According to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), fraud in the UK should be seen as a national security issue.
There has been an exponential rise in those seeking to profit from the pandemic. The RUSI argue: ‘The UK has now become a target destination for global fraudsters.’
Criminals are feeding on the financial fears of the nation, and are seeking to capitalise in any way possible. Of the 3.7 million reported fraud incidents between January to December 2020, victims lost in excess of £78 million through online scams alone.
The Director of Business at The Investment Association, Pauline Hawkes-Bunyan, stated: ‘organised criminals have sought opportunity in misfortune by attempting to con the public out of their hard-earned savings.’
With their increasingly sophisticated methods, it’s now easier than ever to become a victim of cybercrime. Action Fraud saw an extra 1,000 calls last week alone. And Cheshire Police reported 1,166 vaccine related scam emails in just one 24 hour period.
The UK has also seen a significant rise in clone firms. In fact, the number of clone firm scams increased by 29% in the first lock down alone. Scammers set up pop-up clone companies using the name, address and numbers of authorised companies, and then proceed to con victims out of thousands of pounds.
Fraudsters have used technology to bolster their crimes, with many victims being targeted through social media and web advertising. Scammers create fraudulent pop-up ads and landing pages which look visually impressive, but are designed to exploit the public.
The impact on victims is not only financial, but physiological too. So how can you avoid falling victim to cyber scams?
- Look up the details of the company carefully.
- Research their address and telephone numbers, and make checks on both.
- Never hand over your bank details unless you are 100% convinced of the company’s legitimacy.
- Do not submit your contact details into price comparison websites, unless they are genuine sites.
- Check out the company on the FCA register and see if they feature on the FCA’s warning list of businesses you should avoid.
Need a debt collecting? Then choose a company you can trust
Cobra Financial Solutions are an award-winning, national debt collection agency. We collect any personal or business debt above £1,000.
Unlike some debt recovery pop-up companies we’ve been made aware of recently, Cobra Financial Solutions have been established in business since 2009. In 2019 alone, we collected over £14 million for our clients, and we’re proud to say our success rate continues to increase, year after year. That’s why we’ve been recognised as Merseyside’s best financial solutions company of the year by Corporate Livewire and LTG publications.
Fortunately, with a 5* customer rating on Trustpilot, and with clients such as New York Mellon, our reputation alone carries us forward.
Our advice is simple: if you’re looking for a trusted debt collection agency, do your research. Check out their company details, read their verified reviews and assess the legitimacy of their social media presence. And if you’re looking for reassurance, call them. Any reputable company will put their customers first, and answer any questions they may have with professionalism and ease.
Do you need a debt collected? Then call one of the Cobra team today on 0151 526 4222.
Trust the experts to get your money back in your pocket. Where it belongs.
