What online scams should we be on the lookout for?

It feels a bit like the scams are coming thick and fast these days. If it’s not criminals trying to clean out your bank account, it is hackers trying to get into your online accounts.
This week alone, I’ve won several million in an electronic sweepstake, had a surprise tax credit I must claim on my account, and at least two phone calls claiming to be from Revolut about my bank account. All clearly fake, in this case, but the scams are getting better.
So what scams should we be on the lookout for, and how can we avoid falling victim to them?
We got used to being targeted by well-meaning representatives of long-dead relatives, or opportunistic businessmen claiming to have a fortune waiting for the right investor (ie you). So now that the scams are coming from what we thought was a trusted contact, it can be a little disconcerting.
Take the recent WhatsApp scam, for example. A resurgence of an old trick, the main aim is to gain access to your WhatsApp account, and by extension your contacts.
When Sarah [not her real name] got a message from a family member asking for a security code he had “accidentally” sent to her, she was instantly suspicious. Something about the message didn’t ring true, so she messaged back, inquiring further. In the meantime, a text message from WhatsApp arrived, with a security code.
If that hadn’t confirmed her suspicions, the contact with the scammers certainly had. Several messages in, she knew it wasn’t her friend she was talking to, and any calls she placed through WhatsApp went unanswered, despite the account clearly being online. So she called him through a regular voice service, and he confirmed that he had been locked out of his account after falling for the same scam. It took a couple of hours to get back into the account, but by then the scammer had sent the same urgent request for help to all of his WhatsApp contacts.
It isn’t always as obvious though, especially if you are distracted.
It has become so widespread that the National Cyber Security Centre issued a warning about the scam a few weeks ago, outlining what users should do to avoid it, and next steps if they have fallen victim to it.
The motivation behind the scam varies. At best, it puts your contacts’ details at risk of being compromised by scammers; at worst, it could lead to financial loss or reputational damage for businesses who use WhatsApp to communicate with customers. And the latter should also be aware of the GDPR obligations on data breaches. Once the scammer has access to your WhatsApp account they can then repeat the process with your contacts, in the hopes of hooking someone else.
If you are hit by this scam, your first contact should be to WhatsApp directly. You can contact the company via email at [email protected]. The NCSC also recommends contacting An Garda Síochána.
Be suspicious, especially if the request is unusual or seems urgent. Scammers try to play on our fears and desire to help loved ones; it is okay to take a minute or two to verify a request.
Use two factor authentication on your WhatsApp account. This will allow you to set a passcode on your account that only you know. If you want to transfer your WhatsApp account to a new phone, you will need to enter the passcode to do so.
Never hand over your security codes to anyone, even if the message seems to come from a friend. And if in doubt, call the person who is asking for the information – but do it outside of WhatsApp.
Ah, Brexit. If it is not causing queues at Dover and delays on deliveries, it is changing the grocery shopping aisles across the Border. It has also been fertile ground for scam artists. A bit of disruption plays right into the hands of fraudsters, who will exploit it to their advantage. And for people who regularly receive packages from the UK, there certainly has been a lot of it.
The flow of messages informing you about your package stuck at customs may have slowed a bit, but as Christmas approaches, expect it to ramp up again. You know the drill by now: a text arrives to tell you that you have a package with customs charges due, and here is the link that allows you to pay. Oh, and if you don’t pay by [insert terrifyingly close date here], your package will be returned without delivery.
So you follow the link to what looks like a genuine site, pay the fee and no package arrives. But mysterious charges begin appearing on your account.
What to do now? If you suspect you have been scammed, alert your bank. They can help you take the necessary steps to secure your account. You may also want to contact An Garda Síochána.
To avoid falling for the scam, never click a link that arrives in a text message. The fake websites have become very good at mimicking the genuine article, so it isn’t as easy to tell at first glance if a message is a fraud or not.
If you do get a message alerting you to customs charges due, visit the delivery company’s website by typing the address – DHL, DPD, An Post, FedEx – into the address bar. All requests for customs payment will have a reference or tracking number included in the text; put that into the website, and if it is a genuine delivery, it will show up.
When John [not his real name] was looking for a specific gift for his granddaughter, it was proving extremely hard to find in real-world stores. But a website based in Dublin showed that they had it in stock, and it wasn’t too expensive, so he ordered it.
The payment option seemed odd – PayPal, but not as “goods and services” which one expect when buying from a trader – but he didn’t want to miss out, so he sent the money. The promised toy never arrived. And because he hadn’t paid for the transaction as goods and services, he had little recourse to claiming his money back. The website disappeared shortly afterwards too, confirming – as if there was any doubt – that this was a scam.
John views it as a cheap lesson. All the warning signs were there, he says, but he ignored them. Chalk this one up to experience and move on, and next time he will listen to his instincts.
In this case, it was a small amount of money. But small sums add up to a nice profit for scammers. The main lesson here is that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Do your homework on the retailer in question; a quick search online could reveal previous complaints of scams. And never pay for goods from a business (alleged or otherwise) as anything other than “goods and services” on PayPal, if you want to be covered by its fraud protection policies.
Tax credits: A text claiming to be from MyGov, alerting you that your “preapproved” tax credit can’t be processed, and directing you to a scam site to resolve it.
Phone plans: A scam text claims your phone service will be disabled as you have not accepted new terms of service.
Hi Mum: A text message claiming to be from a family member, saying they have smashed or lost their phone, and this is their new contact number. Inevitably followed by a request for financial help.