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I like to think I'm quite savvy to potential scams and fraud. However, only this morning I received an email which threw me slightly. The email includes the following:

On behalf of Human Rights and Environmental Protection Organization (HREPO), we are pleased to invite you to our conference which will be held from April 16th to 21st, 2018 @ Purple Majestic Hotel conference hall in Dallas Texas USA. The conference meeting will contain various talks and mini workshops related to the issues of Challenges to Human Rights & Economic Development as a result of Human Trafficking, Women Molestation and Immigration Policies in our society.

The topic of this conference is " Human trafficking, women molestation and lack of political freedom and political instability: A challenge to economic growth " the sponsors of this event shall cover your round-trip flight tickets from your country to the USA and back to your country and we shall also provide visa assistance with the U.S Embassy in your country of residence. The hotel accommodation booking cost will be your own responsibility. Please contact the conference secretariat for more information and registration for participation: [[email protected]].

I was a bit confused as it sounds like something I would be interested in, and fits in with my line of work. However the semantics aren't quite right, and a quick google comes up with multiple hits warning about it being a scam. I've never seen a scam about going to a conference before so think it could be a new method!

My tip is to always google or ask around if you're not sure of something, never reply or click the link!

I have found from experience with my own family that elderly people are more trusting of others and can't believe that a genuine sounding person could be telling lies. So I am having to continuously remind my own parents and in-laws of the rules about not giving out personal details, and not doing anything with regard to their finances that people tell them to do without referring to us first.

Keep any bank cards which have contactless capability (you can tell by the logo on them) in a card holder which has RFID blocking so that they can't be read.

Make sure you take any texts seriously from companies you use - Next texted me to say that my email address had been changed on my account - I thought it was a random text so didn't do anything until the next day. When I tried to log onto my account someone had hacked and changed the password and email address. Lots of phone calls later it was sorted but no loss to my account luckily, but I am very much more careful about looking at texts etc.

I never click on any links in my emails. You are asking for trouble if you give out bank details or passwords ether online or on the phone. I have been very lucky so far.

be super careful when asked for details, I hate it when your bank rings you up and then asks to take you through security... hand on you rang me didn't you how do I know you are the bank. If it sound wrong/too good it probably is, always ask for them to send it in writing, if they are genuine this should not be a problem , if they say there is no time, you have to shrug your shoulders and tell them you will have to miss out this time.

On local radio there has been a warning that a current telephone scam is someone phoning saying you owe tax and they are taking legal action against you today unless you immediately pay them. You will never get a telephone demand to pay tax immediately.

Never answer telephone "surveys" - you never know what they will do with your information or what information they will try to get out of you after a few innocent questions. I had a telephone survey asking me to answer questions about the customer service at a bank I use. I had had this sort of thing before so thought nothing of it but after a few innocent questions I was asked to give information about what accounts I held with them. I hung up and emailed the bank - they said they would investigate if it was one of their regular surveys. I never heard one way or the other.

I keep getting phone calls that my washing machine warranty has run out. Yes I know, they were wanting £200 for a warranty just need my credit card.
you can get a new washer about £200 anyway not worth it.

There are some scams that are really obvious. However, I think that things are so much easier to replicate and companies are becoming less formal that it's becoming easier for even the savvy people to not become a victim to sophisticated fraud. I don't accept any form of ID if someone unsolicited comes to my door. I tell them that it doesn't prove a thing and I could knock something similar up in photoshop and print at home.

My Elderly Mum was scammed by a famous fake debenhams offer. She bought something cheaply and then was subscribed to an expensive mail order club based in Gibraltar. It was so embarrassing for her . The best advice was to contact her Credit card company straight away who helped quickly and made her feel good again and "less of a fool "

I follow the advice never click on links, always phone back getting the phone number from a website etc people purporting to phone you from the bank etc...

never give your passwords out, even if you think the phone call is real

I was scammed last year.Apparently, someone had tried to buy goods valued at over £200 on my credit card, but my bank picked it up as suspicious activity and replaced my card. I have no idea how they got my card number, as I had not used it for quite some time and then only in a shop,but I am now very aware of keeping it safe.

My elderly mother let some men into her house from "the Water Board". She had been warned not to do so but for some reason did so. She was suspicious and did ask what exactly one of them was doing in her bedroom and they were frightened off but she was lucky. It's difficult what more can you do than tell them to check ID especially if they are starting to get a little confused.

I bought an ottoman off groupon and never received it - no one was any help getting me the item or a refund

Luckily I've never been a victim but I would recommend letting your bank know a few days before you go on holiday so they don't flag use of the card abroad as fraud...this happened to me in both India & the US and my card was blocked.

Best advice is - never click on a link from an email.

I suspect many older people respond to questions in scam telephone calls out of politeness and sometimes loneliness. It’s not necessary to be rude, vital not to give information.

We have had an incident of fraudulent credit card use. Our provider notified us of suspicious transactions, dealt with it and issued a new card. The initial phone caller from our provider left a message and number. We ignored that number and phoned the number on our statements instead, the person responding confirmed the original call was from their fraud department and transferred us. It was managed well but still a shock. In investigating it seems a device was attached to a petrol station pay at pump machine. We no longer use those.

We use caller display to filter calls, never answer an unexpected international call, refuse to engage in unsolicited personal conversation, are careful with emails.

No matter how careful we are we are all vulnerable, checking all accounts regularly seems both necessary and sensible. The sooner something is reported the sooner it can be sorted out.

I’ve been cold called: Your internet has been used for illegal pracices. If you allow us to log onto your broadband we can show you how to fix this. Hang up and block the number.

Never click on a link in a suspicious looking email. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is and a scam.

After being frauded on my bank account just last week, I would say either do online banking or regualarly check you statements, I had`nt bothered, and some cheeky thing had set a direct debit up using my card, I reported and stopped it but they got away with 2 payments, Always be vigilant and change you passwords accordingly.

how do you know it's not your family/friends when a weird email comes in.

Last Thursday a man calling himself Brian John Jones, a certificated bailiff, rang me to say that I had taken out a contract with a business directory in 2015, had paid the initial fee but nothing since despite reminders by email and post and now owed over £2000. He gave me the choice of paying then and there (didn't say how) or pursuing the matter in the High Court, and said the matter was already before the High Court. I had no memory of any of this, and told him so and said I would phone my solicitor. He then put the phone down and I discovered that he had withheld his number. I ended up going to Action For Fraud, via the police.

Not me but my daughter, while pregnant, had her PayPal account hacked to the tune of nearly £1,000! Luckily PayPal were swift to act and all the money was returned but a rather stressful couple of days for us.

I am very careful with my information, I don't give out my email address or phone number to anyone I don't know, I have a screening service on my landline and I never click on a link through an email.

Scammers and crooks undoubtedly target the elderly and single women. They put a lot of pressure on their target even when there is suspicion. There are warnings out there so not all victims are unwary. I am having some building work done and due to past bad experience with tradesmen over charging and leaving poor work I asked Care and Repair to arrange it all for me. They found a few builders who gave quotes and I accepted one builder who respected my concerns and we signed a contract for detailed work to be done over two weeks. The first part of the job he completed satisfactorily and was paid. The second and biggest job he tried to finish in one day leaving major leaks and unfinished work. He obviously has issues with being told (by Care and Repair) that certain jobs must be done before he completes on this contract; it's clear he expects to "make a good profit" working on an old persons' house. I'm so glad I have Care and Repair arranging things, they can see what happens when an old person is pressured and bullied to "accept" and pay up before work is completed. Tradesmen frequently con the elderly, a friend once had a plumber turn up on the wrong day and demanded a "call out charge" before he took his foot out of the door! She was very ashamed she gave in but too frightened to challenge him.