Latest Scam Alert from Trading Standards | Fishbourne Isle of Wight Parish Council

A resident reported a phone call alleging to be from Microsoft claiming that hed been hacked and that the hackers were using his computer to send illegal images – luckily this resident is very scam aware and informed the scammers that he would be contacting the Police and the Government!! The scammers soon disappeared – remember why would a multi national corporation be contacting us?? Scammers will use any kind of scare tactics to gain access to our devices, information and cash
Be wary of emails from TV licensing claiming that your direct debit has failed and telling you to click on a link – DON’T this is a scam. If you are unsure as to whether this might be genuine always check the senders email address or contact the organisation independently to check
If you are looking for contact details for an organisation online don’t click on any links that offer to connect you – there could be hidden charges that you are unaware of
Scammers are using Isle of Wight phone numbers again to try to con us – don’t assume that an 01983 number will be genuine
Businesses should also be cautious as they too can be scammed – any calls out of the blue, particularly offering advertising in brochures or supporting charities should be treated as potential scams
Scammers will hack email addresses and you think that the email comes from a friend or someone you know, these will generally be asking for help and because you think its someone you know you are more than happy to do what they ask! If you receive an email or facebook message from a “friend” pick up the phone and speak with them before sending any money – at the very least you are letting them know that they’ve been hacked
Be wary when accepting cookies online, this can be a gateway for scammers to gain access to your profile and information about you. Most genuine websites should now allow you to delete unnecessary cookies