Scam safety guides
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The 159 Number: How to Reach Your Bank Safely When a Caller Claims to Be From It
How the UK’s 159 short code connects you to your real bank, why it cannot be spoofed, when to use it, and what it does not do, based on Stop Scams UK guidance.
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Solar Panel and Green Home Improvement Scams in the UK: Cold Calls, Fake Checks and How to Verify an Installer
How solar panel and green home improvement scams work in the UK, the most common cold-call claims Which? reported, and how to check an installer first.
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Private Car Sale Scams in the UK: Fake Listings, V5C Checks and Protecting Your Logbook
How fake vehicle listings work, what GOV.UK says to check on the V5C before paying, and how sellers can protect a logbook and report vehicle fraud in the UK.
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Gift Card Payment Scams: Why Criminals Demand Them and What to Do in the UK and US
Why scammers demand gift cards as payment, the common stories in the US and UK, and where to turn if a card number has already been handed over.
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Nuisance Marketing Calls or Scam Calls? What the Telephone Preference Service and ICO Cover in the UK
How to tell a nuisance marketing call from a scam call in the UK, what the Telephone Preference Service and ICO rules cover, and which body to report each to.
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Vehicle Warranty and Insurance Renewal Scam Calls: How They Work and How to Stop Them
The ICO fined one company £200,000 for warranty renewal scam calls. Here is how the tactic works and what to do when one of these calls comes in.
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Counterfeit Goods on Online Marketplaces: How to Spot Fakes and What Your Rights Are
A fake bought online can’t be checked by hand before you pay. Here is how Action Fraud and Citizens Advice say to spot one, and your rights if it’s already too late.
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Public Wi-Fi and Free Hotspot Risks: How to Stay Safe on Shared Networks
Free Wi-Fi is convenient but not automatically secure. Here is what Get Safe Online and the NCSC recommend to protect your data on shared networks.
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TV Licensing Scam Emails and Texts: How to Tell Genuine Contact From a Scam
TV Licensing publishes exact details on what its genuine emails and texts look like. Here is how to check a suspicious message against them.
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Task and Reward Scams: How Fake ‘Paid Task’ Job Offers Work on WhatsApp and Telegram
Lloyds Bank says reports of task and advance-fee job scams have risen 237% year-to-date. Here is how the scam actually works and how to spot it early.