Don't Let Scammers Crash Your End-of-Summer Plans

With the end of summer is fast approaching, many of us are taking advantage of the last minute summer deals and preparing for the return to school. Cybercriminals often target consumers by creating fake online adverts, emails and social media posts. A recent publication by the National Crime Agency estimated that 67% of fraud reported in the UK was cyber-related [1], which highlights the importance of staying alert of scams when browsing the Internet.

There are some common end of summer scams to watch out for:

Travel Refund Scams: Fraudsters may create fake adverts or send fake emails claiming to be from airlines or travel agencies offering an automatic refund for delayed flights. These adverts or emails often contain links directing you to fraudulent websites that obtain your banking and personal information, as well as installing malware onto your device

Fake Holiday Deals: Scammers are targeting individuals seeking last-minute getaways by creating convincing clones of legitimate travel sites that offer fake holiday deals. Entering your personal and card details onto these fake websites can lead to financial losses as well as identity theft.

Back-to-School Shopping: As the new academic year approaches, scammers often take advantage of the last minute shopping rush by sending fake emails or posting social media posts on cloned accounts appearing to be from popular retailers. This may include too good to be true deals on electronics, limited-time offers on school essentials or free giveaways, which may result in fraudulent credit card charges and compromised payment details.

Here are some red flags to look out that may indicate fraudulent activity:

• Unexpected expiring refund or exclusive deal links requiring you to immediately enter your bank details.

• Travel companies offering suspiciously low holiday prices.• Uniform suppliers demanding payment for "school-approved" items.

• Technology retailers claiming that you will receive a parent discounts when clicking a link or entering a discount code.

• Generic greetings such as “Dear Customer” instead of your registered details with the company or retailer.
• Poor spelling and grammar within emails, adverts or social media posts.

• Email addresses or website links that do not match the official company domains.

• Contact details that don't match official company information.

How to Protect Yourself from Scams:

Stop and Think: Before acting on any unexpected communication, take a moment to think and to identify any red flags.

Verify Independently: Contact the organisation directly using official contact details from their website or previous correspondence, not the details provided in the suspicious message.

Check Website URLs and Email Addresses: Check for subtle spelling errors or different domain extensions that might indicate a fraudulent site, for example, replacing the letter “i” with the number “1”.

Use Official Apps and Websites: Visit the App Store on your device to download an app or visit the company website directly, rather than clicking links in emails or texts.

Reporting Fraud:
If you have provided any card or bank details, contact UBL UK immediately. You can call the Bank on +44 (0)121 753 6000 Monday to Friday between 9:15am and 5:15pm excluding Bank Holidays), or call the number on the back of your card to report any unauthorised transactions.
You can also report the incident to Action Fraud or by calling 0300 123 2040.
If you come across any suspicious websites, you can report this to the National Cyber Security Centre.