Keeping you safe from Money Mules and the Tax man emails
Don't become a "sucker"
In September alone a record 83,000 emails offering fake tax refunds were reported to the tax authority. Don’t become a ‘sucker’, Head of HMRC customer contact online said the emails coming out were asking people to give their credit card and bank account details. These details are then sold onto professional criminal gangs in what’s known as the sale of ‘sucker lists’.
The HMRC have since stressed that they would never inform people of a tax rebate by e-mail or on the telephone. Let's take a closer look at the latest email scam likely to hit your inbox:
You will notice there's a spelling mistake in the text but apart from that there's no real reason to doubt the email. Any emails like this from your bank or an official body are worth double checking. You can phone the office and ask for them to be verified or if you're unsure, call us and we will be happy to give you some friendly advice.
Don’t think it can’t happen to you
It’s estimated that in the UK alone the total of losses from all scams are in the region of £3.5bn a year. According to the Office of Fair Trading 3.2 million people are caught out each year by scams.
Looking for new ways to earn a living? Beware of becoming a ‘mule’
Police are warning those searching for a new career to be aware of criminals using the internet to con job seekers into laundering money. Money Mules is the term coined for the victims of the new on-line money laundering scams which trick people into accepting money into their bank accounts and then passing it on.
This new version of on-line money laundering is a global epidemic worth billions of dollars to those who set up these scams.
These fraudsters email you or point you to a web site offering employment. They ask you to take an amount of money into your bank account and then pass it on with promises of a commission for your trouble. Take a look at this example:
What they fail to mention is that you leave yourself wide open to prosecution by the police. Plus you'll have to pay back the money and your bank account will be frozen pending a criminal investigation.
Recent figures show there was a 55% rise in online banking fraud in the first half of 2009, which equals £39m in losses
Tony Neate, head of GetSafeOnline.org, said: "At any given time, there are approximately 100 known mule recruitment sites targeting the UK, each of which may have around 50 active mules.
DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT! OUR TOP TIPS FOR JOB-HUNTING ONLINE
Do a search for the company address via Google or the Post Office’s site.
If the would-be employer asks you for your bank account details early on or wants to use your account for any reason – cease your involvement with them, however temping they make the position sound.
We promise to help you with no jargon, just practical IT solutions for your business, call us on 01394 387337 or email React Computer Partnership