Connect Hackney

Helen Evans from Toynbee Hall joined a Connect Hackney media group zoom conversation and advised the group on how to spot and avoid website and telephone scams.

When might it be a scam?
• If it’s too good to be true, someone you don’t know contacts you out of the blue – put the alarm bells on!
• If you are asked to give any personal information or details, don’t give them! Be alert, it could be
a scam. Ignore the caller and hang up. Block their number.
• If you’ve been asked to transfer any money, don’t!
• If you have spotted a scam or if you have been scammed, or if you feel threatened in any way
because you won’t give them the caller the information they want – just ring the police. If a scammer contacts you, keep a record of it and report it.
• If you have transferred money and afterwards think you have been scammed – if it’s within
24 hours then you should contact the police on 101. If you feel threatened, call 999.
• If your account details or your pin have been stolen, contact your bank as soon as possible.
• If a scam comes through the post, report it to the Royal Mail.

Resources
The Citizen’s Advice website. Information and advice on scams and an online scams helper – you enter information about the suspected scam and the online tool helps you work out if it’s genuine or a scam.
Search online for Citizens Advice online scams helper tool and you will find it.

They also have a Scams telephone action line: 0808 250 5050.
They are open Monday to Friday.

Action Fraud
Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime where you should report fraud if you have been scammed. Telephone 0300 123 2040.

This article originally appeared in Connect Hackney’s magazine Hackney Senior.

Download the full magazine here