Scams
13 February 2024

Watch out for Valentine's Day romance scams

If you’re looking for love this Valentine’s Day, then online may seem like the easiest place to find it – but please remember to remain vigilant when online dating. While love is all around us at this time of year, if you’re currently single and looking to meet 'the one', be aware that, when it comes to online romance, not everyone is as nice as they may appear. In recent years, TV shows like The Tinder Swindler on Netflix have highlighted the fact that online scammers sometimes take advantage of people looking for love online. The act of catfishing – which involves setting up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes – is a common ploy they use. They then pretend to be romantically attracted to a victim by building up trust and then use manipulative and gaslighting tactics to demand money.  Many of us might be convinced that we could never fall for this type of scam but, sadly, it happens all too often, and victims are often scammed out of thousands of pounds. According to the BBC, there were 7,660 romance fraud cases processed in England and Wales by a self-reporting tool last year, up 60% from 4,842 in 2019.   Here’s some advice on the kinds of things to watch out for: Have you received an unexpected Facebook friend request, Instagram message, or WhatsApp? In this digital age, scammers frequently use social media and messaging apps to target individuals, often using bogus photos and stories to lure them in. Examples include Facebook friend requests or messages from someone claiming to be a highly qualified professional, such as a lawyer, doctor, neurosurgeon, soldier, or even charity worker. Fraudulent social media profiles will often show photos of the scammer in exotic locations, or helping others, but these photos have usually been copied from the internet and are not the person they claim to be. A reverse image search will often find where the image has been taken from. Look out for false promises These scams are often conducted over a long period of time, building up the victim's trust.  The scammer will often ‘live’ in a different country, explaining this is the reason they’re unable to visit, but promising to do so as soon as they can. They may promise lavish gifts and even offer to marry the victim, sending photos of the engagement ring they’ve apparently purchased.  Don’t be guilt-tripped into sending money Though many people won’t even meet their scammer, they will frequently be willing to transfer them vast amounts of money in the hope of a relationship. In fact, Islanders have lost hundreds of thousands of pounds in recent years. Once the trust is built, the scammer will ask for cash, often making the victim feel guilty if they don’t send the money. It may start with relatively small requests, such as to: help pay for a hospital bill pay for a child’s education donate to a church fund buy an iPhone or iPad to help keep in touch pay for phone calls to keep in contact with you pay for a ticket to visit you. Then the bigger payment requests start, and this is where many victims lose thousands of pounds. The scammer may request: money to put down a deposit on a house for you both money to help them pay a large building or legal invoice that, if unpaid, could mean they’ll be jailed. How to protect yourself from falling victim to a romance scam Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.  Remain sceptical and, if any warning signs appear, try to remove emotion from your decision, even if your ‘partner’ appears sincere. Don’t feel guilty for refusing to make a payment and if they insist, stop all contact – they’re scamming you. Don’t give out personal information, especially account details. Do a reverse image search of your admirer’s photos. Often these romance scammers will steal other people’s photos, so these may be featured on a legitimate person’s social media. Go to Google and search ‘How to reverse image search’. Watch out for inconsistencies in their story and grammar. Be cautious about what photos or information you share with the person. They may use compromising photos or information as blackmailing material. If you arrange to meet them in person, inform friends and family of where you are going.    Remember, anyone of any age, gender or sexuality is a target for these scams: If you’ve fallen victim to romance fraud or catfishing, report it to the States of Jersey Police straight away on 612612. The Jersey Consumer Council is a member of the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum and more information can be found on their website.
At Home
Scams
Travel
15 August 2023

What to do if you've been scammed

We’re often contacted by islanders asking what to do when they think they’ve been scammed. If you think you've been targeted by fraudsters or fallen victim to a scam and lost money, report it to the States of Jersey Police on 612 612 or visit fraudprevention.je Get advice about cyber security by calling 500 050 or emailing hello@cert.je. CERTJE is run by security experts who can advise on risk and provide expert assistance in the case of a cyber security incident. Check out the latest scams with Which?: The latest scam alerts from Which? - Which? News
Scams
13 July 2023

Island Games and Martin Lewis targeted by scammers

The Cyber Emergency Response Team (cert.je) has warned Islanders about three scams which are currently doing the rounds. As a member of the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum, we always encourage consumers in Jersey to be wary of any possible scams, and to question anything that you don’t think seems legitimate. In their latest warning, Cert.je say: “It’s an unfortunate fact of life that there are people out there who want to grab themselves money that they don’t have a right to. “Fraud in all its forms is big business – our friends at the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum report that something like 40% of all recorded crime is now fraud-related. And the bar for being able to successfully commit fraud is low. “Again and again, we’ve seen that news stories drive scamming campaigns. Last summer, people set up fake accounts to collect for Ukrainian refugees; last December it was the same but for victims of the L’Ecume II sinking and the Haut du Mont flats explosion. “This time the hot topics are the Island Games, Martin Lewis and EasyJet.”   Cert.je provided us with some more information about the three scams – and what Islanders should be looking out for.   The Island Games In the case of the Games, the scammers have set up fake Facebook groups promising live streams of the action for a fee. There are actually free streams being provided by the organisers. The largest fake group reputedly has some 3000 members, many of them local.   Martin Lewis The Martin Lewis case is what is known as a deepfake video – the creators have used artificial intelligence to create a video of something that looks very much like the MoneySavingExpert.com founder, but is not him. It’s advertising a product called Quantum AI, allegedly backed by Elon Musk. Those who ‘like’ the advert are likely to get a phone call or email asking if they want to invest.   EasyJet EasyJet has announced that they plan to cancel 1700 flights from Gatwick over the summer. The scammers are sending emails that, more or less, say ‘act now to get compensation’.   What to do Cert.je offer the following advice: The best guidance we can offer is to ensure you ask two or three questions: Is the site/group/email asking you to do something that means handing over personal data? Is it pressing you to do it straight away? If the answer to both of those questions is yes – proceed with extreme caution. Ask yourself another question: Is this official/genuine? In the case of the Island Games, the official Facebook page, Facebook group and YouTube channel for the games are all called Guernsey2023, and the official website is guernsey2023.gg. If there is a difference between that and the group you are in, then you’re in the wrong group. Similarly, EasyJet have an official website which will tell you how to reclaim for cancelled flights. Talk to the organ grinders – not the monkeys.   For more advice, visit cert.je or fraudprevention.je
Scams
Shopping
04 May 2023

Watch out for Coronation scams

Ahead of King Charles III’s Coronation this weekend, scammers have been attempting to take advantage of consumers looking to buy memorabilia online. The cybersecurity provider Kaspersky and Hertfordshire Police have issued warnings about dodgy websites, phishing emails and cold callers trying to take advantage of shoppers who want to buy a souvenir to mark the historic royal event. To encourage Islanders to be vigilant, we’re sharing this article from the Which? consumer news website.
Phone
Scams
24 April 2023

If in doubt, check it out!

Islanders are being warned about the latest attempt to scam money out of people, which involves them receiving a text or WhatsApp message from a loved one or friend claiming they've smashed or damaged their phone. The scammers then claim that they have a new phone and need some money as they also can no longer access their digital bank cards stored in their phone's wallet. Islanders in both Jersey and Guernsey have already lost thousands in recent weeks. Jersey Consumer Council Chairman Carl Walker said: "The golden rule with anything these days is if in doubt, check it out, especially if you've been contacted out of the blue by an individual or organisation. Call them back on their usual number and see if they have sent you a message before even replying to the initial message." Islanders are also being warned about paying deposits online for things like pets and rental properties. "Scammers are becoming more and more elaborate in their methods and now advertise things for sale or rent on local Facebook pages and, after building a relationship with those who show an interest, begin asking for deposits before viewing, ‘due to demand’," said Mr Walker. "Obviously there are genuine people out there, but if you ever need to pay a deposit or pay for something online, you should always try to use a credit card or PayPal, as both contain strong consumer protection against scammers and allow you to recover your money. If someone you haven’t yet met is demanding a bank transfer, alarm bells should start ringing." Islanders concerned about scams should call 612612 and report it immediately to the Fraud Prevention team at the States of Jersey Police, or visit fraudprevention.je.
Scams
14 February 2023

Love is in the air – just make sure it's genuine

It's Valentine's Day, and love is all around. But if you're currently single and looking to meet 'the one', be aware that, when it comes to online dating, not everyone is as nice as they may appear.  If you've watched The Tinder Swindler on Netflix, then you'll know that online scammers sometimes take advantage of people looking for love online. Catfishing – the act of setting up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes – is a common ploy they use. They then pretend to be romantically attracted to a victim by building up trust and then use manipulative and gaslighting tactics to demand money.   Many of us might be convinced that we could never fall for this type of scam but, sadly, it happens all too often, and victims are often scammed out of thousands of pounds.   Have you received an unexpected Facebook friend request?  In this digital age, scammers frequently use social media to target individuals, often using bogus photos and stories to lure them in. Examples include Facebook friend requests or messages from someone claiming to be a highly qualified professional, such as a lawyer, doctor, neurosurgeon, soldier, or even charity worker. The fraudulent Facebook profile will show photos of the scammer in exotic locations, or helping others, but these photos have usually been copied from the internet and are not the person they claim to be. A reverse image search will often find where the image has been taken from. From examples seen by the Jersey Consumer Council, profile names can often be a double Christian name such as David James, Paul Henry, or Mark Frances, although we’ve also seen examples that aren’t, such as one from a James Henderson.   False promises  These scams are often conducted over a long period of time, building up the victim's trust.   The scammer will often ‘live’ in a different country, explaining this is the reason they’re unable to visit, but promising to do so as soon as they can. They may promise lavish gifts and even offer to marry the victim, sending photos of the engagement ring they’ve apparently purchased.     Don’t be guilt-tripped into sending money Though many people won’t even meet their scammer, they will frequently be willing to transfer them vast amounts of money in the hope of a relationship. In fact, Islanders have lost hundreds of thousands of pounds in the last few years. Once the trust is built, the scammer will ask for cash, often making the victim feel guilty if they don’t send the money. It may start with relatively small requests, such as to: help pay for a hospital bill  pay for a child’s education  donate to a church fund  buy an iPhone or iPad to help keep in touch  pay for phone calls to keep in contact with you  pay for a ticket to visit you. Then the bigger payment requests start, and this is where many victims lose thousands of pounds. The scammer may request:  money to put down a deposit on a house for you both  money to help them pay a large building or legal invoice that, if unpaid, could mean they’ll be jailed.   How to protect yourself from falling victim to a romance scam Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.   Remain sceptical and, if any warning signs appear, try to remove emotion from your decision, even if your ‘partner’ appears sincere.  Don’t feel guilty for refusing to make a payment and if they insist, stop all contact – they’re scamming you.  Don’t give out personal information, especially account details.  Do a reverse image search of your admirer’s photos. Often these romance scammers will steal other people’s photos, so these may be featured on a legitimate person’s social media. Go to Google and search ‘How to reverse image search’.  Watch out for inconsistencies in their story and grammar.  Be cautious about what photos or information you share with the person. They may use compromising photos or information as blackmailing material.  If you arrange to meet them in person, inform friends and family of where you are going.     Remember, anyone of any age, gender or sexuality is a target for these scams: If you’ve fallen victim to romance fraud or catfishing, report it to the States of Jersey Police straight away on 612612.  For more information, go to the Jersey Fraud Prevention website.