People have been warned to be on their guard against scammers using WhatsApp to try and fool them, as details of another new con were revealed.
Action Fraud issued a fresh warning about so-called ‘friend in need’ scams, when messages claiming to be from a relative or loved one are in reality from thieves trying to take your money.
The technique of someone claiming to be a relative with a lost phone has been happening for a long time, but scammers are always getting more creative, with the possibility of voice scams using AI to mimic someone you know now something else to worry about.
Meanwhile, your text message inbox isn’t safe either, with a warning that scammers are pretending to be from the Department for Work and Pensions offering a ‘living subsidy’ with a link to apply.
The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales shared a screenshot of the message to warn people not to fall for it.
Rhian Bowen-Davies’ account warned: ‘Please DO NOT click on any links contained within the message and report any scam messages you receive to Action Fraud.’
Meanwhile, Action Fraud said: ‘Received a strange message on WhatsApp from someone claiming to be family or a friend?
‘Be wary of friend-in-need scams. Report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select “Report”, and then follow the instructions.’
Earlier this month, the massive scale of finance scams in the UK was revealed with research for Citizens Advice indicating one in five people have fallen victim in the past year alone.
The scam government message
UK Cost of Living Payments:
The living subsidy for this year (2023 to 2024) is currently being distributed. You are now eligible to apply for this subsidy.
You can apply through the link. We will review it as soon as possible and issue it in time. Maybe this will be your best choice.
This is an important subsidy to help you reduce the financial pressure in your life!
At the same time, you do not need to pay taxes on this subsidy, and receiving this subsidy will not affect your other benefits or tax deductions.
Thank you for your support to the Department for Work and Pensions.
What are the signs this is fake?
The text message looks quite official, but there is no specific benefit called a ‘living subsidy’ and the government would not use an exclamation mark in a message like this or add a vague ‘Maybe this will be your best choice’.
If you get a message and are not sure if it is legitimate, always research what it is saying and double check who sent it before clicking any links.
The charity estimates that nine million people have been affected by common financial scams, such as fake pensions or investment opportunities.
More than two-fifths of people who were scammed had to borrow or increase their debt in some way to get by, the Savanta survey of more than 2,100 people in August found.
As part of its Scams Awareness campaign, the charity said the most common financial scams included fake debt advice offered on social media, scammers posing as a ‘friend in need’, pension scams, investment scams and parking QR code scams in which stickers with bogus codes are placed over genuine ones at car parks.
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