Scammers don’t ever rest and sadly they’re using the Coronvirus (Covid-19) pandemic as a new way of taking money from customers.
Key things to remember:
- If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is
- ReAssure will never cold-call you to offer you an extra product or service
- We don’t send unsolicited texts or emails. We will only ever call you to discuss an ongoing transaction that you’ve requested
Bereavement scams
Fraudsters are increasingly targeting people recently bereaved:
- Fake debts owed by someone who has died. Fraudsters will pretend to be collecting debts and pressure relatives to pay them
- Pretend money left to relatives. Scammers will use this lie to get hold of your bank details
People should be encouraged never to respond to calls, emails or letters that they receive unexpectedly, and should talk to friends and family if they are concerned.
What kinds of things should I watch out for?
The following are things that should be warning flags for everyone:
- An offer to access your pension savings before your 55th birthday. If under the age of 55 you can’t access your pension funds (unless for serious ill health reasons) if you receive a call assuring this – it’s a scam.
- Unsolicited calls, emails or text messages offering you better rates on your pension or savings. This is commonly used ploy to get customers to transfer their money into a bogus scheme.
- Adverts on social media that seem very attractive. Fraudsters will use targeted adverts giving false promises by offering better interest rates for investments such as bonds – this could be a scam.
- Any email or text that asks you to click a link and confirm your financial information or online banking details. Legitimate companies very rarely ask you to click a link in a text or an email to access their online services these days. These links are very straightforward to doctor so that you go to a fake version of a well known website that captures your details for fraudsters to use against you.
If you’re contacted by someone saying they’re from ReAssure and you don’t feel comfortable then you can always call us back on the usual number.
Please check out ScamSmart from the FCA for helpful advice to avoid being scammed.
If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam you can also report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use Action Fraud’s online reporting tool.
