Fraudsters are exploiting the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus to facilitate various types of fraud and cybercrime. Please see the below top tips to avoid being scammed:
1) Verify any unexpected contact via a trusted source – is this caller who they say they are?
2) Do not be pressurised into sending money – stop and think and check a trusted source
3) Use someone you know and trust for shopping / other essentials. Don’t hand money over to someone on the doorstep.
4) Authorities like the Police will never ask for banking details on the phone or in person.
5) Check for ID’s and get them verified – genuine officials will be more than happy to wait while you verify their ID.
Top Tips for Cyber:
1) Pick strong passwords – Three Random Words with a mixture of Upper/Lower case, numbers and special characters. The longer the password the stronger the protection.
2) Be wary of phishing scams – Don’t click on any unknown links in emails and use two factor authentication.
3) Social Media – If you decide to use social media, make sure that it is set up correctly, go through the privacy setting to ensure your profile is locked down to the public.
4) Use antivirus and make sure that your software is kept up to date.
5) Backups – Always back up your most important data such as your photos and key documents, back them up to an external hard drive.
Reporting is CRUCIAL. If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud report this to Action Fraud either online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
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