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Category: Online Scams

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Online Scams

Energy Efficiency Social Media Scams: Spotting and Avoiding the Fraudsters

Consumer Protection, Consumer Returns, Consumer Rights, Consumer Spending, Energy, Online Scams, Scams, Uncategorized / March 21, 2022

There has been an increase in reports of scams that target people who need maintenance and energy efficiency works carried out on their homes through social media. Scammers often appear legitimate through the use of ‘buzzwords’, such as ‘bounce-back loans’, and by mentioning official bodies, such as the Government, when in reality they are not …

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Amazon Prime Day: 13th & 14th October 2020 – Avoiding Disappointment through Informed Choices

Amazon Prime Day, Consumer Protection, Consumer Returns, Consumer Rights, Consumer Spending, Deliveries, Online Scams, Online Shopping, Retail, Scams / March 21, 2022

There are considerations for consumers when making purchases online at any time, but care should be taken during online events to ensure your purchases are safe and provide value-for-money. The impulse to purchase something straight away when we see a bargain is all too familiar for most of us. To ensure that our expectations are …

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Covid-19 Scams – Protecting Your Information, Your Finances, and Your Family

#ShutOutScammers, Online Scams, Online Shopping, Post, Scams, Technology / March 21, 2022

Scammers are continually finding more inventive ways of obtaining our personal information and are more convincing than ever, when reassuring us that they are contacting us from trusted, reputable sources. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumeradvice.scot has seen the number of reports of scams increase, demonstrating not only the more complex methods employed …

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COVID-19 & Faulty Goods: Know Your Rights

Consumer Protection, Consumer Returns, Consumer Rights, Consumer Spending, Coronavirus / Covid-19, Counterfeit Goods, Damaged Goods, Deliveries, Faulty Goods, Online Scams, Online Shopping, Retail, Scams / March 21, 2022

Throughout the public health crisis and resulting lockdown restrictions, consumeradvice.scot has received a significant increase in the number of cases relating to faulty goods and safety concerns. Between April and July this year, we have seen faulty goods cases increase by nearly 110%. Since March, Scottish consumers have witnessed a seismic change in how they interact with, and …

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Counting the Cost of the Illegal Puppy Trade

Consumer Protection, Consumer Returns, Consumer Rights, Consumer Spending, Counterfeit Goods, Online Scams, Pets / Animals, Scams / March 21, 2022

The illegal trading of puppies is a practice which not only proves incredibly damaging to the animals involved, but can also severely impact consumers, carrying a significant financial and emotional toll. Scottish Government figures estimate that almost half (45%) of people who bought a puppy in 2019 purchased the animal online, an increase of 25% …

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Test & Protect Scams

#ShutOutScammers, Consumer Protection, Consumer Returns, Consumer Rights, Consumer Spending, Coronavirus / Covid-19, Online Scams, Scams / March 21, 2022

According to the latest data from Experian, UK fraud rates have jumped 33% during the since the implementation of lockdown measures in the UK as a result of COVID-19. Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, has reported that over 16,000 UK consumers have been affected by online shopping and auction fraud, with nearly one …

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consumeradvice.scot Join Partnership to #ShutOutScammers

#ShutOutScammers, Consumer Protection, Consumer Returns, Consumer Rights, Consumer Spending, Online Scams, Scams / March 23, 2022

consumeradvice.scot is working in collaboration with partners at Trading Standards Scotland, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, to raise awareness of doorstep scams and the impacts that they have on Scottish consumers. The #ShutOutScammers campaign launches today (Monday 15th June 2020) and highlights the impacts that doorstep scams have on consumers in …

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Cyber Security Week – Protecting Your Information and Avoiding the Scammers

Cyber Scotland, Cyber Security, Online Scams, Scams, Technology / March 21, 2022

Cybercrime indiscriminately affects organisations and individuals in some form or another. The ripple effect caused by this type of scam impacts private individuals and large organisations alike. As scammers adapt and react to counter-criminal measures, it’s worth knowing what we, as consumers, can do to stop them in their tracks. The BCS (formerly British Computer …

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HMRC Scams: Shutting out the Fraudsters

#ShutOutScammers, Online Scams, Scams / March 21, 2022

Scammers and the scams they employ evolve with changing attitudes, technology and their knowledge of the processes applied to bring them to justice. Many legitimate businesses are mimicked by these fraudsters, who even clone login pages for legitimate websites in order to gather customer usernames and passwords. HMRC scams continue to be one of the …

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Harm and the Farm: Illicit dealings in Puppy Farming

Consumer Protection, Consumer Rights, Online Scams, Pets / Animals, Scams / March 21, 2022

When the term ‘puppy farm’ was first put to me, my mind’s eye conjured up images of dogs bounding happily and freely through fields. I thought of a friendly farmer and his family spending time with their dogs, long walks in the countryside and fresh air. Unfortunately, the reality is often a lot less pleasant. …

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