The five biggest scams to avoid as complaints soar to their highest ever level

FRAUD and scam complaints are astatine their highest level ever, information this period reveals.

Around 8,700 victims complained that their slope had unfairly denied them refunds oregon compensation betwixt April and June this twelvemonth – a emergence of 43 per cent connected the aforesaid play successful 2023.

More than fractional of cases related to online slope transfers wherever customers were duped into transferring currency to crooks.

The Financial Ombudsman Service has warned that these crimes are becoming ever much analyzable and convincing.

Harriet Cooke reveals the apical 5 biggest scams and however to debar them . . . 

PURCHASE SCAMS

PURCHASE fraud, predominantly from Facebook Marketplace, is simply a immense issue, accounting for 67 per cent of each propulsion outgo fraud, wherever customers are tricked into making a outgo to a fraudster.

Criminals database each mode of fake goods — including clothing, gaming consoles, phones and adjacent pets — for bargain prices online, and past vanish arsenic soon arsenic you wage them.

Many online platforms connection unafraid outgo options, but fraudsters person the unfortunate to wage via a slope transportation instead, which you should ne'er do.

The full fig of acquisition scam cases soared by 34 per cent from 2022 to 2023, portion the magnitude mislaid roseate 28 per cent to £85.9million, according to manufacture assemblage UK Finance.

That’s the highest nonaccomplishment and lawsuit full ever recorded for this class of con.

HOW TO AVOID: Never wage via slope transportation until aft you person received oregon collected the item.

If you usage PayPal past take the goods and services payment, not friends and household option, arsenic your acquisition volition beryllium protected.

TICKET FRAUD

CROOKS target hopeless euphony and sports fans by listing tickets for large events specified arsenic Glastonbury, Taylor Swift concerts, the World Cup and, astir recently, Oasis gigs.

Twitter and Facebook are some favourites for posting bogus tickets, according to TSB.

The slope said 1 caller scam progressive hacking into people’s idiosyncratic Facebook profiles and posting fake resale tickets to dupe their friends into sending money for them.

Frauds usually hap erstwhile performance tickets spell connected merchantability and again conscionable earlier the event.

Scammers usually inquire for the wealth upfront, past the tickets bash not travel through.

HOW TO AVOID: Only bargain from authoritative ticketing sites — specified arsenic Twickets oregon Ticketmaster’s look worth speech level — that database resale tickets securely.

Check if the summons seller is simply a subordinate of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers.

If it seems excessively bully to beryllium true, past avoid.

PARKING SCAMS

MOTORISTS are being targeted by fraudsters, with TSB seeing a immense emergence successful drivers being bombarded with texts demanding wealth for parking fines.

Clicking the nexus provided takes you done to a convincing, but fake, authorities website aiming to dupe motorists into reasoning they person parked incorrectly, oregon overstayed their clip slot.

The scam demands either a outgo that goes consecutive into a fraudster’s pocket, oregon to participate your idiosyncratic information, which tin beryllium utilized to hack into your slope account.

HOW TO AVOID: Never click connected links successful unsolicited texts oregon emails and ever treble cheque the website code is genuine.

ROMANCE FRAUD

THIS benignant of scam occurs erstwhile you deliberation you person met the cleanable spouse online, but they are utilizing a fake illustration to enslaved with you.

The process tin instrumentality weeks oregon adjacent months and ends up with you being convinced you are successful a loving relationship.

The speech volition past crook to currency due to the fact that for immoderate crushed — whether it beryllium visa fees, formation tickets oregon health issues — your caller “partner” needs to get immoderate earlier you tin unrecorded together.

The full fig of romance scam payments accrued 31 per cent successful 2023 from the erstwhile year, and are up 200 per cent from 2020.

This scam class besides saw its highest ever nonaccomplishment total, astatine £36.5million, and the highest fig of cases ever reported.

HOW TO AVOID: Don’t spot anyone you haven’t met successful real life.

Talk to a person astir immoderate “relationship” you are successful to get a consciousness check, and don’t get caught up successful affectional pleas for help.

Never stock your slope details with anyone.

INVESTMENT SCAMS

AS with romance scams, concern fraudsters volition physique up a rapport with you to triumph you over.

They past committedness fiscal opportunities similar gold, property, c credits oregon cryptocurrency that volition output unthinkable returns connected your cash.

Victims are typically snared by societal media posts, online ads, old-fashioned letters oregon acold calls from criminals.

There were 10,226 concern scam cases successful 2022 to 2023 and losses totalled £107.8million.

HOW TO AVOID: There are morganatic concern firms to bash business with, but ne'er put without checking the FCA registry to guarantee they are genuine by calling the authoritative institution number.