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These are the current top 5 scams and they're detailed in the article below, along with mitigations.
Regarding those mitigations, it's actually even easier than they say to avoid falling into the trap by simply not responding to anything unsolicited and avoiding all those dodgy ads on Facebook and the like. It's so bloody obvious and easy to avoid these that if there weren't so many gullible fools out there, fraud wouldn't be running at £17 billion at the moment, even without effective protection by the law, an absolutely staggering amount of money. That's enough money to run a large corporation, or parts of the country.
I recommend watching the Scam Interceptors series on iPlayer where all 20 season 2 episodes are available now.
www.bbc.co.uk
Here's a story of my encounter with a scammer that you'll like.
I got yet another O2 scam call the other day, the latest of about 10-15 of these annoying calls over the last few months. This time, instead of just hanging up as soon as I heard what the call was about, I thought I'd instead wind up the shithead that was trying to screw me over - and I got him good.
He started by asking how I was and then offering me a discount on my current O2 contract. I don't have an O2 contract.
I replied that I don't have a contract with O2 and would he still like to offer me a discount on it. The dumb shit said he would! I then carefully repeated that I don't have such a contract so how can he offer me a discount on it and still he insisted that he wanted to offer me a discount on it! Total facepalm, seriously.
Then in my most derogatory voice, I repeatedly told him I knew he was trying to scam me, but he kept on denying it. I then started insulting him in the most demeaning way, swearing and saying various unmentionables, being as un-PC as possible, making sure to cross various red lines (use your imagination). After about 30 seconds of this, he started getting irate and began throwing insults back at me, at which point I threw one or two more insults and just hung up. Him or his cronies didn't ring back, but I'm sure I'll hear from them again in the not too distant future, sigh.
So satisfying to ruin Shithead's day.
Suggestions for even more creative paybacks are welcome.
The thing I've noticed from previous encounters with scammers of all kinds and also from watching YouTube videos of scambusters in action, is that it doesn't matter how much you call them out for what they're doing, they'll steadfastly deny it to the last. Just unbelievable; I'd like them to admit it, just once. I don't know what they think they have to gain by denying it when they've been so solidly rumbled.
Regarding those mitigations, it's actually even easier than they say to avoid falling into the trap by simply not responding to anything unsolicited and avoiding all those dodgy ads on Facebook and the like. It's so bloody obvious and easy to avoid these that if there weren't so many gullible fools out there, fraud wouldn't be running at £17 billion at the moment, even without effective protection by the law, an absolutely staggering amount of money. That's enough money to run a large corporation, or parts of the country.
- The “Hi Mum” Scam
- Loan Fee Fraud
- Online Marketplace Scams
- Pig Butchering (awful name, but nothing to do with butchering pigs thankfully)
- Social Media Account Hacking
I recommend watching the Scam Interceptors series on iPlayer where all 20 season 2 episodes are available now.
BBC One - Scam Interceptors - Five scams to watch out for right now
Five scams to look out for
Here's a story of my encounter with a scammer that you'll like.
I got yet another O2 scam call the other day, the latest of about 10-15 of these annoying calls over the last few months. This time, instead of just hanging up as soon as I heard what the call was about, I thought I'd instead wind up the shithead that was trying to screw me over - and I got him good.
He started by asking how I was and then offering me a discount on my current O2 contract. I don't have an O2 contract.
I replied that I don't have a contract with O2 and would he still like to offer me a discount on it. The dumb shit said he would! I then carefully repeated that I don't have such a contract so how can he offer me a discount on it and still he insisted that he wanted to offer me a discount on it! Total facepalm, seriously.
Then in my most derogatory voice, I repeatedly told him I knew he was trying to scam me, but he kept on denying it. I then started insulting him in the most demeaning way, swearing and saying various unmentionables, being as un-PC as possible, making sure to cross various red lines (use your imagination). After about 30 seconds of this, he started getting irate and began throwing insults back at me, at which point I threw one or two more insults and just hung up. Him or his cronies didn't ring back, but I'm sure I'll hear from them again in the not too distant future, sigh.
So satisfying to ruin Shithead's day.
Suggestions for even more creative paybacks are welcome.
The thing I've noticed from previous encounters with scammers of all kinds and also from watching YouTube videos of scambusters in action, is that it doesn't matter how much you call them out for what they're doing, they'll steadfastly deny it to the last. Just unbelievable; I'd like them to admit it, just once. I don't know what they think they have to gain by denying it when they've been so solidly rumbled.
*That's an old idiom saying in the US that means a form of punishment.
