#FriendsAgainstScams

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1 Course: Friends Against Scams Training (to be delivered by SCAMchampions) Unit/Module: Friends against Scams Awareness Session Time: Approximately 45minutes 1 hour Aim of the Session: To have a good understanding of the implications of a variety of scams and have the confidence to raise awareness about scams Objectives of the session: To be able to describe what a scam is and understand the variety of scams To be able to understand the victim impact of a scam To understand a typical perpetrator profile To be able to identify the signs of a scam To know how to advise scam victims and how to report a scam

2 The NTS Scams Team works across England & Wales and engages with Trading Standards officers in Local Authorities and partner organisations, to identify and support victims and to investigate scams. Due to number of people affected by scams, the NTS Scams Team developed Friends Against Scams to engage with as many people about scams on a national level. Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards Scams Team initiative which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering communities to Take a Stand Against Scams. Friends Against Scams is designed to inspire action, highlight the scale of the problem, change the perceptions of why people fall for scams and make scams a community, regional and national topic. By attending a Friends Against Scams awareness session or completing the online learning, anyone can learn about the different types of scams and how to spot and support a victim. With increased knowledge and awareness, people can make scams part of everyday conversation with their family, friends and neighbours which will enable them to protect themselves and others. Anybody can be a Friend Against Scams and make a difference in their own way. There are three tiers of Friends Against Scams: Friends People from all walks of life who attend a short awareness session, commit to talking to others about scams and potentially identify victims. SCAMchampions Friends who attend a further training session to enable them to recruit new Friends Against Scams. SCAMbassadors MPs, senior officials or someone who will use their influence to raise the profile of scams.

3 SCAMchampions If anyone wants further information about SCAMchampions or would like to consider signing up visit Why is learning about scams important? Scams make victims part with their money and personal details by intimidating them or promising cash, prizes, services and fictitious high returns on investment. - National Trading Standards Scams Team Millions of people are affected by scams. It is a global problem that is growing. With more efficient communication methods (telephone, , etc.) people are being targeted and victimised more easily. We may use the term scams, but scams are fraud and all fraud is a crime. To get victims hooked and responding to scams, criminals rely on: Shame, Social isolation, Loneliness, Vulnerable cirumstances, And the fact that victims might not always admit (or even be aware) that they are a victim of a crime.

4 Cycle of victimisation, starts with the victim receiving a scam, either by post, telephone, or at their front door. The victim responds to the scam. The victim unknowningly (in most cases) gives their personal details to the criminals who are orchestrating the scam. These details are then perpetually shared by and sold by criminals to other criminals. The victim s details are subsequently added to a Victim s list. Criminals use this information to relentlessly target victim. Victim receives is then bombarded with scam postal mail or s, multiple phone calls or repeat home visits. Criminals will con, mislead or bully the victim to ultimately part with as much money as possible and in some cases their entire life savings. One victim was found to have been receiving 30 pieces of mail and 10 phone calls per day. It was later discovered she had lost over 1 million. This victim suffered in silence. It wasn t until Trading Standards intervened that the victim ceased sending any money. This photo shows a victim who was coerced into withdrawing money from her account to pay the criminal, who escorted her to the bank to ensure he received the money. Another victim agreed to work on her driveway, which resulted in repeat visits over two years; each time she was persuaded to part with more money. She lost over 160k. The actual value of the work was only 6k. Letter from a scam victim to a criminal: Dear sir or madam, Only just read your letter today I have been ill, live alone and unable to go out and not able to answer your letter so sorry so if I am not too late, please can we start again? Will you write me again? And I ll send you the 30. Thank you.

5 Disclaimer: models/actors have been used in the majority of imagery to protect victim s identities. Scams victims are often lonely and the criminal is the only friend they have. Victim quotes, stating why he responds to scam postal mail: I get up, I wait for the post, I sort it, I go to bed. What else have I got> I might as well be dead. I hope I win, so I can move to a home. I want someone to talk to. I don t get out, because I m frightened. These letters are all the company I get. 53% of people aged 65+ have been targeted by scams and criminals. (Action Fraud) Scams cost the UK roughly 5-10 billion each year. (Annual Fraud Indicator) Anyone can be a scam victim, regardless of age, gender, education or economic background. Scam victims might not always admit (or be aware) that they are a victim of a scam. Only 5% of victims report the crime. (Age UK 2015) Scam are the product of organised, predatory criminals who gain trust to exploit and steal money. There are many different types of scams in existence, but for this session will be focusing on four types: 1) Postal Scams, 2) Telephone Scams, 3) Online Scams and 4) Doorstep Scams (or Doorstep Crime). We will go through each category in more detail.

6 Did you know: A victim in Yorkshire added together all the alleged winnings from her postal scam mail and over a six month period she would have won 2.8 million? Postal Scams come in many forms. They designed to extract personal details, financial information or money cheques, cash or postal orders, etc. Lottery or Prize Draw Scam - claims that victims have won large sums of money on fictitious lottery or prize draws. Catalogue Scam sells worthless or misleading products, e.g. home/garden products, miracle cures, vitamins, etc. whilst also claiming that victims have won money on non-existent prize draws but a purchase must be made in order to claim the winnings. Clairvoyant Scam offers predictions of the future and requests payment for further information. Inheritance Scam - an overseas lawyer or official contacts the victim stating that money from the Will of a recently deceased individual is due to them. Would you respond to this piece of mail? Customer s first name is used in the letter to make it personal. Letter written to put you under pressure to reply example: hurry, offer ends soon, don t miss out, respond today, immediate action to receive your prize, urgent PO Boxes are used instead of full postal address. Too good to be true offers - winnings are of a high value, such as large cash prizes. Made to look dazzling example: pictures of expensive cars, luxury holidays, beautiful houses, etc. are used. Requests money first before getting prize the fee is usually a small sum of money, which is purposely set so low (almost unnoticeable) to ensure that victims think that the benefits/windfall outweigh the risks. Made to look authentic with the use of the director s/chairman s/president s name, signature and/or picture. Stamps are used to make it look official. Also used are company logos, seals, coats of armour, watermarks, serial numbers or activation codes are also used. Fake testimonials or money back guarantees to make offer seem genuine example: pictures of normal everyday people are used, usually happy and smiling. Often says to keep their winnings a secret this is most notable with Clairvoyant/Psychic scams, whereby the victim are sometimes told that family/friends will be jealous or may want/try to steal their winnings.

7 Did you know? In a recent project, whereby call blocker devices were installed in the homes of telephone scam victims, 93% of users felt safer as a result of having a device to eliminate cam calls. Communication by telephone is another method used by scammers as it is a very effective and easy method by which personal details and/or financial information can be obtained. Vishing - a telephone call is used in an attempt to steal personal information. SMShing - occurs when mobile phone SMS text messages are used in an attempt to scam the victim into divulging their personal information. Investment or Boiler Room Scam - a telephone call offers worthless, overpriced or non-existent shares. Pension Scam - A telephone call lures people to cash in their pension with promises of upfront cash, guaranteed returns and one-off deals. Computer Scam - a telephone call states that there is a problem with the victim s computer or laptop and help is offered to fix the issue. This is a typical story of a scam victim I started getting lots of post to my house from around the world. I knew it was a lot of rubbish but I thought the Aussie lottery ones, they were genuine as I always play the UK Lottery. I started to send them money. It was only small amounts - 10, 15. Always just these small amounts. The letters kept coming and I kept sending the money. I also started to get phone calls from people who were from these lottery companies. They became my friends. I wanted my big win to pay for a back operation. One day, a nice lady from Trading Standards came and they looked at the letters and told me they were nothing but scams. I didn t want to believe it because I really genuinely thought I was going to win. When they then sat and looked at it and I sat with them, I then realised that I d lost everything. I d lost all my savings. I felt completely devastated. I m not sure I ll ever recover. These people who do this are just ruthless criminals. Please note: all boxes are chocolate, which the victim purchased multiples of thinking the purchase would be enough to claim their alleged winnings.

8 Did you know? You are legally entitled to a 14 day cooling off period for contracts made in your home. Criminals use a variety of Doorstep tactics to make victims part with their money or gain entry to their homes. Doorstep callers (Rogue Traders) criminals pose as legitimate business people, selling goods or services that are faulty, unnecessary, overpriced, poor quality or non-existent. Bogus callers (Distraction Burglary) criminals pose as legitimate business people in an attempt to enter the victim s home to commit theft by distracting the victim. This is a typical story of a scam victim I ve worked in Trading Standards for about 14 years. One of the worst cases I ve seen is of a Doorstep criminal cold calling twins. They lived next door to one another but in the same house. And they were 84. The Doorstep criminal repeatedly cold called them, and did 19,000 worth of work, or that s what he told them it was. We actually found out that it was only worth 1,000. We went out as Trading Standards and intervened and actually got all the cheques cancelled and got all their money back. But a couple of days later the criminal had let himself in the back door of their house while they were sitting and eating their tea and asked them to reissue the cheques, which they reluctantly did. It wasn t until a few days later that they actually reported to us that this had happened because they were too frightened to. So unfortunately, they did lose some of their money. These are the sorts of criminals we try to intervene and stop all the time. And it s also about educating the victims that s it s alright for them to say no. Did you know? 53 per cent of the population now view online crimes as seriously as 'physical world' crimes, destroying the notion internet fraud is 'faceless' and of less importance than other offences. Criminals trick internet and users into giving personal details, including financial information, in order to steal their money. Phishing - an from the bank designed to trick victims into revealing their personal information and passwords. Pharming - the fraudulent practice of directing online users to a fake website, which mimics the appearance of a real/legitimate one. Romance Scam - a confidence scam whereby a criminal displays (fake) romantic intentions towards a victim in order to gain their affection and trust to extort money. Impersonation of UK officials - criminals impersonate a UK official to obtain personal information and steal money, often claiming that the victim is due a refund or must make an urgent payment. Example of this scam:

9 HMRC Tax Rebate Scam and the Council Tax Scam. Would you respond to this ? does not match the organisations web address. Poor spelling and grammar. Words may also be misspelt to avoid spam filter - example, scam may be spelt sc@m. Urgent offers and pressure to respond quickly - example: hurry, don t miss out, respond today, immediate action required. Requests for personal or banking information most legitimate organisations, especially banks will not ask for this information in an . Incorrect URL / website links. Or shortened URLs that do not show the actual address. Overuse of capital letters. Subject and content do not match. Vague, generic or non-existent subject lines. Often contains an attachment. Does not include a signature, or the signature does not include adequate contact information, i.e. might just say the person s name and/or job title, etc. but will not include any organisation details, such as a telephone number, address, etc. Not addressed to anyone, i.e. dear customer / friend, etc. does not include the customer s first name/surname. Postal Scams Have lots of scam mail in their home, including lots of post from companies abroad. Make regular trips to the post office or bank. Buy a large amount of stamps. Use an unusual amount of chequebooks. Have lots of beauty or food products around the home. Have free gifts or lucky objects sent from scammers, such as pendants, badges, etc. and items that are supposedly for protection. Telephone Scams Receive high volume of phone calls a day. Make regular payments over the phone each day. Receive suspicious SMS Text messages.

10 Feel that the people calling them are friends as the scammers are the only people they have regular contact with. Talk about a helpful caller who has helped them to resolve an issue, i.e. fix their computer or sort out a banking issue... Speak of fantastic investment opportunities that they have been given or become involved in. Doorstep Scams Have work completed on their property or garden, which is of poor quality or takes a long time to complete. Agree to further unnecessary works at the property. Fearful of opening the door or going out. Feel under pressure from those carrying out the work. Make large cash withdrawals to pay for work rather than use a secure payment. Online Scams Have received a suspicious or unexpected asking them: o For personal details or banking information. o To click on a link. o Or to open an attachment. Talk of unexpected final demands or refunds from a UK official, such as the HMRC or the local council. Talk of a new online relationship where they mostly have contact by telephone, or on the internet and the person is in need of money. Discover unexpected payments have been made from their account. A common theme for all scams is that the victim may be: Experiencing financial hardship which prevents them from stocking their kitchen cupboards, heating their house or paying bills as a result of spending money on scams (or extortionate amounts for work doorstep scams). Spending a lot of their time on scams and therefore have begun to neglect themselves or their home.

11 Disclaimer: models/actors have been used in the majority of imagery to protect victim s identities. Anyone can be a scam victim regardless of age, gender, education or economic background. Different scams target different sections of the population, which is why there is a scam for everyone. However, there are certain groups that are more likely to be victimised and targeted by criminals. The average age of a scam victim is roughly 75 years old, showing that criminals tend to prey on older and often more vulnerable members of society. There are many different reasons why people respond to scams in the first place, including: They may have a physical or mental health issue. They may have Dementia or display signs of cognitive behaviour decline. They may be experiencing a long or short term vulnerable circumstance, i.e. bereavement or period of financial hardship. Sometimes they may lose their entire life savings, re-mortgage their homes or take out credit cards/loans. They may be socially isolated (geographically isolated, friends and family live far away or because they are living with a physical or mental health issue). They may be lonely. They feel pressured to make a decision (quickly). They want a sense of purpose. Targeted by criminals as they are viewed as an easy target and highly likely to respond again and again or they may have unkempt homes or gardens and are therefore targeted by criminals who convince them that the work is required. They trust easily and want to believe the best in people. Other reasons also include (but this list is non-exhaustive): They are impulsive or want to take a risk and seek the potential rewards. They believe the offer is legitimate or think that they are being offered a good deal. They have disposable income.

12 Consequnces of falling for scams Attempt or commit suicide. Detrimental mental, physical and emotional health issues, i.e. depression, distress, loss of enjoyment of daily activities. Debts. Damaged relationships, especially if family and/or friends try and fail to intervene. Repeat victimisation (repeatedly targeted by criminals). Studies have proven that adults defrauded in their own home are 2.5 x more likely either die or to go into residential care, than their non-defrauded neighbours within a year. o Also note: The demand and costs for health and social care are likely to increase over time as the population ages. o Older people who lose savings to scams will be unable to contribute to care costs in old age resulting in a higher burden on state funded provision. o The cost to Local government when this happens equates to a potential 4.5 Billion per year (Alzheimer s Society, 2014). Other consequences include: Shame, embarrassment and guilt (if the victim feels they have contributed to their own or others' victimisation). Strong emotional ties to scammers, and therefore they: o Believe that the scammers are their friends o Are unable to entangle themselves from the relationship Societal condemnation, indifference and adverse stereotypes (the attitude that victims of fraud deserve what they get as a result of their own greed and stupidity). Self-doubt, shock, disbelief, anger, resentment, sense of betrayal. Inability to trust easily. Frustration with criminal justice professionals. Fear for financial security and independence.

13 Techniques used by criminals Remember the tactics used too that were already discussed in the Postal Scam and Online Scam section, i.e. using customer s first name, made to look dazzling, etc. Emphasise the fact that it is a crime being committed. As well as the techniques used above, also mention how scammers use victim s list to target their victims. Tips to help protect yourself and/or others: Take Five 1. Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password. 2. Don t assume an , text or phone call is genuine. 3. Don t be rushed a genuine organisation won t mind waiting. 4. Listen to your instincts you know if something doesn t feel right. 5. Stay in control don t panic and make a decision you ll regret. Other practical tips to help protect yourself and/or others: If in any doubt, say NO or to end a conversation and put the phone down or to tell someone to leave your property. If you re not sure, don t open the door Don t engage with traders at your door, especially if you don t know it is or are unsure about their legitimacy. If you re suspicious, talk to someone you trust and get a 2nd opinion - if you have any doubts about a phone call, , letter or visit at the door. Other things to remember: Be wary of anyone asking for money who wouldn t normally or if the request is out of the blue. Too good to be true offers usually are. You can only win a lottery or prize draw if you ve entered in the first instance. Legal companies will never ask you for money to make a purchase or claim a prize.

14 What can you do if you want to do more to help someone you suspect is a victim of a scam? If you feel confident to do more, then these are a few possible options: Talk have a conversation with the suspected victim. When talking to them, here are some suggested guidelines that you could follow: Spend time listening to the individual; do not judge them. Reassure them they are not alone and shouldn t feel embarrassed about it. Present them with different options, but allow and encourage them to make their own choices. Refrain from getting frustrated, interrupting them or finishing their sentences. Don t force the issue; it s important to remember that scam victims might not always be receptive to talking about their experiences. Bank - Advise (or help) them to contact their bank, to make the bank aware of the situation and to stop any direct debits they may have been set up for scams. It may also be appropriate to help the victim open up a new bank account. Report - encourage the suspected victim to report it to the Citizen Advise Consumer Helpline. Seek further help there are other things you can do to help the victim, such as Inform them about Royal Mail s free redirection service and where suitable, help them to set up this service. Provide the suspected victim with options for installing a call blocking device, which will help to block or intercept unwanted calls. Other things you can do: Help them to shred any scam mail.

15 This is the the number for reporting concerns about scams/victims To keep up to date with information and lastest news about scams visit