Three calls recently saying they needed to fix my internet connection. One said they were from BT and when I queried this he shouted,
"Yes, I'm telling you i'm from BT" 
A client rang me just know to say that her husband's mobile phone number had been hijacked and scammers had tried to get in to his bank account 
They are now in the process of contacting everyone and also changing their computer as a result.
A Which article about this:
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2...-your-bank-accounts/
@slimfern posted:Post-Christmas scams...
Multiple scams have been reported due to social media fraudsters posing as sellers looking to get rid of unwanted Christmas presents.
Shoppers should do some background research on any sellers they plan to buy from during 'Twixmas'
Barstewards 
Got a phone call from someone about reclaiming tax on my (non-existent) PPI claim today. I knew this was a scam and terminated the call.
A PPI claim consists of 3 elements:
refund of premiums (no tax would have been deducted from that)
refund of historic interest that you paid as a result of paying those premiums (no tax would have been deducted from that)
interest paid as compensation ( tax at 20% will have been deducted from that and so is potentially reclaimable).
It's far better for someone to contact HMRC to get that tax repaid rather than fall to some scammer ringing you.
@El Loro posted:Got a phone call from someone about reclaiming tax on my (non-existent) PPI claim today. I knew this was a scam and terminated the call.
A PPI claim consists of 3 elements:
refund of premiums (no tax would have been deducted from that)
refund of historic interest that you paid as a result of paying those premiums (no tax would have been deducted from that)
interest paid as compensation ( tax at 20% will have been deducted from that and so is potentially reclaimable).
It's far better for someone to contact HMRC to get that tax repaid rather than fall to some scammer ringing you.
Thanks El 
I never believe anyone who rings me out of the blue âĶ.I either put the phone straight down âĶ.or, if Iâm feeling 
I string them along .
@Baz posted:Thanks El
That's sensible 
I didn't mention that the phone number displayed was also one of those used by the postcode lottery scammers 
@El Loro posted:Got an email today which looked suspicious and on checking it out it was a scam. An email about pancakeswap airdrop with a link. It's a cryptocurrency scam.
If you ever get such an email, delete it.
Thanks El TBH I delete any emails âĶ.or textsâĶ.Iâm not expecting
Today the phone rang and I picked it up
Hello Mrs *****
MeâĶâĶHello and goodbye (his sentence following the opening was incomprehensible)
Two mins LaterâĶphone rings again
HimâĶ..Mrs ***** why did you hang up on me?
MEâĶ.because I couldnât understand a word you said
HIMâĶ..But you can hear me nowâĶâĶ.about your MicrosoftâĶ..
MeâĶ.InterruptingâĶâĶ.Nice tryâĶ..now bugga off
talk about cheekâĶ..surely these people must have realised that this is such an old scam!
@Kaytee posted:Today the phone rang and I picked it up
Hello Mrs *****
MeâĶâĶHello and goodbye (his sentence following the opening was incomprehensible)
Two mins LaterâĶphone rings again
HimâĶ..Mrs ***** why did you hang up on me?
MEâĶ.because I couldnât understand a word you said
HIMâĶ..But you can hear me nowâĶâĶ.about your MicrosoftâĶ..
MeâĶ.InterruptingâĶâĶ.Nice tryâĶ..now bugga off
talk about cheekâĶ..surely these people must have realised that this is such an old scam!
ðĪĢðĪĢðĪĢðĪĢIâve not had one of those for a while Kaytee ðĨ°ðĨ°
Just had "James" from "Domestic & General" ringing about my washing machine insurance having ended. I was thinking that this was another one of those calls but then he went on to say that due to an administrative error ÂĢ190 had been taken out of my account. I ended the call at that point.
HMRC issued this alert today:
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is today warning customers not to share sensitive personal information online to avoid their identities being used to commit tax fraud.
HMRC is aware that criminals are attempting to obtain customersâ Government Gateway logins and other personal details, enabling them to register for Income Tax Self Assessment and submit bogus tax refund claims before pocketing the repayment.
Individuals, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, are being targeted on social media platforms by fraudsters seeking to âborrowâ their identities. In return, the individual is promised a cut of the tax refund ârisk-freeâ.
Handing over sensitive personal information to criminals like this, even inadvertently, risks individuals involving themselves in tax fraud, and having to pay back the full value of the fraudulent claim.
Customers should therefore only deal with HMRC directly or through their tax advisor in relation to their Self Assessment tax refunds.
Simon Cubitt, Head of Cybercrime, HMRC said:
People need to think extremely carefully before they involve themselves in an arrangement like this, because if something looks too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.
Those who get involved risk becoming the victim of blackmail, threats of violence and wider abuse of their personal information, as criminals seek to exploit them further.
I urge anyone who may be aware of these dishonest attempts to recruit individuals into criminality, to report it us by searching âReport Fraud HMRCâ on GOV.UK and completing our online form.
In addition to their Government Gateway credentials, customers may also be asked to provide details of their bank account, passport, driving licence, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number.
HMRC is working with other law enforcement agencies and social media companies to tackle criminality on online platforms.
Last month (10 February), HMRC made coordinated arrests of four individuals aged between 16 and 33 in Hertfordshire, Bristol, Derbyshire and Buckinghamshire as part of an investigation into suspected Self Assessment repayment fraud and money laundering offences. Investigations are ongoing.
@Baz posted:Thanks El
I also got a classic "Golden Oldie" this morning: a traditional "419" scam post! 
It clamed to be from a bank in the UAE who had recently "discovered" a dormant account previously owned by Saddam Hussein, and wanted to discuss a "business opportunity" with me... 
@Eugene's Lair posted:I also got a classic "Golden Oldie" this morning: a traditional "419" scam post!
@Eugene's Lair posted:I also got a classic "Golden Oldie" this morning: a traditional "419" scam post!
This will be updated with links to Russian oligarchs very shortly
The ICO has fined a total of ÂĢ405,000 to five companies responsible for over 750,000 unwanted marketing calls targeted at older, vulnerable people. The ICO also issued these companies with enforcement notices that require them to immediately stop making these predatory calls. The companies were trying to sell insurance policies for appliances such as washing machines.
https://ico.org.uk/about-the-i...y-vulnerable-people/
@El Loro posted:The ICO has fined a total of ÂĢ405,000 to five companies responsible for over 750,000 unwanted marketing calls targeted at older, vulnerable people. The ICO also issued these companies with enforcement notices that require them to immediately stop making these predatory calls. The companies were trying to sell insurance policies for appliances such as washing machines.
https://ico.org.uk/about-the-i...y-vulnerable-people/
So for those poor individuals of the 750,000 who suffered at the hands of these companies, can feel compensated that their stress (or other) brought on by those calls are worth 54p 
It's not enough in my view!
@slimfern posted:So for those poor individuals of the 750,000 who suffered at the hands of these companies, can feel compensated that their stress (or other) brought on by those calls are worth 54p
It's not enough in my view!
I think one can sue the individual companies for compensation though would be too costly to consider other than one of those group class actions which are more common in the States.
@El Loro posted:I think one can sue the individual companies for compensation though would be too costly to consider other than one of those group class actions which are more common in the States.
The States are better prepared for suing than we are here in Britain...although we have gotten better over recent years, which I'm not sure I like tbh.
Especially dislike those 'No win No fee' companies
As you say, it is a costly affair going through the courts...shameful really.
Warning issued by local councils that fraudsters are ringing people to get their bank details so that the ÂĢ150 energy rebate can be paid to them. Councils would never ask for bank details by ringing people for them.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61119730
@El Loro posted:Warning issued by local councils that fraudsters are ringing people to get their bank details so that the ÂĢ150 energy rebate can be paid to them. Councils would never ask for bank details by ringing people for them.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61119730
Thanks El I was reading about it this morning âĶbarstewards.Iâve been watching that Scammers programme on bbc this week âĶ.a bit dramatically ott âĶbut quite interesting .
We've had relentless "This is MSN" cold calls this week
When i said i knew they weren't MSN one called me a 'stupid man' - they must already have access to my laptop then 
I had a scammer claiming they wanted to refund me a hundred quid on a non existent washing machine repair policy . He asked me if my postcode was blah blah, was my address blah blah , etc âĶ.to which I answered no âĶ.he was getting more and more exasperated âĶ.so he asked me for my supposed new address . I said well if you have my policy ( which doesnât exist ) you should know that âĶ.at which point he put the phone down . The way I look at it is while Iâm busy wasting his time he ainât scamming some other poor devil !
@Baz posted:I had a scammer claiming they wanted to refund me a hundred quid on a non existent washing machine repair policy . He asked me if my postcode was blah blah, was my address blah blah , etc âĶ.to which I answered no âĶ.he was getting more and more exasperated âĶ.so he asked me for my supposed new address . I said well if you have my policy ( which doesnât exist ) you should know that âĶ.at which point he put the phone down .
I has a very similar call a week ago. Caller addressed me by name. When I told the caller I had no such policy she then asked if I was (she used a different first name this time). When I said no, she then said she had the wrong number and rang off.
Obviously a scammer trying to get my bank details.
@Baz posted:I had a scammer claiming they wanted to refund me a hundred quid on a non existent washing machine repair policy . He asked me if my postcode was blah blah, was my address blah blah , etc âĶ.to which I answered no âĶ.he was getting more and more exasperated âĶ.so he asked me for my supposed new address . I said well if you have my policy ( which doesnât exist ) you should know that âĶ.at which point he put the phone down .
Good for you. I do exactly the same
@El Loro posted:I has a very similar call a week ago. Caller addressed me by name. When I told the caller I had no such policy she then asked if I was (she used a different first name this time). When I said no, she then said she had the wrong number and rang off.
Obviously a scammer trying to get my bank details.
Yes, thatâs what they are after El âĶ.mine addressed me by name too .
Thing Iâd , I did have a policy like that about a decade ago âĶ.so Iâm wondering if theyâve hacked some sort of database ! Anyway , at least I managed to frustrate him .
@Baz posted:
I've been reporting these calls to the ICO for them to investigate.
That's what Which? people advise:
Lots of recent comments on this Which? page:
https://conversation.which.co....nce-cold-call-scams/