How Easy It Is To Become A Victim...

[spathiphyllum]

Unless you're SK. ;)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46765681

When i signed up to get my TV license, i did it through the governments website.

It has clear instruction of how they will contact me, when and why. So if i got a random email claiming to be the TV licence company, i'd know it was a scam.

It seems it's just too easy to fall for these kind of things these days.

[Barmaid]

I think you do very well to remember how someone will contact you and when and why. I am absolutely sure that out of what seems like eleventy billion service providers, banks, insurances, online accounts they have ALL told me when, how and why they will contact me and I cant remember one of them. And this is what these fraudsters rely upon. As long as they can make their site look reasonable, small details can easily be overlooked. It says "tvlicencing" in the title so it must be OK. So we think that it is what it says it is. It's only if you are alert to the possibility of a scam that you dont follow links or type in details and question it.

This is similar to the fake policeman, fake gasman, fake utility man etc who are so successful at preying on the elderly. He looks like a policeman, he says he is a policeman, therefore he is a policeman.

People are slowly getting the message but there are some who are still good targets. The trouble is the more people who get the message, the more sophisticated they will make their scams.

[Barmaid]

They emailed me today, Spath. Now I assume email is my preferred contact - it is for most things but I cant remember anyway. This is the point, I really wouldnt know who has my email address and who doesnt.

[archibaldy]

These scams used to be laughable but they are only becoming more and more sophisticated.

Never use the links provided in emails unless you requested the email for password reset or other purpose that you are 100% sure was triggered by you. Always search in google to ensure you get to the legitimate site.

Never give out bank, card or password details unless you made the call yourself - if someone asks, hang up and call the organisation back using the number obtained from google or paperwork sent to you by the organisation.

Banks and card companies will never take responsibility for your own negligence.