Criminals are finding new ways to make their scams more convincing.
Here are 4 tips to help you stay safe online.
1. Do not trust what you read on social media
Scammers are creating fake videos, photos, and social media posts of celebrities promoting investments.
These posts often include:
- realistic-looking videos of famous people
- convincing fake testimonials
- comments from "successful investors" (which are actually fake accounts)
Even if a post has hundreds of likes and comments, it could still be a scam.
Always check the Financial Conduct Authority register at register.fca.org.uk to make sure you're dealing with a real company before you consider investing your money.
2. Limit what you share online
Scammers can use your social media posts to target you.
They look for details about:
- when you're away from home
- the products and services you use
- if you're going through a tough time
Please think carefully about what information you post online. And if anyone contacts you unexpectedly (by phone, email, or text), don't share any information. Instead, end the conversation and contact the company directly using the official phone number from their website.
3. Only use official contact details
When you search for a company's contact information on Google, you might see an ‘AI overview’ that give you a website, phone number, or email address to contact.
These answers can be wrong, and scammers can influence the content of these answers to trick you into contacting them instead.
Make sure you get contact information directly from a company's official website, not the AI overview.
4. Agree a secret word with your friends and family
Scammers can now copy phone numbers and email addresses, and they can even impersonate voices. They're using these to impersonate loved ones who need help - like someone urgently needing to be sent some money.
If a friend or family member contacts you out of the blue asking for money in an emergency, please stop and think - is this out of character, and is there anything I can ask to double check who they are?
Some people find it helpful to agree on a secret word they can use with friends and family to check their identity in an emergency.
What to do if you think you're being scammed
No legitimate company will ever rush you into making decisions about your money or pension.
If you think someone's trying to scam you out of your YCB pension, contact us right away.
For any other scams, report them to Action Fraud by:
Reporting scams is important because it helps stop other people from losing money too.
Is it a scam?
To help you check if a pension opportunity is a scam, use the FCA’s ScamSmart website.