Bbc radio whatsapp scams 2021 full#

Ĭhartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)ĬTSI is a training and membership organisation that has represented the interests of the Trading Standards profession since 1881 nationally and internationally. Click this link for more information about CTSI Symposium. This topic and many others related to consumer protection will be discussed at this year's CTSI Symposium 28-30 September 2021 at Birmingham's Eastside Rooms. The public is encouraged to join Friends Against Scams, a National Trading Standards initiative that protects and prevents people from becoming scam victims by empowering them to take a stand against scams.

The Government and regulators must be prepared for the rapidly evolving threats presented by advancing communications technologies and techniques, and the trading standards profession plays a key role in developing that consumer protection framework.'įor consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08 'This WhatsApp scam demonstrates that consumers have never been so instantly vulnerable.

Bbc radio whatsapp scams 2021 full#

'Please always report suspicious texts by forwarding them to 7726 - a free service by Ofcom which enables authorities to analyse messages and build a full picture of this enormous problem.'ĬTSI Chief Executive, John Herriman, said: 'We need a national conversation about consumer vulnerability, and that conversation begins at the CTSI Symposium, which will be held in Birmingham from 28-30 September. Alison did the right thing by trying to call the number to verify, but as we see, fraudsters are skilled at influencing quick action, and she almost lost money to it. 'When receiving a message out of the blue like this, always be suspicious and doubly so when money is involved. Scammers are experts at exploiting the emotional vulnerability of the public, and this is a particularly insidious example of it. This caused a wave of scepticism in Alison's mind, and then it was confirmed that the message was indeed a scam.ĬTSI Lead Officer, Katherine Hart, who spoke on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme to discuss this incident, said: 'This is not the first time I have seen this type of message, which is highly deceptive. The person gave the bank details of the alleged loan shark to pay.įortunately for Alison, she forgot to click the final payment confirmation and, after some time, the scammer messaged asking for a picture to prove the payment had been made. This worried Alison, who agreed to make the payment.

Alison didn't doubt the message for a moment.Īlison tried to call her 'son' back, but the person on the other end kept saying they couldn't take the call and continually put pressure on her to make the payment quickly. The very next day, Alison's 'son' messaged her asking for £2,600 and explained that he had got mixed up with loan sharks and needed to pay up. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has been informed of a newly emerging scam on WhatsApp, where scammers attempt to impersonate family members to steal money.Ī member of the public named Alison received a message on the popular messaging platform WhatsApp: 'Hi mum, I've dropped my phone down the loo (sad emoji) this is my new number.'Īlison replied to the message and asked if it was her son, Will, to which the scammer replied in the affirmative. See /privacy for more information.Ģ021 Davina McCall, Michael Douglas & Entale StudiosNews WhatsApp family member message scam targets public Please send us your recommendations to our instagram Ramsden’s. Then, chicken… Okay, maybe we’re a bit hungry today? Don’t worry - we chat about a bunch of non-edible things too. After the chaos of half term, we’re exhausted but excited to tell you all about our recommendations.