a DVLA cheque for the VEL due on the Up! - paid in pby app. Very efficient servicew from DVLA, V5 arrived Wednesday...VEL rebate today - 3 working days from when the UP ! went
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Scam Targeting Old Fogies - smokie
