Action Fraud have issued a fresh warning after it was revealed more than £50 million were lost to scams after victims were tricked into handing out their hard-earned cash.
The shocking figure comes as new data from the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime reveals that 20,144 people fell victim to scams where they were persuaded to grant criminals remote access to their device.
Sadly it was also discovered that each person who fell victim to the scams was said to, on average, lose a total of £2,868 with a total loss of £57,790,384 lost amongst all victims.
READ MORE - Aldi on why viral 'metro rolls' are not in Scottish stores after success in rest of UK
The warning comes as Action Fraud launched a new national awareness campaign this week to increase awareness around the safe use of remote access tools and to remind the public to think twice before allowing somebody you don’t know access to your device.
But what are these remote access tool scams?
Action Fraud has said that the scam will at first appear to be a browser pop-up saying that your computer is infected with a virus.
It could also start in the form of a call from someone claiming to be from your bank and that they have to connect to your computer in order to cancel a fraudulent transaction on your account.
After the person believes that their money is at steak, they will then ask you to download and connect via a remote access tool which allows the criminal to gain access to the victims computer or mobile phone.
They add that if the victim allows scammers to use the remote access tool, they are able to access the victims banking information and drain their accounts.
Action Fraud has said that in one case, a fraudster managed to trick someone out of £20,000 after they say they received a call from Sky stating they had an issue with their Sky box.
They explain: "The suspect persuaded the victim to download a remote access tool to their device which enabled the suspect to access the victim’s online banking and make a number of transfers to an account under the suspect’s control."
Another person also fell victim to this scam after a fraudster pretended their Amazon Prime membership had payment issues and needed remote access resulting in a loss of £1,000.
Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish, from the City of London Police, said: "While remote access tools are safe when used legitimately, we want the public to be aware that they can be misused by criminals to perpetrate fraud. We often see criminals posing as legitimate businesses in order to trick people into handing over control of their computer or smartphone.
“You should only install software or grant remote access to your computer if you’re asked by someone you know and trust, such as a friend or family member, and never as a result of an unsolicited call, browser pop-up or text message.”
How to protect yourself
- Only install software or grant remote access to your computer if you’re asked by someone you know and trust, such as a friend or family member, and never as a result of an unsolicited call, browser pop up, or text message.
- Remember, a bank or service provider will never contact you out of the blue requesting remote access to your device.
- If you believe your laptop, PC, tablet or phone has been infected with a virus or some other type of malware, follow the NCSC’s guidance on recovering an infected device.
- Protect your money by contacting your bank immediately on a different device from the one the scammer contacted you on.
- Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via police.uk. If you are in Scotland, please report to Police Scotland directly by calling 101.
