Council warning to public after Plymouth pensioner caught in computer scam

Plymouth City Council Trading Standards Service is warning people to be wary of rogues who rip people off by offering to fix computer problems that do not exist.

One city pensioner paid nearly £1,400 to someone claiming to be from Microsoft who offered to renew his licence as well as carry out repairs. The scam is being highlighted as part of Scams Awareness Month which is a joint campaign run by Trading Standards and the Citizen's Advice Bureaux.

The scam victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, took a call from a man named Steve from '24/7 computer help' who told him his Microsoft licence had expired. He promised to renew his licence as well as carry out maintenance work on the computer.

To prove his credentials 'Steve' guided the pensioner to a very professional looking website which appeared to be endorsed by Microsoft. It was fake. He said: "This chap logged onto the computer, appeared to do some work and was very convincing. As I had a second computer, he also offered to carry out work on that."

A series of payments totalling £1,388 were made during last November and December, he said and added another payment for £240 was also taken off his Barclaycard for support work. A few months later the pensioner was targeted again by another scammer offering to download software which are, in fact, free. Ironically it was this scammer who told the pensioner he had already been a victim of the earlier scam.

The Plymouth pensioner got in touch with Trading Standards who told him to contact his bank. Luckily they realised it was a fraud and refunded him the money. However the pensioner took a loan to cover the payment – which he is still paying.

New national figures reveal over 22,000 reports of scams were made to the Citizens Advice service in England and Wales last year. There may be many more who do not report if they have been ripped-off.

Citizens Advice and Trading Standards are running Scams Awareness Month throughout May warning people to be vigilant against rogues and urging people to 'spot scams to stop scams.'

Councillor Brian Vincent Cabinet Member for the Environment whose portfolio includes Trading Standards, said: "This sort of case makes me incredibly angry. I know people who've been contacted in a similar manner and have described how incredibly convincing these people can be. They prey on our nervousness and possible lack of knowledge about computers and anxiousness about making sure they work properly "

Scams can come in various guises including adverts, people knocking on doors, emails, letters, phone calls, texts and the internet. Common scams can include:

a phone call, text or email proclaiming a huge lottery win and in order to collect winnings people are asked to send money to cover 'administration' costs;
phishing which is an email pretending to be from people's banks asking them to update, validate or confirm details so that scammers can access individual's account.
SMShing - mobile phone text messages which lure people onto fraudulent websites or invite them to call a premium rate mobile number or download malicious content via the phone or web.
Electricity meter credit – people on pre-payment meters are offered cut-price electricity but end up paying for their energy twice. Criminals use cloned keys to top up energy credit illegally.

The organisations have put together top tips on how people can protect themselves from increasingly convincing cons – and what action to take if you do get caught out.

Signs of a scam

The call, letter, email or text has come out of the blue.
You've never heard of the lottery or competition they are talking about.
You didn't buy a ticket – so can't win.
They ask you to send money in advance.
They say you must respond quickly, so you don't get time to think about it or ask family and friends before you decide.
They tell you to keep it a secret.
They seem to be offering you something for nothing.
If it seems too good to be true – it probably is.

How to protect yourself better

Never give out details such as your name, phone number or address to strangers or to people who should have this information already.
Never give financial information or details of your identity, bank accounts or credit card to strangers or businesses that should already hold your details.
Shred anything with your personal or bank details on – don't just throw it away.
If in doubt, don't reply. Bin it, delete it or hang up.
Persuasive sales patter? Just say: 'No Thank You'
Resist pressure to make a decision straight away.
Never send money to someone you don't know.
Walk away from job adverts that ask for money in advance.
Ask friends, neighbours or family about whether an offer is likely to be a scam.

What to do if you have been scammed

Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
You can't always get your money back if you've been scammed, but if you've paid for goods or services by credit card you have more protection. If you use a debit card you may be able to ask your bank for a chargeback.
Report it to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service on 08454 040506 or online on the Adviceguide website.