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Flu jabs scam

(22 Posts)
millymouge Wed 09-Oct-19 07:45:23

Essex Trading Standards have reported that some people are getting phone calls from someone saying they are a doctor. Your own doctors surgery is short staffed and cannot do flu jabs, so for £1.50 they can do them for you. You just need to give them your card details and they can arrange it all for you. One lady lost £5000. This may be happening in other parts of the country as well. Do be aware NEVER give out your bank details to anyone. It never fails to amaze me the scams that they can think up, you have to be so careful these days.

EllanVannin Wed 09-Oct-19 08:29:19

Things like this can only get worse. I don't even bank online because of my mistrust with the internet and those who use the proxy facility which can't be traced.

MawB Wed 09-Oct-19 08:31:13

Like you’d give your card details for a £1.50 fee?
These scammers are unscrupulous, but frankly who would be so gullible?

jaylucy Wed 09-Oct-19 10:09:52

A friend of mine got a phone call supposedly from Thomas Cook to say that they were dealing with the refunds for holidays that were lost - if she'd just give them her bank card details etc ........ She hadn't even booked a holiday, but luckily they called her before her sister who had booked a holiday through Thomas Cook, so when she got the same phone call, she could tell them to go away !

NfkDumpling Wed 09-Oct-19 10:15:01

These scammers are so plausible. There are a lot of people out there who are vulnerable, trusting and easily mislead. They’re much safer using just cash. This new trend aiming towards a cashless society is making scams a lot easier.

robbymax Wed 09-Oct-19 10:52:33

it would be a good idea to have a bank card that just works for yourself in ATMs that way you cant be conned.

robbymax Wed 09-Oct-19 11:11:47

at the age off 77 i can remember going to bed without locking the doors, tv was dixon of dock green, and things that you could laugh at. We lived quit happily not knowing what is going on in the world,we need to sleep peaceably, but how the hell can we.
We were not born to this world.

Annaram1 Wed 09-Oct-19 11:40:31

I got a call from Santander at 7.30 pm on Friday night, A man with a Devon accent said he was from Santander fraud department and did I recognise an amount of £1100 I had paid a car company. When I said no, he asked me how much I had in my account, I could not remember. He then asked me if I did online or telephone banking. When I said no, he put the phone down. I could not contact Santander until Monday, and they said it was definitely a scam.

Sussexborn Wed 09-Oct-19 11:57:11

Happened to a colleague’s father. He was in the early stages of dementia. I also have a few friends who haven’t embraced the www I guess they are likely to be more trusting and less aware of how low people can sink.

Perhaps we should blame the perpetrators and not the victims.

My MIL was scammed by a sophisticated thief who knew exactly what she was doing. A nurse in her nursing home no less. MIL would never give her sons card no’s never mind others. The thief rang the bank saying cards were lost and had new ones sent, then intercepted the post. The police wanted us to drop the charges. She was given a suspended sentence so free to do the same to others.

MIL drove ambulances in the war, lived with Malay terrorists going past her window whilst her little one slept etc etc but spent her last years asking why people would do things like this and blaming herself.

Forestflame Wed 09-Oct-19 13:06:12

Had a very convincing email allegedly from my bank saying that changes were being made to the way that credit cards could be used for on-line purchases, and I must sign up for internet banking and download an app, or I would be unable to use my card. Thankfully I checked with my local branch, who told me that they would never force anyone to use internet banking and it was a scam.

newnanny Wed 09-Oct-19 13:10:42

It is truly shocking the amount of conmen and women and confidence tricksters who live in UK toady. If I want to do internet banking I now have to have my phone with me to enter a random 6 digit pass code they send me each time.

Also be careful not to click on links you are not sure about as computer can be affected with virus that can enable scam artists to access your computer remotely and control it.

newnanny Wed 09-Oct-19 13:12:37

The problem is the scams are so plausible, so we must all be on our full guard all of the time. It is always worth checking by phoning on a number you have used before to reach bank etc. never use number they give you to ring as it is another scam they use.

lindiann Wed 09-Oct-19 13:29:15

My MIL got a phone call saying come to the Hospital about 10 mins drive away your relation has had an accident. She is 90 and really sharp and realised none of the family would be there. She asked his name and where he was, he replied in the office at the hospital, rubbish she said I can hear traffic quite clearly at which he put phone down. Police said he was probably parked in the lay by off the main road near her and when they saw her leave would burgle her house, they had several incidents like it.

JanaNana Wed 09-Oct-19 13:42:03

There's a programme on BBC at the moment in a morning called Rip Off Britain talking to people who have been scammed, ripped off etc. Worth watching. I refuse to bank online, and only ever would if there was absolutely no other option at all in the future. Heard too many disaster stories about it.

Diggingdoris Wed 09-Oct-19 13:53:03

DH had an email from his bank saying his account had been accessed by more than one computer, so as an extra security measure all his accounts would be blocked unless he sent back all his account numbers to them by midnight. As he has two laptops he was almost convinced, but asked me for my opinion. No no no I said it's a scam, as why would the bank need your account numbers ,they already have them. The bank logo and all the small print was so convincing! He wasn't sure until I rang the bank from number on card and they confirmed it was a scam.

AnnS1 Wed 09-Oct-19 14:12:38

There’s an Amazon one on the go as well, phone call regarding prime membership expiry date.

Esspee Wed 09-Oct-19 14:12:43

I received a call earlier this week from my bank HSBC.
Could I confirm my DOB. They had the first part so I complied.
Could I complete my postcode. They had the first part so again I complied.
Could I give them the long number on my bank card.
Well....NO!
Terminated the call.
Next day I decided to report the phishing attempt so called HSBC (number on my bank card)
Yes Mrs P we have been trying to contact you. It is on record that you declined a call yesterday.
One quick question and within the hour the money I had paid Thomas Cook for our Caribbean flights next year (not ATOL protected) was back in my account. Thankfully I had paid by credit card.
The moral of my story is.....Don't give information out when you are called but call back on a number you know is genuine as it may be completely genuine.

crazyH Wed 09-Oct-19 14:22:02

I don't know when I last went into a bank...if I need cash , I use the cash machine , located all over the place.
All other business is conducted on-line.

allule Wed 09-Oct-19 14:53:28

The one that really got me was the cold call wanting to sign me up for a scheme that blocked cold calls!

willa45 Wed 09-Oct-19 15:18:15

Same thing is happening here in the US. This time it's free DNA testing and they target seniors with Medicare (govt. healthcare). The caller will represent some bogus 'Biotech' company with the claim that Medicare pays for the DNA test....all they will need is the person's name, address, date of birth and the all important Medicare number!

Rosina Wed 09-Oct-19 15:19:08

AnnS1 I had that one too - I don't use Amazon Prime either.

Mild Wed 09-Oct-19 16:56:46

Check with your bank! Mine is a bus ride away. How many other people have easy access to their bank?