Millions of households across the country are keeping a close eye on their spending habits this summer in an effort to stick to a budget to combat the ongoing rise in everyday living costs such as food, energy bills and petrol. Inflation soared again in June to yet another 40-year high of 9.4% and energy bills are predicted to go up from £1,971 to £3,245 in October, putting even more pressure on purse strings.
Financial pressure can make people vulnerable to scammers offering fake deals, goods or refunds which turn out to be clever ploys to obtain personal details and gain access to bank or savings accounts. Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, has identified several scams specifically targeting consumers as a result of the cost of living crisis.
One of the most dangerous scams involves bank card refunds, where the fraudster claims they can help you get money back on things such as debit card purchases for an upfront fee.
