N T S S C A M A L E R T
April 2025
Rogue Traders
Hornsea man, 91, has life savings stolen in rogue roofer scam
A 91-year-old man says he lost his life savings to rogue traders who came to repair a few loose tiles but ended up replacing the whole roof. Allan, from Hornsea, East Yorkshire, said he was visited by builders after Storm Darragh last December, believing they would fix some minor damage. Instead, he claims they put up scaffolding, replaced all of his tiles and gave him a bill for £31,680. more
Phishing Scams
The AI technology that means you need to be vigilant for scams more than ever
AI technology is presenting lots of opportunities for businesses to improve efficiency, but it’s also being used by criminals. To protect your assets, it’s more important than ever that you’re vigilant and aware of how criminals might target you. Now, with the aid of AI, the number of people affected and the sums lost could rise even further.
AI tools are being used by criminals to build trust with their victims. You might think about scams as happening in a single moment where it’s easy to overlook the red flags. For example, taking a fraudulent phone call when you’re in the middle of something. However, criminals are just as likely to talk to you on several occasions to build a connection. more
Beware: fraud and smishing scams targeting students
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has published an alert urging students to be aware of an increase in smishing scams regarding student maintenance payments. It is important to remember that the SLC or SFE (Student Finance England) will never ask you to provide your personal or financial information via email, social media, text or phone. Cyber criminals have been impersonating the SLC via telephone calls (vishing), emails (phishing) and text messages (smishing) asking students to click on a link to change their bank details. more
Telephone Scams
In recent days, there have been reports of people being targeted by criminals pretending to be from their would-be victim’s bank, from the police, or from another official organisation. The scams see criminals attempting to persuade people to withdraw money from their bank, perhaps saying there has been fraud on the account. The fraudster then arranges for a courier to collect cash, bank cards, or both, from the victim’s home.
Fraudsters who carry out these scams are often very convincing, and give what might appear to be plausible cover stories. Sometimes, they may say that they are carrying out an undercover investigation, and that you shouldn’t let anyone else know about their call. They may also say that your account is at risk if you don’t act fast. more
On this page we set out some of the warning signs about pension scams and how to avoid them. Such scams can lead to you facing large tax charges, or your pension savings might even be stolen. You should always be wary if someone contacts you uninvited about your pension, particularly if they are offering free advice or suggesting you could access your money early. Also be careful if the returns being offered on any investment seem much more attractive than are being offered elsewhere or if the plan is to move your pension funds overseas. more
Online scams
Why you need to be aware of digital wallet scams
A new and ¬sophisticated scam has emerged in the UK, where criminals load up the digital wallets on their phones with your stolen bank details – and spend them online and in shops. Former police officer Rav Wilding walks us through exactly how the scam works, which starts with consumers being convinced they’re getting a bargain online, or are eligible for help with bills, and need to provide their card details. He explains how legitimate ‘One Time Passwords’ (OTPs) are being used to coerce people into handing details over. more
One in four Britons victim of ticket scams for in-demand events, says Nationwide
One in four Britons say they have become a victim to a ticket scam involving an in-demand event and having £82 stolen each on average, according to research issued ahead of the official Glastonbury festival ticket resale. High demand and low availability, fuelled by “fomo” (fear of missing out), were creating a “perfect storm” for criminals, said Nationwide building society, which commissioned the analysis.
It made the warning as thousands – and potentially millions – of music fans gear up for a second chance to secure entry to this year’s Glastonbury after the bulk of the tickets sold out in 35 minutes in November. more
Young people urged to ‘Think Fraud’ over rent offers
Young people aged between 18 and 39 account for almost three quarters of cases of rental fraud, according to exclusive National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) data released by the Home Office today. Criminals typically target their victims by offering access to properties that do not exist, or which are not theirs to rent, often using fake details and photos, and usually offering prices at well below market rate. To secure the property or even arrange a viewing, they will usually demand a deposit or the first month’s rent, and many individuals desperate to find a home will make the upfront payment to avoid missing out. more
Rise in reports of QR code parking scams
Motorists in a number of areas of Kent are being targeted by suspected parking scams which try to trick people into paying money to bogus websites. Criminals have been sticking fake QR codes in car parks and on parking payment machines to direct users to fraudulent pages online.
In recent weeks warnings have been issued by Thanet, Ashford, Medway and Dover councils. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said there had been an increase in reports across the country. The CTSI’s scams lead officer Katherine Hart said they have been aware of more reports of parking fraud, with fraudulent apps, bogus penalty notices and fake QR codes all being used. more