Phishing
Phishing scams have been around for some time and involve victims receiving an email claiming to come from their bank, asking them to update, validate, or confirm their details.
However, while these emails may seem genuine, once you click onto the links or open the attachment, fraudsters can use your details to gain access to your account.
“Older people can sometimes be more vulnerable to phishing and other internet scams,” says Martin Lock from SilverSurfers.com, a lifestyle site and social network for the over 50s. “These scams are becoming more subtle and harder to spot.”
SilverSurfers aims to make its online community aware by publishing regular insight articles.
“Common sense is generally the best safety net,” says Lock. “You wouldn’t give a stranger your bank details if you met them in the street, so don’t do this when you are online.”
Courier scams
Also known as “vishing,” courier scams involve people receiving unsolicited phone calls from scammers posing as police or the bank, and warning of a fraudulent payment on their card – or that their card is about to expire.
The fraudster will then attend the person’s address or send an innocent courier company driver to collect the card; in some cases, they will provide them with a “replacement” fake card.
Lender loan fraud
Some scammers pose as payday lenders or credit brokers and then get consumers to hand over their details.
But once they’ve got this information they pass it on, or take out sums without the person’s consent.