Most of us are spending more time online than usual during the pandemic. Scammers are taking advantage of this.

The pandemic also provides scammers with opportunities to exploit our desire to protect ourselves and those around us, for example by selling counterfeit face masks or hand sanitisers.

Tips to avoid being scammed

1.Only purchase goods and services from legitimate retailers and take a moment to think before parting with money or personal information.

2.Learn how to spot a fake email. Some red flags are if an email is about an order you didn’t make or if it’s asking for money or vouchers, even if it is from someone you know. Their account may have been hijacked.

3.Do not assume everyone is genuine. It is OK to reject, refuse or ignore requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. We have recently been made aware of scam phone calls to Kent students. The scammers pretend to be the Crown Prosecution Service, informing residents they have around £1000 in income tax debts. This is a scam and any official documents of owed money from HRMC or Government body would be sent in letter directly to you and would not be handled by phone.

4.Don’t fall for quick cash schemes. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is! These are often scams and can be examples of money laundering. If someone offers you money for transferring money between bank accounts, you could become a money mule which is a criminal offence.

5.Be suspicious of requests for money up front. If someone claims to represent a charity, ask them for ID. If someone attempts to pressurise you into accepting a service they are unlikely to be genuine. Check with your family and friends before accepting offers of help if you are unsure.

Think you might have been scammed?

If you think you have been scammed, contact your bank. You can also contact Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133, or you can report a scam by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.