As the cost of living crisis continues its chokehold on the UK population, scam artists are getting better at fleecing people out of money.
Scammers are capitalising on peoples low fortunes by stealing money from their bank accounts, reports WalesOnline. Finance experts Vouchers.co.uk have researched five scams circulating the internet right now and how they are damaging people.
According to the expert findings, people in the UK could be at risk of being scammed out of £2,849 or even worse - the entire contents of their bank accounts, including savings.
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Mitchell Baxter, money-saving expert from Vouchers.co.uk said: “With the cost of living crisis putting millions of Brits out of pocket, more are likely to fall for circulating scams that are aiming to exploit the vulnerable.
“The best advice we can give is if the offer seems too good to be true, it usually is. To check an offer’s authenticity, close down the application whether it be a call or a text and access the relevant account on a different device. If your offer is valid, the customer service team at the relevant company will be able to verify this or confirm if it’s a scam.”
Read on below to find out more about the five potential scams that could put you at risk of losing money.
Fake cost of living payment texts
Given that the cost of living crisis is largely due to increasing energy bills, scam artists are fashioning fake texts claiming to be Ofgem.
They are requesting people to apply for a £400 rebate on their bills. Victims would be scammed by clicking the link, and entering their bank details.
This would result in a complete bank account wipe. The real rebate is being paid directly to energy suppliers by central government, and can only be accessed as a reduction to your energy bills over a six-month period.
Mobile phone provider discount scam worth up to £1,049
According to O2's customer service forum, many customers received phone calls from scam artists offering a 40 per cent discount. One unlucky customer accepted the call, and provided proof of her identity.
The scammer was then given access to her account through a security code she was provided, and could have fleeced her out of £1,049. Thankfully, O2 blocked the scammer from the account.
Car bargain purchase scam
Those looking to cut vehicle costs could be opting for purchasing a bargain motor on social media. However, Vouchers.co.uk warns drivers to be vigilant - as car scammers offering vehicles at too-good-to-be-true prices would then go on to pressure motorists to send deposit money to ‘hold the car’ before you buy.
In some cases, the car will either not exist or not be legitimately for sale. After you’ve paid the holding fee, which could be up to £1,500, the ad would disappear resulting in a loss of money.
£300 Royal Mail scam
Some scam artists are posing as delivery companies now, and requesting additional costs for delivering items.
If you are expecting a delivery, it could be easy to fall into the trap, which is a seemingly innocent text message from places like Amazon or Royal Mail.
One victim told The Guardian that she was expecting an import charge, clicked on the link in the text from the delivery company and completed the form.
Next, £300 was taken from her bank account and the victim spotted that the criminals had rapidly used the money to purchase themselves an electric scooter.
Food voucher scam to gain personal information
Email vouchers that are currently circulating from "supermarket chains" that claim to be offering people £45 off their next weekly shop.
The email contains a link, directing customers to an official looking website - a phishing scam - designed to steal log in credentials and purchase information.
Criminals could then go on to make a purchase on a victim’s behalf using their private information.
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