Scams to watch out for in Norfolk in September 2023
Fake competitions and promotions on Facebook
Trading Standards has warned people to think twice before they share competitions on social media.
Norfolk County Council has received reports of fake Facebook pages claiming to offer ‘100 Hot Wheels Cars for £10’, pretending to be representatives for brands such as Symths Toys and The Entertainer.
It advised that people should look at what else has been posted on the page to help determine whether competitions are genuine.
Doorstep cold callers
There have been reports of cold callers in the Hethersett area offering to repair driveways.
It is possible that the man, who was seen cold calling at a number of properties, could move on to other areas around Norfolk.
Trading Standards say that he may also approach businesses as well as residential properties in rural areas.
Fake parcel delivery emails and text messages
People in Norfolk are receiving scam emails and messages about fake parcel deliveries.
The messages will often state they are ‘shipping notices’, ‘package delivery notices’, ‘delivery status updates’, or that someone was ‘unable to deliver your parcel’.
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An individual from Norfolk recently received a message claiming that a delivery could not be made and needed to be rearranged, but when the attached link was followed the site attempted to charge a £1.25 fee.
The messages are sent by criminals who create fake pages with the same branding, layout and font choices that look very similar to the websites used by actual delivery companies.
They are attempting to gain personal or financial information through the scam.
‘Payment declined’ scam emails
Lots of people in Norfolk have reported receiving emails that claim a payment has been declined on their bank account.
The recipient will usually be sent a link where they are asked to ‘update your payment information’.
These links actually lead to fake websites that will attempt to steal personal and financial information.
Fraudsters will use well-known businesses to increase the chance of this scam succeeding.
These emails may appear to come from mobile phone companies, broadband and landline service providers, online streaming services, and even from TV licencing.
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