Paul’s warning on equity scams - P16 FBI hunt for the crypto queen - P15
Old people hit by criminals - P2-3
C O M M U N I T Y W A T C H L A N C A S H I R E T I M ’ S N E W P L A N TO B E AT t h e COW B OYS - P 1 3 C I T I Z E N S A DV I C E H I G H L I G H T S T H E TO P S C A M S - P 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2
Investment scam warning P11
Of all age groups, it was victims in their 50s who suffered the biggest total loss in each one of the three years, Action Fraud’s figures show continued on page 3
2 ELDERLY FRAUD VICTIMS commun itywatchp ublishing@gmail.c om T: 01268 566743 M: 07958753 92 Published by: Community Watch Publishing, 110 Clifton Avenue, Benfleet, Essex SS7 5QU Tel: 01268 566743 07958 475392 Email peterfau67@ gmail.com Editor: Peter Faulkner Website communitywatchpublishing.co.uk
Pensioners have been cheated out of almost £1b and now crooks are buying their personal data for just 16p
People in their 20s and 30s repor ted the most incidents of fraud, but their losses averaged less than half those of the over 90s, at £2,391 £825 million over the same period
Pensioners are easy prey to the criminal gangs after their cash
And exper ts fear the true figure could be higher, as many pensioners are too scared to repor t crimes or don’t realise they’ve been a victim
million stolen, an average of £6,097 each
Money Mail analysis of Action Fraud figures reveals scam victims aged over 70 lost about £977 million in total between April 2019 and 2022
The ver y elderly, aged between 90 and 99, repor ted £116
And this is despite the age group accounting for 19,059 of the total 178,772 cases logged among the over-70s.
THE elderly could be suffering a ‘silent epidemic’ of fraud after it emerged the over 70s have lost almost £1 billion in the past three years.
Personal data and wealth sold online for just 16p
One major bank says its figures also show the amount of money lost to fraud increases with the victim’s age
Posts adver tising data for sale such as ‘UK old age high income leads’ are prevalent on the social networking site , according to an investigation by the BBC
“It’s a silent epidemic If you have eld erly relatives, or people you care for, you can almost assume they are going to be a victim.’
A Bloomberg report has accused Apple and Meta of handing over sensi tive data to cybercriminals who had been impersonating police, and who managed to steal data from numerous tech companies using the trick.
BBC Breakfast Live was apparently able to purchase the details of 1,000 people living in Britain for just £160.
“This is in contrast to the more com mon purchase scam, where we typically see younger people tricked into buying things such as fake trainers, with the amounts involved smaller overall but occurring more frequently.”
Fraudsters also know younger people typically have less money to lose , whereas those approaching retirement have often accrued large sums of sav ings
UK businesses are reportedly getting caught by fraudsters more often than the global average.
where they are pressured into sending money to crooks posing as banks and tax officials, as they tend to trust figures of authority
The concerns follow repor ts last week that sensitive and private data of wealthy elderly people is being sold to scammers on Facebook for as little as 16p.
He also warned that Google and Facebook need to do ‘ a lot more ’ to stop people’s money disappearing ‘in a puff of smoke’ after responding to a fraudulent adver t online
The personal data was said to in clude names, home addresses, email addresses, estimated net worth as well as estimated income bracket.
Exper ts suggest older generations are more at risk from impersonation scams,
This might not have been the first in stance in which Meta has handed data over when it shouldn't have.
from page 2
The BBC laid the blame squarely on Meta for not scrubbing its platform clean from this type of illegal activity.
Professor Keith Brown, formerly of Bournemouth University and an exper t in safeguarding adults, says: “The fraud that occurs among elderly people who live alone is under repor ted and victims are too ashamed to come forward.
The Daily Mail revealed last month that Britain has become the fraud capi tal of the world and is campaigning for a major overhaul to the system.
When confronted with this investiga tion on LBC radio, technolog y and digi tal economy minister Chris Philp admitted fraud is a ‘huge problem’ and ‘shockingly’ still growing
But today’s pensioners are also the potential victims of today’s criminals who see them as easy targets.
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Wealthy pensioners are particularly at risk, the BBC says, with many Face book posts advertising sets of data with tags such as “rich people”, “high income”, “home owners”, and “old age”
“And vulnerable elderly people , such as those with dementia, are at higher risk as they are unlikely to realise they have been scammed.
Liz Ziegler, director of fraud and fi nancial crime at Lloyds Bank, explains: “Older people tend to be at higher risk of more complex scams, like investment, impersonation or romance scams, with fraudsters going to great lengths to con vince their victim to hand over their cash
Irish regulators have decided to force the social media giant to stop sending users ' data to the US, forcing them to store data locally.
Professor Brown added: “It’s about loneliness, too. Older people who live alone and do not have someone in the house to “ sense check” things are more susceptible to coercive control.”
The news comes as the way in which Facebook handles data is coming under greater scrutiny, at least within the EU
TODAY’S pensioners are able to live a fairly luxurious lifestyle with mortgage free homes, holidays abroad and regularly dining out with friends on their pension pots.
Anyone can find the private details of a person on the dark web, but now it seems the criminals are buying that data off Facebook groups for just 16p a person
Unfortunately being young and a long way from home ownership might not protect you from cyber crime
Meta has responded to the allegations, saying: “We remove this content when we become aware of it and have taken down the groups in question.”
A solid majority 64% of UK firms experienced an instance of fraud in the last two years, an increase from 56% in 2020, and well above the global average of 46% according to PWC's Global Economic Crime Survey
TENS of millions of fraudulent texts and tens of thousands of SIM cards have been blocked with the help of an antifraud ser vice
The Home Office said another net work reduced fraudulent texts by 97 per cent and cut “smishing” when fraudsters sent text messages claiming
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The Home Office said that telecoms body Mobile UK’s 7726 anti scam ser v ice had been key in the reduction of scam texts and the hike in disconnected SIM cards sending fraudulent messages
The Home Office said figures show that repor ts to the ser vice had dropped by nearly 90 per cent from 500,000 repor ts down to 50,000 since August last year.
His comments came alongside a re por t from Action Fraud that stated the public had made over 12million repor ts to the Suspicious Email Repor ting Ser v ice (SERS), with the removal of more than 83,000 scams and 153 malicious websites continued on page 5
“I would urge ever yone to be vigilant of unexpected messages or calls that ask for your personal or financial infor mation,” he added
tendent Oliver Shaw, from City of Lon don Police’s Action Fraud, said this month that phishing scams “continue to pose a significant threat for both indi viduals and businesses”
Anti-scam service makes texts and messages disappear
The 7726 anti scam ser vice provides operators with information and intelli gence to help them tackle fraud.
It claimed this was “in line with the reduction in scam messages reaching customers”, adding the National Cyber Security Centre’s takedown ser vice had also removed 2 7million scams online in the past year
New data from the telecoms body showed that one provider blocked 142 million fraudulent texts in nine months, while another disconnected 60,000 SIM cards that were sending scam texts.
However, Detective Chief Superin
to be from reputable companies to gain access to personal information from other networks by 76 per cent.
BEATING FRAUD 5
All banks provide advice for customers about best course of action to faced withyet dangerous
What to do if you think its a scam
from page 4
“In October 2021, Ofcom revealed that 45million people the majority of the UK population had received a scam text or call in the period June Septem ber 2021,” it said
Whilst the public become more aware of some scams, others continue to ap pear in their place .
Home Secretar y Priti Patel said: “I am committed to tackling the scourge of fraud and to protecting the public from these crimes
scam.
an obvi
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Priti
Actions included putting firewall solu tions in place to detect and stop scam texts reaching customers The firewalls use sophisticated monitoring and filtering to identify and block fraudulent mes sages
the
rise in scam texts during the pandemic , which saw consumers defrauded of around £2 35bn last year ”
Signed by BT EE, Sky Mobile , Tesco Mo bile , Three , Virgin Media O2 and Voda fone , the Char ter sets out nine voluntar y actions to protect individuals and busi nesses from fraud.
The Home Office stated the char ter was developed “in response to a dramatic
Never
Patel
This included introducing firewalls to block fraudulent messages and carr ying out extra checks on SIM cards.
It said the most impersonated organisa tions in phishing emails repor ted last year were the NHS, HMRC and gov.uk.
“We will shor tly be publishing a strat eg y setting out fur ther actions we can take with industr y to crack down on this despicable crime ”
for a message that comes out of the blue. 2 Only click on a link or download an attachment if you’re sure it’s genuine. 3 Look at the spelling and layout. If it has mistakes or looks odd in any way, don’t reply and delete. 4. Take your time. A scam may use warnings or threats to try to get you to act with out thinking 5. Double- check before you pay. Confirm payment details before you pay an invoice or bill. 6. Call the person or business on a number you trust, not one from an invoice or message. 7 Besides blocking the sender and deleting the text, recipients can also report the text they receive to 7726.
This year, the Treasur y Committee pub lished its findings into the state of fraud across the financial ser vices and banking sectors, and beyond.
All major UK networks pledged to roll out these measures, which were set out in the Telecommunications Fraud Sector Char ter agreed between the Home Of fice and Telecommunications sector in October 2021
What else is the Government doing on fraud?
Fur themore , the Committee is urging for the Government to legislate when it comes to reimbursements for “autho rised push payment fraud payment” to assist victims fur ther when they are tar geted by fraudsters.
take when
1. The broad advice is to keep money and details safe. move money, personal details
or banking
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make a payment or give
Fraud and suspicious text messages surged during the pandemic , prompting network providers and the Government to enact a series of measures in the past nine months to give greater protections to consumers
The group of cross par ty MPs’ repor t called on the Government to legislate against online fraudulent adver ts and se riously consider whether online giants should reimburse those who fall victim to scams on their platforms
“This means they face even greater risks of being caught by unscrupulous and illegal practices by those who are
● Energ y scams (12%)
● Rebates and refunds (28%)
These have included emails claiming to be from the regulator Ofgem asking people to enter their bank details to get the £400 energ y rebate , or claiming the government is giving £200,000 out at random to people who are of pen
She was targeted by a scam which saw the fraudsters spend almost £1,000 on her card despite her having never shopped online
● You suspect you ’ re not dealing with a real company, organisation or a genuine person take a moment to step back and double check
The most common types of scams reported included:
● Deliveries, postal or courier ser vices (55%)
MILLIONS more people have been tar geted by scammers as the cost of living crisis takes hold, new research by Citizens Advice has found
● Health or medical (13%)
She said: “When I checked my bal ance my hear t literally dropped. I had no money, I couldn't buy any food
intent on exploiting the already difficult situation people find themselves in "
● Banking (27%)
● Repor t the scam to the Citizens Ad vice website or by calling 0808 223 1133 Repor t online scams to the dedicated Scams Action ser vice either online or on 0808 250 5050
Cost of living criminals
● Someone offering a fake investment or financial ‘get rich quick’ schemes (29%)
While the government is providing £37 billion this year to help families with the cost of living, it is disgraceful that scammers are using the difficult times families have been facing to rip them off.
● It seems too good to be true for example , scammers pretending to be energ y companies to lure people into “too good to be true” deals
6 SC AMS ALER T
More than three quar ters of UK adults said they have been targeted by a scammer this year - a 14% increase compared to this time last year
“I went to Citizens Advice , I was so distraught and really upset I really do not know what I would have done without the food and fuel vouchers as I don’t have anyone to ask for help
If you’ve been scammed:
● Someone pretending to be from the government or HMRC (41%)
MP, Paul Scully, said: “While the gov ernment is providing £37 billion this year to help families with the cost of living, it is disgraceful that scammers are using the difficult times families have been facing to rip them off
Citizens Advice has seen a range of different cost-of-living scam tactics used by scammers
“I urge ever yone to repor t scams to Citizens Advice so we can stop these crooks in their tracks ”
● You’ve been pressured to transfer money quickly
“My bank did manage to get my money back, but the whole thing was extremely stressful ”
● Also repor t the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
sion age , disabled or on a low income
Sheree , 65, lives alone and has around £800 a month from her private pension and Personal Independence Payment benefit to cover essential bills and care
● You’ve been asked to give away per sonal information such as passwords, PINs or other verification codes
● Talk to your bank or card company immediately if you ’ ve handed over any financial and sensitive information or made a payment
PAUL SCULLY, MP
John Herriman, Chief Executive of Char tered Trading Standards Institute , said: "Ever yone is at risk of being scammed but the cost of living crisis results in more and more consumers facing increasing levels of vulnerability.
● Online shopping (24%)
communi tywatchpu blishing@gmail.c om T: 01268 566743 M: 0 7958753 92
● Text scams can be repor ted to your mobile phone provider by forwarding it to 7726
Citizens Advice consumer exper t Jane Parsons gives her five top tips to stay scam aware She warns:
● You’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way like by an iTunes vouchers or a transfer ser vice
Ahead of many households receiving vital government help for the cost of living crisis, Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Par tnership have launched their annual Scams Awareness campaign to help people protect them selves from oppor tunistic scammers
Numberless credit and debit cards are now being introduced by many banks as a way to cut down on fraud and also make changing your banking details much easier within the app
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don’t want one at all Seven in ten (71%) said it’s because they don’t see the benefit.
Numberless cards were first intro duced in Europe by UK payment ser v ice company Cur ve in 2020, but Apple’s numberless credit card was the first mainstream product on the market when it was launched in the US in March 2019
Numberless cards are a growing trend with credit and debit card providers, said to be more secure than cards that prominently display banking information.
Number’s up for criminals
Earlier this year Barclaycard removed numbers from the front of newly is sued credit cards, and NatWest fol
lowed suit in April Other banks that have redesigned their debit and credit cards in this way include HSBC and First Direct Banks and credit card companies claim removing numbers reduces the risk of fraudsters stealing your personal details, as they're much less prominent Chase , which launched in the UK last September, says that having no numbers at all protects customers should they lose their card Instead, your payment details are stored in the banking app
So here’s everything you need to know about this new trend: These are debit or credit cards which feature no digits that includes the card number, expir y/issue date and CVV number.
HSBC , for example , says it wanted the front card design 'to be simple , clean and effective to benefit our cus tomers with disabilities. By moving all the text to the back of the card, the text can be bigger and bolder
Usually, it’s just the front that’s blank, with the details appearing on the back instead, but some cards have no num bers at all.
However, customers aren't necessar ily as on board as the banks In a sur vey of 1,097 Which? members in July 2022, around a third (36%) told said they have already received a number less card
Most (83%) members who do cur rently own a numberless card, however, claim their experience of using it is no different than before .
Since then, the trend has spread to the high street, with major banks and credit card providers jumping on the numberless bandwagon
B ANKS including Chase , HSBC , First Direct and Barclays are among the banks to have stopped issuing credit and debit cards with 16 digit numbers across the front in a bid to tackle fraud Instead they either put them on the back of the card instead, or in the case of Chase doing away with num bers altogether
Of the majority (63%) who haven’t currently got one , around half (46%)
However, having no numbers on show still does not stop fraudsters completely, so you still need to be vigi lant The fact that a card still exists digi tally means there is still a risk your details can be stolen and used online . What if I am blind or partially sighted? Removing the notches and embossed numbers from the front is likely to concern customers who are blind or par tially sighted, but many have been designed with these people in mind.
If you think a fraudster has somehow got hold of your card details, you can generate new details within the app and then carr y on spending as usual
With almost half (45%) of those sur veyed saying they don’t know if they want one or not, it’s clear a lot of peo ple remain unsure about numberless cards
“This is utilising the eyes and ears of the public and we have seen a significant increase in reports from the public via Operation Snap.
Brien of Rosette Walk, Swinton, claimed to be a reputable businessman and fed his victims a series of lies before threatening them and attempting to dis appear
Its payback time
The judge ordered him to hand over all the money available to him which is currently being held by the police Callister profited £4, 638.70 and was ordered to repay the lot
The judge said the offences “ were so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified” as he jailed him for a total of 36 weeks
The force continues to tackle anti so cial driving offences through Operation Snap a secure online portal where the public can upload footage of suspected traffic offences
The 46 year old, who has more than 50 previous offences including rape, was jailed conning unwitting customers out of thousands while leaving their gardens a mess
A DRUGS boss and his money launder ing girlfriend have been ordered to pay back £25k of their ill gotten gains Christopher Williams, 32, made more than £100,000 leading a gang which flooded the streets of Barrow-in-Furness with heroin and crack His 26 year old par tner Lauren Callister, made £4,638 helping him launder dir ty cash
Patrick Brien also branded District Judge Bernard Begley an “a******e” and said he wouldn’t pay the ordered com pensation in an outburst as he was sent down at Manchester and Salford Magis trates Court.
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In his jeans pocket was £2,615 in cash and four mobile phones were also
Drugs beats burglary
A PRESTON drug dealer said he sold heroin and crack because it was better than burgling houses.
“There is new and more widely used dashcam technology available which can be used to support, educate and in some cases prosecute people who commit of fences on our roads.
These are just a few examples of dan gerous driving captured on dashcam which featured in a video montage re leased by Lancashire Police.
As he was led away Brien said to the judge “You muppet. I’m not paying you nothing. I’m not paying s**t. “a******e”.
Since its launch towards the end of 2021, more than 1,400 submissions have been made by road users across the county
Using that footage, Lancashire Police have been able to take positive action in 58 per cent of cases.
Brien’s sister Katrina O’Brien, whose account some of the money was paid into, was also convicted over the con and was handed a community order
Supt Mark Morley of Lancashire Po lice’s Tactical Operations Division, said: “This is an innovative approach to keep ing our roads safe. Lancashire Police have worked ver y hard to set up Operation Snap to allow people to report offences of anti social driving.
DANGEROUS drivers on Lancashire’s roads have been targeted by police after thousands of dashcam videos were sub mitted by motorists
At a Proceeds of Crime Hearing , Judge Simon Medland QC said Williams made a total of £102, 089 82 from the conspiracy, but only had £19, 589 23 left.
seized, Beth Pilling, prosecuting, said. Beg, 50, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine, as well as possession of criminal property in the form of cash. He appeared at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced Judge Medland QC sentenced Beg to three years each for possession of 5.73g of heroin and 8 9g of crack, with nine months for possession of criminal prop erty All the sentences will run concur rently.
He was also ordered to pay compen sation order of £2,126 to one victim and £526 to the other
CRIME A AND COMMU NITY NEW S
A LANDSCAPER who took thousands of pounds for work he never finished called a judge a “muppet” as he was jailed
An impatient motorist driving on the pavement, a driver undertaking a cyclist and a near miss collision with a van trav elling on the wrong side of the road while overtaking a vehicle.
Cowboy trader
Some of the images captured on dashcam and submitted to the police
Dangerous drivers are caught on camera
Police raided Mohammed Beg's home on Fishwick Parade and found him sitting in the front room surrounded by drugs, scales and burnt tin foil.
While members of Williams' gang peddled miser y on the Cumbrian streets, Williams and Callister jetted off to a luxur y villa in Thailand
Ghafar, of Halifax Road, Nelson; Mars den, of Taunton Avenue, Rochdale; Powell, of Cheney Close, Openshaw; admitted one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. All four men admitted conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Ahmed, of Rossall Road, Rochdale, was found guilty of being concerned in an arrangement which facilitated the acquisi tion, retention, use of control of criminal property by others
“This was plainly a national and interna tional operation." The offences were committed from March to June 2020, at the height of lockdown
Two men were seriously injured after members of the Cox crime gang struck in a meticulously planned heist The han
Marsden, 37, as well as others including Leon Atkinson were involved in multi kilo deals of cocaine Atkinson, 44, was de scribed as a 'regional' cocaine supplier who sold on drugs imported into the UK by a contact
One drug dealer complained about how lockdown had made drug dealing difficult and vowed to move to Dubai
“As long as I can make money that all that matter..." Adam Marsden said in one EncroChat message, the hacking of which proved to be the Greater Manchester based gang ' s downfall.
Nathan Powell, Leon Atkinson and Adam Marsden, who ran a drugs ring across Lan cashire
lion, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Atkinson took on 13 kilos of the 30 kilos of cocaine stolen in an audacious armed robbery at the stashhouse of a no torious Liverpool gang
The judge said this case proved ' no ex ception', and said the £9 million figure represented 'the sort of level and scale of drug dealing that was going on ' . Atkinson was jailed for 15 years
CR IME E AND COMMU NITY NEW S
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dover of the 13 kilos took place near Manchester City's training ground, as Powell, 33, picked up the drugs from the Cox's courier Michael Nevin, 35, who de scribed himself as a 'gangster trans porter'
Chat, downfall of an empire
The law enforcement's hacking of the EncroChat network proved to be the un doing of the drugs network.
Two men also acted as couriers for the outfit, including 'hard up ' taxi driver Romiz Ahmed, 39, who laundered millions of pounds worth of drugs money for crime bosses Abdul Ghafar, 46, known as 'Shaggyfarmer' on the highly secretive En croChat network, was linked to almost £6 5 million and Ahmed to nearly £2 mil
“Those involved in the conspiracy to transfer criminal property were involved in transferring, in the space of three months, £9,331,090
“In the period covered by the indict ment, Mr Atkinson, Mr Ghafar, Mr Mars den and Mr Powell were part of a network of organised criminals and crime groups involved in the supply of substan tial quantities of class A controlled drugs, in particular cocaine," prosecutor Richard Wright QC said
AN international drugs network peddling huge amounts of cocaine laundered more than £9 million in dirty money even dur ing the height of lockdown.
He was linked to at least 28 kilos of co caine. Marsden was linked to 12 kilos and Nathan Powell to 13 kilos, with the pair being described as 'distributors' lower down the chain
Marsden received nine years and eight months, Ghafar was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison, while Ahmed received six years All will serve half of their sentences in jail
The pair ferried huge amounts of cash around the country, including from loca tions such as Liverpool, Leeds, Birming ham and London and right across Lancashire
gerous man will be off the streets for a significant time and will be unable to target any other children ”
“She hasn’t had a chance to discover who she is or who she is meant to be She wants him in prison so he can’t do this to anyone else .
A DISCOUNT store owner has been prosecuted and fined this week after a disposable vaping device was sold to an underage teenager during a test pur chase operation by Lancashire County Council trading standards team
The association has also called for all outlets that sell vaping products to be licenced with the funds raised from these licences and fines to be allocated for trading standards to increase enforcement action
He had tried to evade detection by changing his name but was jailed for three and a half years for that offence in July last year It was during that inves tigation that the rapes of the 13 year old were uncovered.
Chris Morriss groomed the young ster by buying her presents before assaulting her to satisfy his per ver ted sexual urges
“This sentence means that this dan
While Trading Standards applaud these types of prosecutions the fines being handed out fall way shor t of being a deterrent
The girl described how her whole family had changed because of what Morriss had done and how he had robbed her of the chance to be a nor mal teenager.
government to take immediate action to increase the fine to a minimum of £10,000 per instance for underage vape sales
This is why the UK Vaping Industr y Association (UKVIA) has called on the
Life for the evil paedophile who wrecked a 13 year old’s future
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“It is now time to take swift and im mediate action against these rogue traders who are giving this industr y a bad name and putting our young peo ple at risk
fined for selling vape device
Morriss, 49, formerly of Denecliff, Liv erpool was convicted of ten rapes on the 13 year old and was jailed for life earlier this week.
“In her Victim Impact Statement the girl said her whole family has changed because of what he did to her as all they do is worr y about her.
A PREDATORY paedophile who repeatedly raped a teenage girl has been jailed for life
“The impact of his actions on this teenager cannot be overstated he has effectively stolen her childhood
Chris Morris
“He groomed her with gifts before taking full advantage of her for his own sexual gratification without any regard for the damage he was causing her.
Lancashire Police launched an investi gation in 2021 after it came to light Morriss had breached the terms of the sex offenders register since his release from prison for previous sexual of fences
Store to under age teenager
Brett Gerrity, senior crown prosecu tor for the Nor th West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “Chris Morriss is a dangerous sexual predator who has ruined another young girl’s life .
Director general of the UKVIA, John Dunne said: “While the majority of re
tailers are following the rules, for the small minority of those that are not, enough is enough
“Small fines like these are frankly a joke and don't send the right message " #vapingconversations #bet terretailing #vaping #ukvia
“We worked closely with Lancashire Police to bring him to justice in order so he can pose no fur ther harm to chil dren.
CR IME AND COMMU NITY NEW S
He must ser ve at least 11 years be fore he is eligible to apply for parole The judge described him as a danger ous offender.
Sgt Mar tin Walker, of South CID, said: “Morriss is a dangerous and predator y paedophile who groomed this young girl and then repeatedly raped her
“The life sentence he has been given should reassure the public how seri ously the Criminal Justice System take such offences.”
In one case, 49 year old Angela Under hill was persuaded to download remote desktop software to secure an invest ment and lost over £48,000 while scam mers accessed her banking details, her pension, and applied for loans on her be half
Using platforms including Teams, TeamViewer and Zoom, screen sharing scams not only involve consumers shar ing their financial data but scammers have also been able to embed them selves in victims’ digital devices to access online banking and investment details.
The research also revealed other fac tors which might tempt investors to make a snap decision: 23% said they would be encouraged if the person they were speaking to appeared knowledge able about investing; 17% said the possi bility of securing better returns than elsewhere, and 14% would be encour aged if that person appeared to be suc cessful with displays of wealth
In one case, 59-year-old Angela Underhill was persuaded to download remote desktop software to secure an investment and lost over £48,000 while scammers accessed her banking details
Its research shows 51% of investors would check the FCA’s Warning List be fore making an investment but 47% would not
With the pandemic increasing use of video conferencing and remote plat forms to both work and socialise, scam
mers are taking advantage of a growing familiarity with requests for screen shar ing.
However, of the 91% who said they would never share their PIN with a stranger, 85% would not think a request by a website to use or download soft ware as a warning sign that someone was seeking to gain illegal access to per sonal information on your device
The Warning List is a list of firms that are not authorised or registered by the FCA, and are known to be running scams.
Her case is just one of thousands the FCA has seen reported to its consumer helpline.
The FCA has found that nearly half (47%) of investors would fail to identify a screen sharing scam, as it reveals an in crease of 86% in cases in one year, with 2,014 cases and over £25 million in loses.
Although older respondents admitted needing more help with technology, younger investors are not immune: a quarter (26%) of those aged 18 34 would agree to screensharing their on line banking or investment portal with someone they had not met.
Angela clicked on an advertisement for bitcoin and received a call from individu als claiming to be financial advisers
WITH over £25 million lost so far, the FCA launched its latest ScamSmart cam paign urging people to be aware of increasingly sophisticated investment scam tactics
Likewise, while 88% said they would check if their investments were offered or sold by FCA firms, 10% of these peo ple would still trust their gut instinct with an investment opportunity from someone they didn’t know without mak ing proper checks, like ensuring the firm or the financial promotion is properly authorised.
The FCA is calling on all investors to be ScamSmart and check the advice on our Scamsmart website, including their Warning List before making any invest ment decisions
This will help identify any firms that are actively running scams, or flag to in vestors where additional research is needed If you deal with an unauthorised firm, you will not be covered by the Fi nancial Ombudsman Service or Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if things go wrong
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FC A SC AM RESEARCH 11
Offering to complete the first invest ment for her, they asked her to down load the ‘AnyDesk’ platform, which then gave the scammers open access to all the financial details on her computer
The campaign aims to raise aware ness of criminals tactics and help in vestors spot the warning signs by checking its warning list
Get smart to protect savings
A fur ther 28 per cent resor ted to leaving bad reviews online , and more than a quar ter posted about it on social media. However, 15 per cent admitted they did nothing
At face value , it is not easy to distin guish between a rogue and a genuine professional It is therefore essential for homeowners to do their own due diligence .
HOMEOWNERS are urged to be on their guard against rogue traders when having work done on their home , fol lowing a rise in complaints.
It may also be wise to check the firm out on Companies House , to see how long it has been trading
According to the data, 43,359 people in England repor ted being scammed by cowboy builders in 2021, a huge 31 per cent rise from the 33,064 repor ts in 2020.
confronted the tradesperson.
Complaints about cowboy builders soared by almost a third last year com pared to the previous year, according to Citizens Advice Bureau.
When seeing poor quality work, nearly a third of Britons claim to have
More than half of Britons have had someone knock on their door unin vited saying they could help with work on their proper ty, according to Nation wide .
However, it's impor tant not to just take the tradesperson's word for it. Most trade associations will have a di rector y of their members
For more help go to helpdesk@ kiistone co uk or see Page 13
What is a rogue trader? Generally, individuals or companies who carr y out work to such a poor standard that it requires fixing or redo ing to bring it up to the required level are considered rogue traders.
It can also help getting multiple quotes for any major job, asking each tradesperson questions to assess their exper tise and decide whether or not you trust them.
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trades most likely to be targeted by rogue operators
Once work has begun it can quickly become a ver y disruptive and expen sive mistake For example , poor work on the kitchen is likely to cost more than £4,500 on average to put right.
Despite the poor quality work, al most two in five said the money paid wasn't returned. Of the 48 per cent of people who did get some back, only one in five were fully refunded
With more than 14,000 complaints lodged in the first four months of this year, there could be a similar number of complaints recorded in 2022. It also revealed that window fitters, kitchen fitters and general builders were the
A great first step for homeowners is to always demand proof of a trade body membership from any trades person they are considering hiring
Rogue builder complaints
More than two in five Britons have either fallen victim to one or know someone who has, according to re search by Nationwide .
ROUNDING-UP THE COWBOYS 13
Kiistone is the key to peace of mind and is a small price to pay when you calculate the thousands you could lose or the condi tion your home coud be left in
Sole traders can have their private pos sessions seized, but directors of limited companies cannot be held personally liable
They pointed out that the process, time, stress, and money involved are dispropor tionate, certainly against rogue traders who know the chase to recover money is often off putting so people just let it go
John Ward from Burnley has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of using false names to adver tise and solicit building work in Bris tol via the Rated People website
Adam Priestley, who conned 58 victims across Yorkshire and Lancashire out of almost £500,000, was jailed for five and a half years by Leeds Crown Cour t
This CCJ will blight their credit record for six years, but it is not a criminal of fence for them to ignore the ruling.
A legal epert told Kiistone, that the sys tem is unfit for purpose for claims under £3,000
The likelihood of the client getting any financial compensation is virtually nil So having lost money to a rogue trader, you now have to face up to the fact that you are still no further forward
Figures from the Registry Trust show that only 16% of CCJs in England and Wales were recorded by the courts as satisfied between 2020 and 2021, which means the vast majority went unpaid
Mark Buck, 49, from Somerset, was described by Trading Stan dards as " one of the worst rogue builders" it had ever had to deal with. He has now been given five years in prison by Bristol Crown Cour t after taking money from customers and leaving them with water pouring through their ceilings
M a r k B u c k o n e o f t h e w o r s t ro g u e b u i l d e r s
Built to reflect Tim's 23 years experience as a tradesperson, Kiistone safeguards all parties interests in a project by holding monies safely in escrow (a neutral bank account)
The trader also benefits because they know the money is ‘ringfenced’ allowing them to purchase materials and invest time in a job leading to immediate payment on completion
CONVICTED 3
For claims worth less than £300, the cost of pursuing the defendant can exceed the sum they owe
A judge will almost certainly rule in your favour and award you damages to cover your losses Also the trader will have what is known as a CCJ against his or the company ’ s name which affects his reputation
This can all be avoided with if people sign up to the Kiistone App.
In extreme cases of negligence where a continuous pattern of fraud can be proven criminal convictions can be brought as our rogues gallery proves To book a call contact helpdesk@kiistone.co.uk
CONVICTED 2
The App has been produced by Tim Mullock and it has been specifically de signed to ensure that builders cannot rip you off like the criminals opposite
All messages, extras and job changes are recorded on the spot to avoid misunderstandings and reflect both parties' conduct should a dispute arise
Rogue trader gallery
And that is the catch say Kiistone County Court cases can take up to nine months to get to court and enforcement is effective only if the defendant has sufficient assets
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During each issue we will be highlight cases of shoddy and often dangerous work so that you take the correct steps before employing any builder to do work on your home. To be safe and to be sure, use the Kiistone App and this will save you untold heartache and heartbreak...and money.
CONVICTED 1
It offsets project stages against money milestones where funds can only be drawn down after a stage has been completed to the customers satisfaction
Kiistone, key to peace of mind
Kiistone, which aims to protect con sumers from rogue traders, provides peace of mind to honest tradespeople and re store faith and improve the image of the building industry.
IF you lost money because you paid a rogue trader up front and he disappeared without completing the work, you have an option get a County Court judgement
They said there needs to be a speedier system with an automated recovery
process if the defendant fails to provide evidence to the court that they’ve paid ”
The Kiistone App is a revolutionary way to approach major building work and hopefully will end the reign of hundred’s of rogue tradesmen
“People feel very alone and isolated when they’re in that situation them selves, so knowing that somebody else has been a victim of this type of crime and is still suffering from all of the experiences that they’ve had as a child I think is really crucial ”
“It shows us that these types of high profile stories really do have an impact with the public, and it’s resonating with those who might have spotted something concerning or might have been in a situation that’s similar to Sir Mo’s and the story that he told to the BBC,” she said.
In the documentary, Sir Mo said he was helped to obtain UK citizenship by his school PE teacher Alan Watkin son, while still using the name Mo hamed Farah.
Police nationwide say residents everywhere should be aware of the slave trade at places like car washes
Sir Mo Farah was brought to the UK illegally as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant, something that is hap pening today
I’m so proud have represented Great Britain and to achieved what I have as a GB athlete. But, not all children have the start in life I had and I did this documentary to help highlight the problem SIR MO FARAH
AVE
In truth, it's on the increase, with the number of potential victims of modern slavery in the UK up by 20%. The term modern slavery is used to encompass any form of human trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced labour, and is a lucrative practice; it is the world’s third most profitable crime, behind drugs and arms trafficking, generating an estimated $150 billion in profits every year
Some victims are pressurised to perform non consensual or abusive sexual acts, such as prosti tution, escort work and pornography. Women and children make up the majority of victims, but men can also be affected.
He said:: “I’m so proud have repre sented Great Britain and to achieved what I have as a GB athlete But, my proudest achievement will always be being a husband and father to my amazing family
They might also have their benefits taken over by their exploiter and can even be used for organ harvesting, the illegal removal of a person ' s internal organs which can then be sold
Sir Mo stands up for slaves AS A SL
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These figures are concerning enough on their own; more so
In the UK alone, there are thought to be around 136,000 people living and working in conditions of modern slavery, in cluding in nail bars, construction sites, restaurants, cannabis farms, car washes and across county lines.
when taking into account the fact that, according to a survey conducted by Themis last year, 30% of financial services profes sionals - and 45% of senior managers - do not think modern slavery exists in the UK
“I did this documentary for them, so they could understand more about the experiences that led us to becoming the family we are today. Not every child will have the easiest start in life, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go on to achieve their dreams
14 TRAFFICKED
A TRAFFICKING charity has said they have seen a 20% rise in calls and a 15% rise in overall contact since Mo Farah an nounced in a documentary that he was trafficked as a child.
Victims are forced to work against their will, often working very long hours for little or no pay in dire con ditions under verbal or physical threats of violence to them or their families. It can happen in many sec tors of the economy.
Justine Carter, director of Unseen UK, said some callers had explicitly mentioned Sir Mo as a prompt for reaching out
She is the only woman on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list
She has been missing since 2017 when US officials signed an arrest war rant and investigators began closing in on her.
The person wanted the cer tificatemandator y to enter many public places in Italy but didn't want the vaccine
The 11 sectors most directly im pacted by counterfeiting are estimated by have lost more than €83 billion in sales between 2013 and 2017, EUIPO said in its latest repor t
Two warrants were carried out at commercial premises on Indigo Road and Eastham Village Road A third war rant took place at a residential address on Sutherland Drive Officers from PIPCU, with the sup por t from the Nor th West Police Intel lectual Proper ty Crime Unit, seized 32,254 fake CDs being sold on Amazon
Crypto Queen on the run
Criminals being chased...in their own Ferrari
COUNTERFEIT CDs
Federal investigators accuse the fugi tive of using the scheme to defraud vic tims worldwide out of more than $4bn (£3.2bn).
RUJA Ignatova, also known as the "Cr yptoqueen", has been placed on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list
EUROPEAN member states lose out on €15 billion of tax revenues annually because of counterfeiting, the EU Intel lectual Proper ty Office claimed.
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Forged cash seized
Nurse IN COVID arrest
Wanted in Britain, he went on the run while on prison furlough while ser ving time for drug trafficking
SPANISH police have rescued six workers who were left trapped and gasping for air in a counterfeit cigarette factor y located in a bunker four metres underground, police and Europol said
It was the first underground counter feit cigarette factor y discovered in the European Union. Police found the site underneath some stables near Moran, a mountain town in southern Malaga
Police believe that the two suspects are par t of a larger criminal enterprise , dealing in the trafficking of counterfeit cash to Ukraine , and Western Europe consequences "
FAKE FAGS factory
CRYPTOQUEEN HUNTED
POLICE in Italy say they secretly filmed a nurse in Palermo, Sicily, loading up a dose of Covid 19 vaccine , then empty ing it before injecting a patient
Among those arrested was a 30 year old British national identified only by his initials D D who was believed to be one of the ringleaders
dollars and euro notes
EU loses €15b in tax
THIS Ferrari can do more than 200mph and was once the proud posses sion of notorious criminals. Now, it is being used to chase them. Police in the Czech Republic have added their livery to a Ferrari 458 Italia which used to be "criminal property”. Featuring a highly tuned 4.5 litre V8 en gine, it will be used to pursue the "most aggressive drivers on Czech high ways " , officers said. It will also be deployed against illegal races which pass through different countries, of which there were about 30 a year before the coronavirus pandemic. Such events feature vehicles similar to the Ital ian supercar with "extreme performance that normal patrol vehicles can not fully compete with", Czech Police explained. It has covered only 2,000km (1,242 miles).
The European body noted for in stance that an increasing array of medi cines including cancer therapies or hear t disease medications are being counterfeited "with potentially deadly consequences "
The nurse did the same thing with some family members known to be anti vaxxer activists Even her own booster dose was fake , say police
Ignatova also owns a £13,5m man sion in London which is kept under regular sur veillance
OFFICERS from the City of London Police’s Police Intellectual Proper ty Crime Unit (PIPCU) seized counterfeit CDs wor th an estimated loss to the in dustr y of £169,708, during warrants in the Wirral, Merseyside .
Capable of producing more than 3,500 cigarettes an hour, the manufac turing complex was fitted with living quar ters and beds
In addition, more than 670,000 legiti mate jobs were lost while governments missed out on €15 billion in tax revenue per year
The Bulgarian woman, believed to be in her 40s, is wanted for her alleged role in running a cr yptocurrency scam known as OneCoin
The prosecutor’s office said the amount of counterfeit money taken in was $4 million and €3 6 million
In a joint operation with the US Se cret Ser vice , Bulgarian police detained two people employees at the univer sity and seized a printing machine and equipment for printing money, along with large amounts of counterfeit US
POLICE seized high quality forged ban knotes produced at a printing office at a university in Bulgaria's capital
“There are cer tain steps any prospective client should under take and the two most impor tant one ’ s are to make sure that any firm work ing in your behalf is member of the Equity Release Council and the Financial Conduct Au thority,” said Paul continued on page 17
Beware of companies that are not under the Equity Release Council banner Avoid advice companies that charge percentage based or high Advice Fees Beware of any hidden costs Make sure the
But the owner of one of the fastest rising young companies, the multi award winning Viva Retirement Solutions, has issued a warning about scammers.
Beware that a company offering the lowest interest rate maybe not the best in the long term for you
Paul Saroya said the in dustr y is well regulated, but because of vulnera bility and also the immediate needs of people , they can be given the wrong advice .
And the judges turned round and said: “This firm just moves up an other gear each year, they're just so open and positive towards industr y issues, which aren't nec essarily their focus, they continue to evolve ever y year and are ver y proac tive in how they do that "
Paul Saroya is proud of this and said that Viva continues to enhance his reputation whilst making sure that bad advce does not get a foothold in the industr y
Viva Retirement So lutions has won the Mor tgage Solutions Best Financial Advisor award for Equity Release seven years in succession in cluding 2022 which is testament to its integrity.
i v
V a t i p s t o s a f e g u a r d y o u r F u t u r e advice you get is for your future as well as the here and now
16 EQUIT Y RELEASE T: 01 268 566 743 M: 0795 875392 c ommunitywatc hpublishi ng@gmail.com Unlock the value of your home with a lifetime mortgage For qualified and impartial advice, call us on 0800 046 9776 www.vivaretirementsolutions.co.uk A lifetime mortgage is a long term commitment which could accumulate interest and is secured against your home. Equity release is not right for everyone and may reduce the value of your estate. A fee of up to £750 is only payable on completion of your Lifetime Mortgage if you proceed with an application. Viva Retirement Solutions is a trading name of Viva Retirement Ltd and is an Appointed Representative of Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Number: 604664. Registered Ofce: 4 Severnvale, London Colney, St Albans, Herts, AL2 1TE Registered Company Number: 10756078 Registered in England & Wales. If you’re over 55 and own your home, you could be eligible for a lifetime mortgage. We’re here to help by advising you on all the options available to you. Sol11231
ELDERLY home owners facing the current finan cial crisis are turning to Equity Release as a way of either enjoying their twilight years or helping family onto the housing ladder
The two most important steps to take before employing any company to negotiate equity release for you, is to make sure that firm is FCA registered and is also a member of the Equity Release Council
Equity release , when done properly with the correct advice , and through a reputable company, can help those aged over 55 access the wealth tied up in their homes.
more than £1bn and the fraudsters work by convincing homeowners to hand over personal details under the guise of helping them find the best deal
Advisor Steff AMiles
Generally there has been an influx of interest in this market due to higher borrowing and low rates of interest, and this can attract the wrong types of peo ple such as scammers and fraudsters.
PAUL SAROYA, Viva Retirement Solutions
dvisor David AHulin dvisor Dawn Evans
“Always check their registration num ber before you employ their ser vices and that way you protect yourself from criminal activity
“There are serious pitfalls if you choose the wrong adviser and this can lead to a negative impact on what is left for children Our team of advisers ex
“Viva Retirement Solutions has always put the customer first and one way we do this is by charging just £750 fees while other companies charge in excess of £1500 or a whopping 1.95% of the loan
“Now with 16 advisers maintaining our high customer ser vice standards it has never been more impor tant to en sure we aler t potential clients to some of the risks out there .
There’s been a massive increase in the number of over-55s being targeted for cash which is locked up in their homes
“This isll the more reason to sign up to a reputable company backed by the FC A and the Equity Release Council,” added Paul
EQUIT Y RELEASE 17 T: 01 268 566 743 M: 0795 875392 c ommunitywatc hpublishi ng@gmail.com
plain ever y eventuality to the client whilst making sure that equity is protected either for their children to bene fit ”
A w a r n i n g t o make sure you get the right advice
They are then bombarded by mar keting calls until they give in, but the vic tim is simply speaking to salesmen who have paid for those details, then sold to the highest bidder
“That way you are protected, but there are many companies promoting their ser vices who claim to have FC A regis tration when they do not
Find out more about Equity Release from the Viva Retirement Solutions website at www vivaretirementsolu tions.co.uk or call them free on 0800 046 9776
A lifetime mortgage is a long term com mitment which could accumulate interest and is secured against your home. Equity release is not right for everyone and may reduce the value of your estate
Stay alert to scammers
The market is thought to be wor th
From page 16
18 CRIMES TOPPERS NEW S c ommu nitywatch publishing @gmail.c om T: 012 68 5667 43 M: 07958 75392
The criminals deliberately preyed on consumer vulnerability, par ticularly older people living alone or those with long term health conditions
Crooks decide to pay up
Working with US colleagues at the Federal Trade Commis sion, action was taken against the perpetrators in 2018, which saw them agree to forfeit $30m in cash and assets, of which $25m was made available to compensate victims
NTS, which was commended by the US Attorney General for its role in the investigation, has since worked to secure the first compensation scheme across international borders in the UK
Louise Baxter, head of the NTS Scams Team, (pictured above) said: “This marks a major milestone in an investiga tion that star ted four years ago Falling victim to a scam can have a huge emotional impact on individuals so I’m delighted that we can use the proceeds of these crimes to provide
The criminals Kevin Brandes, William Graham, Charles Floyd Anderson and their companies had sent tens of mil lions of deceptive personalised mailers to individuals around the world, in the so-called ‘Next Gen’ sweepstakes scheme .
compensation to thousands of UK vic tims, with the help of our network of Trading Standards Officers
The mailings enticed victims by asking for an upfront fee ranging from £25 to £40 Many paid the fee several times before realising there was no prize , with the highest individual losses in the UK running into thousands of pounds
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“Collaborating across borders with the Federal Trade Commission has proven highly effective We are confident that this approach of obtaining proceeds of crimes from international fraudsters to compensate UK victims could be replicated in the future ”
The NTS investigation identified a criminal enterprise based in Kansas as the source of the mailings.
Victims will be issued with a preloaded card which they can spend in shops or pay into their bank accounts.
An estimated seven million UK ad dresses were targeted by US based fraudsters offering alleged cash wins and ‘guaranteed’ cash prize pay outs
After working alongside the US Federal Trade Commission, the NTS Scams Team has been able to secure a total of more than £530,000 in compensation to more than 3,500 victims, marking a new approach to obtaining proceeds of crime from international fraudsters
IF you have been a victim of a massmar keting scam, here’s good news from the National Trading Standards team UK victims will now be compensated following a landmark investigation by the NTS Scams team
They ran a classic and vintage car sales operation and held millions of dollars in a variety of bank accounts
“Once the application is downloaded, the cryptocurrency is deposited in the wallet of the account in the app of victims
The FBI has claimed that some crypto in vestment apps commit fraud by assuring in vestors they provide investment services.
In 2021, the same case was found where the app owner pretended to be a U S fi nancial organization to make money
likely to be done with Phoney Bitcoin apps.
Cryptocurrency scams claiming to fea ture advice from Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis have been spreading on Face book
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is worried about increasing crypto frauds and has issued a consumer alert concerning the increase in crypto scams
“After paying the tax, the victims couldn’t withdraw the funds ”
After a huge surge in fraud, the FBI has advised investors and institutions to use and download these apps carefully and han dle them with great intelligence
The investors are asked to download their application with the names and logos of trustworthy financial institutions by the bluff artists.
20 CRYPTO CONMEN
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Facebook and Mr Lewis eventually set tled after the social media giant launched a dedicated tool to report scam ads and do nated £3 million to a new Citizens Advice project to stop more from spreading
“Thirteen of the 28 victims tried to with draw the money from the app, but instead of withdrawal, they got an email in which it was written that firstly, they have to pay the tax on their investment after that you will be eligible for the withdrawal
Between December 2021 and May 2022, about 28 people were victimized in this cy bercrime, and the loss was estimated at $3 7 million
But these stories are all lies despite Mar tin Lewis taking legal action to try and stop people using his name to defraud innocent members of the public
In this country Facebook is continuously publicising articles about Money Saving Ex pert Martin Lewis and TV presenters Holly Willoughby and Philip Scholfield
In 2018, Mr Lewis launched a High Court legal battle against Facebook over claims that over 1,000 scam adverts on its plat forms have caused vulnerable people to hand over thousands of pounds to crimi nals.
Numerous adverts have been uploaded to Facebook’s Ad Library claiming that if people invest a small amount of money between £190 and £250 they can gener ate £3400 per month
On July 18, a report was released stating that 244 victims had lost about $42.7 million because of crypto cybercrime, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation has listed. FBI spokesman
THE number of cyber frauds is increasing day by day across the globe especially the alarming rise in cryptocurrency fraud
The Bureau said: “The Federal Trade Commission has marked that the cyber criminals are contacting U.S. investors as suring them to provide investment services and then influencing them to download their application, which cybercriminals have been using to defraud people.”
CR YPTO FR A UDS RISINGJUST IGNORE THE LIES
Two applications named Yibit and Supayos were found guilty by the FBI Both the apps were active from October, and November 2021, respectively, and the de velopers made money through them.
This is not the first time that Facebook has had to content with Mr Lewis’ image being used for scams
On July 18, a report was released stating that 244 victims have lost about $42 7 mil lion because of crypto cybercrime, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation has listed
The fraud has increased since December So, the FTC has alerted banks and investors about the activity, which is more