Scam Share Bulletin - 16/01/2025

The latest Scam Share Bulletin from Trading Standards Scotland includes the following:

• Recently Reported Scams
• Energy Grant Scams
• Booking Scams
• Phone Contract Scams
• WhatsApp Scams

• Ongoing Scams / Campaigns
• Self Assessment Scams
• Holiday Scams>

Read the latest Scam Share Bulletin here: The Latest Scam Share Bulletin

Get Safe Online and CIFAS have launched a new Check a Website page, an easy-to-use online tool which helps you to determine whether a website is likely to be legitimate or a scam before you visit it.

Where to report scams

Scams Bulletins from Aberdeenshire Council's Trading Standards Department - Bulletin 104 - 10/01/2025

Topics current in Aberdeenshire include:

• Bogus Callers and Rogue Traders
• Nottingham Knocker: Itinerant sellers who go door-to-door usually selling cleaning materials or small garden implements, usually at excessive prices.
• Read the Trading Standards Scotland leaflet about cold callers, called "Who's that knocking at my door?"

• Scams including:
• Facebook scam: Deliveries of firewood.
• The Little Book of Big Scams is available to read online.

• Miscellaneous
• Our ‘sniffer’ dog, Boo, has also been utilised with some success in the Aberdeenshire area.
• The Little Booklet of Phone Scams is available to read online.
• Also available is the latest Cybercrime bulletin from our colleagues at Police Scotland's Cybercrime Unit with guidance on online security resources.

• Scams Talks offered for local groups

Read the latest Scams Bulletin No. 104 from Aberdeenshire Council's Trading Standards Department HERE

Earlier Bulletins are also available:

• Read Scams Bulletin No. 103 from Aberdeenshire Council's Trading Standards Department HERE
  
  
• Read Scams Bulletin No. 102 from Aberdeenshire Council's Trading Standards Department HERE
  
  

Police Scotland Cyber Byte - January

This months Cyberbyte focuses on how online organised criminals use online social media and gaming platforms to groom and exploit children and young people into illegal activities. It is quite a stark realisation they are being targeted like this.

The Cyberbyte will provide awareness of techniques used by online criminals and links to some guidance, from our trusted partners, to support and assist in prevention of victimisation and also if there has been involvement, how to react.

Read the Police Scotland Cyber Byte bulletin for January here:  Police Scotland Cyber Byte for January

Have you?

• Received an email which you’re not quite sure about? - forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at report@phishing.gov.uk
• Received a suspicious text message? - forward it to 7726. It won't cost you anything, and allows your provider to investigate the text and take action (if found to be a scam).
• Visited a website you think is trying to scam you? - report it to the NCSC Report a suspicious website - NCSC.GOV.UK

You can read the Little Book of Cyber Scams HERE

Aberdeenshire Resident Loses £4500 to Push Payment Fraud

An Aberdeenshire resident lost £4500 to scammers at the weekend in what is commonly known as an Authorised Push Payment Fraud (APP).

APP scams happen when someone is tricked into sending money to a fraudster posing as a genuine payee. With APP scams, criminals often try to persuade you to take action in a hurry. They make you panic before you have time to think it through properly.

Be suspicious of a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be from a position of authority. Take your time, don’t be pushed into making a rushed decision and speak to friends and family regardless of what the criminals tell you. A genuine caller from the Police, Bank, HMRC or any trusted organisation will never call to ask you to verify your personal banking details, pin number or password.

If you are the victim of a scam contact your bank as soon as possible as they may be able to stop the transfer.

The following Police Scotland booklets provide further advice regarding phone and cyber fraud.

PSOS Little Booklet of Phone Scams

PSOS Little Leaflet of Cybercrime

CyberScotland Bulletin - November

The CyberScotland Bulletin for February includes the following topics:

• CyberScotland Week 2025
• Simple cyber security to P1s
• New Fearless Scotland campaign
• Protecting shoppers during Black Friday shopping
• and more...

You can read the latest CyberScotland bulletin for November:  CyberScotland Bulletin for November

You can read the Little Book of Cyber Scams HERE

Police Scotland Rural Matters Newsletter for October

A bi-monthly bulletin produced by the Police Scotland North East Division Crime Reduction Team aimed at keeping you up to date with what’s happening in our countryside

The October issue includes the following subjects:

• How partnership working is cracking down on organised crime gangs.
• The most common traffic offences encountered in rural areas.
• What makes a good chain for securing gates and property.
• Top 10 tips to help secure your rural property.
• Ways to help protect your property from flytipping.

Read the October Newsletter HERE

Thefts of Oil

Police are warning residents in Aberdeenshire to consider the security of their oil storage tanks after seeing recent thefts of oil from them. Read more

Where to report scams

Report suspicious behaviour in your community to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency

Report all scams to Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or through their web site at: https://www.advice.scot/

Scam emails should be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre via their new Suspicious Email Reporting Service at: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails/

You can also forward suspicious emails to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk.

If you receive a suspicious text message you can forward it to 7726. The free-of-charge "7726" service enables your provider to investigate and take action if malicious content is found.

Feel free to feedback any personal experience or information you may have of localised SCAMS as this allows Neighbourhood Watch Scotland to feed back any trends, types and general intelligence to their key partners.

Stay Safe.

Contact Neighbourhood Watch at the following email address:
info@neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk

Original Message Sent By Mark Armstrong (Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, NWS Co-ordinator, Scotland)