Staying safe online

The government's 'Stop! Think Fraud' campaign is a one stop shop for everything you need to know about protecting yourself online. 

For advice on identifying a scam call or message, go to: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/scams

To report a suspicious text message, forward the text to 7726 so the mobile phone provider can investigate.

damian hinds

 

To report a suspicious phone call, or other potential scams, contact Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or by calling 0300 123 2040

damian hinds

You can also report suspicious emails to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) vis their Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS),  using [email protected]. More information about their service is available at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails

If you are a business, charity or other organisation which is currently suffering a live cyber attack (in progress), please call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 immediately. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note, if you are member of the public you must call to report through their core opening hours.

The Cyber Essentials Scheme helps businesses guard against cyber attack, and there is more information at: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials/overview

For other organisations that may be helpful, go to: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/useful-organisations

 

Citizens Advice also operate an online Scams Action programme, and you can get advice from a Scams Action adviser by calling 0808 250 5050. The service is open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Calls are free from mobiles and landlines. There is more information at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/get-help-with-online-s…

The Take Five campaign also offers useful information on how to prevent fraud. Go to: https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/

 

Victim Support

If you’ve been affected by crime, Victim Support can give you the help you need to move forward. Their services are free, confidential and available to anyone in England and Wales, regardless of whether the crime has been reported or how long ago it happened. Call their support line on 08 08 16 89 111 or request support online.

 

Below are two booklets that may also be helpful in understanding Romance Fraud and how to identify the most common scams:

 

Attachments

Attachment Size
Romance Fraud booklet (1.26 MB) 1.26 MB
Little Book of Big Scams (2.91 MB) 2.91 MB

News

Stop! Think Fraud

For this week's column for the Herald and Post I return to the subject of fraud...    I wouldn’t normally answer a call on my mobile if I didn’t see a number I recognised.  But the other day I did.  It had rung several times; perhaps it was something important. “Oh, hello.&nbs

Stamping out online abuse

This week's article for the Herald and Post looks back at the last parliamentary session and forward to the King's speech next week...   Last week, the prorogation of Parliament marked the end of the extended 2022-23 parliamentary session.   MPs have a number of different roles, bu

Why we all need to be safe online

My article for this week's Herald and Post looks at the ever present danger of cyber fraud...   Last month at the CyberUK conference, the Cabinet Office minister, Oliver Dowden, warned companies not to “leave their digital back door open to cyber crooks and hackers.”  This was a speech s

The heartbreak of Romance Fraud

This article was written by Damian and published in this week's Herald and Petersfield Post: "Criminal gangs and fraudsters are opportunists at heart, and Valentine’s Day is a good time to remind people of just how sophisticated ‘romance fraud’ scams can be, and how devastating for the individuals

Tackling fraud

Banks are doing a lot to tackle fraud. We need social media to be similarly incentivised. Damian's recent speech on the Financial Services Bill.

Unleashing the potential of credit unions

The Financial Services Bill will boost them as an alternative to high-cost lenders — but there is much more to be done to unleash credit unions’ full potential. Damian's recent speech in Parliament

Online Safety Bill - making the internet safer for all

This article was written by Damian and published in this week's editions of the Herald and Petersfield Post: "The Online Safety Bill was introduced to Parliament last week – a much needed, and truly landmark, piece of legislation, that will make the internet a safer place for everyone in the UK, an

Romance fraud - protecting yourself and others

This article was written by Damian and published in this week's Herald and Petersfield Post: "Romance and fraud are two words that do not belong together.  But we are seeing a growing trend in this type of deception, not only by opportunistic individuals but also by the calculated and organise

Taking steps to tackle fraud

This article was written by Damian and published in this week's editions of the Herald and Petersfield Post: "Back in September I had the opportunity to talk with staff during a visit to the TSB branch in Alton about the challenges of tackling fraud.