Scam news 1

Scammer told bank fraud victim ‘you’re so thick’

Wendy Falconer says she has had trouble sleeping since her shock phone call with a scammer

By Felicity Evans

Money editor, Wales

A woman had almost £400 stolen from her bank by a fraudster who then mocked her over the phone, telling her “you’re so stupid”.

Wendy Falconer, 63, said she was left “shaking and crying” after the scammer mocked and swore at her.

She was caring for her husband at their caravan in Tywyn, Gwynedd, when the call came in pretending to be her bank.

Ofcom has warned against relying on caller ID to tell if calls are legitimate.

Mrs Falconer said the call had appeared to be coming from her bank’s number, which she has saved in her phone.

Scam news 2

How to protect your money from cost of living scammers

Don’t let fraudsters trick you into parting from your hard-earned cash

Energy customers being offered “cut price” electricity, fake offers from Ofgem promising rebates to help with council tax bills and dangerous devices being sold claiming to help with rising costs are just some of the scams currently circulating.

Fraud rocketed during the pandemic, as so many of us were stuck at home and relying on the internet to get by and the trend appears to be continuing into 2022.

But this time it’s the cost of living crisis which criminals are using to steal money from desperate consumers who are struggling to make ends meet.

With inflation soaring, currently at a historic 40-year high of 9 per cent, and the price of everything rising, millions are facing serious financial problems.

Household bills have risen across the board with energy up 52 per cent already and expected to climb further.

Scam news 3

Scammers target grieving families planning services at Bradenton family-run funeral home

BRADENTON, Fla. – A new scam targeting grieving families that are planning their loved ones’ funeral service is circulating through the Bradenton area. 

In a span of 24 hours, three families reported receiving calls from someone who claimed to be from Brown & Sons Funeral Home, demanding money. The funeral director at Brown & Sons Funeral Home said the family-run business has been around for decades. 

“They call and said that to get the cremation done, they have to give them $1,500, so they needed to get a credit card,” said Gene Brown, the funeral director at Brown & Sons Funeral Home. 

One elderly woman who recently lost her husband fell for it and gave her credit card information to the scammer. 

“The one lady that did do it was paid in full with us, so it got on her emotions and got her confused and that’s the sad part,” he said. “Our family has been in the business 50 years now. We’ve seen a lot of things but nothing at this time of the year and this low on people.”