Leading south east law firm Furley Page has issued a warning to Kent residents who may be at increased risk of fraud by criminals exploiting the coronavirus pandemic.
Joshua Williams, Senior Associate at Furley Page, said: “While the current crisis has brought goodwill and community spirit to the fore, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic also provides opportunities for criminals and fraudsters.
“Fraudsters are exploiting people’s fears about the coronavirus in order to take money from people, using a variety of online and offline scams. Everyone needs to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to the police.”
Scams that have been actively used to target vulnerable people in Kent include attempts to obtain personal information including passwords, bank cards, pin numbers or cash, and fake offers of protective equipment, such as masks and hand sanitisers, and medical support.
Williams continued: “As we all try to follow the Government’s advice by staying indoors to stop the spread of the virus, criminals are preying on people in vulnerable situations who are isolated and living alone.
“People need to be particularly careful with their personal data and alert to the risk of different types of ‘doorstep’ scams and online scams. Watch out for suspicious and unexpected emails or text messages asking you to update your details, click on a link to approve or validate something, or login to your account via a link.”
What can you do to protect against scams?
- If you think you have been a victim fraud, please report the matter to Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
- Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/
- Online training to guard against scams is available from Friends Against Scams: https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/
- If you want to know more about cybersecurity and how to protect yourself, your family or your business visit the National Cyber Security Centre website:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-ncsc/what-is-cyber-security
For more information about Furley Page please visit the company’s website www.furleypage.co.uk or call 01227 763939. You can also follow the firm on Twitter @furleypage and on LinkedIn.
You can also follow the firm on Twitter @furleypage and on LinkedIn.