The older person’s website, Independent Age, has put together a great guide to protecting yourself from scams. See below for details and links to the key information on their website:
Scams are ways to con you out of your money and there are many different types. You can avoid them if you know what to look out for and how to keep yourself safe. If you have been the victim of a scam, there is support available to you.
There are many types of scams to be aware of, such as:
- cost of living scams
- Winter Fuel payment text scams
- phone, email and text scams
- doorstep scams
- relationship scams
Be careful of scam text messages telling you to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment. These messages are trying to trick you out of personal information such as your bank details. The government will never ask you for personal or financial information by text.
If you think you might have given scammers your information, visit the Independent Age webpage
You can also read more about how to protect yourself in their Scamwise guide.
Avoiding Scams – Top Advice
There are different ways in which you can avoid a scam, and they can be hard to spot. Here are some things to look out for:
- offers that you were not expecting
- someone asking you to share your bank details or verify a password or PIN
- companies that call you many times and stay on the phone for a long time
- texts that seem suspicious
- any offers that tell you that you’re not allowed to tell friends and family about it
See the Independent Age advice on avoiding scams.
