The concept of The Cloud is that instead of storing all of your data and computing power locally, you can outsource it to managed cloud service providers. You can run applications, save data, send email, and more using computing power that isn’t stored locally. For example, you may be running short on space on your computer or phone to store photos and large documents. The other benefit is that if your computer or phone is lost or destroyed somehow then everything will be saved and retrievable. Some cloud providers will give you free storage up to a certain limit.
Provided by Microsoft as part of Windows, 5GB provided free, very easy to sync files across different devices
A basic account provides 2GB storage, its easy to share files with others
Google Drive has strong file sharing capabilities, and more free storage space than most competitors—15GB, though that space is shared with Gmail
Apple’s service for providing cloud storage. Stored files can be hared with Apple devices
Prime members get 5GB of storage for “free” with Amazon Cloud Drive for file storage
Impersonation scams happen when a fraudster contacts you pretending to be from your bank, the police, or another trusted organisation to convince you to send them money.
They’ll create a sense of urgency, a reason to panic to stop you from thinking straight. They may tell you that you’ve been a victim of an attempted fraud or had an overpayment that needs to be returned. They may even give you details of a false spend on your account which you don’t recognise, or that your account is no longer secure and that you need to take urgent action. They’ll insist that, in order to keep your money safe or prevent further losses, you need to move your money to a ‘safe’ or newly opened account.
Many fraudsters use something called ‘spoofing’. This is where someone deliberately falsifies how their contact number appears on the caller ID, messenger name, or email address to disguise their identity and try to convince you that they’re someone else.
Common impersonation scams
Fraudsters will use a variety of methods to contact you, so always be cautious and check that the request is genuine. See below for some examples of impersonation methods.
Telephone, text, or email
This is when someone contacts you claiming to be someone they’re not, for example your bank, Amazon, HMRC, a parcel company, or even the police. Fraudsters want you to act urgently and try to pressure you into clicking a link, revealing your security details, or to transfer or withdraw your money.
Social media
Fraudsters send messages or make contact through messaging services like WhatsApp, direct messages, Facebook and any social media platform. They may pretend to be a friend or loved one in need of help.
Online banking is becoming a necessity, with benefits such as keeping control of your finances from home or on holiday via a website or app.
If that’s not liberating enough, you can transfer money between accounts, send money to people you know, and set up or cancel direct debits and standing orders – all without visiting a branch.
Most banks give lessons to help, while Age UK has terrific advice on its website and offers computer classes. Here are a few of our essential tips:
Do set up your online banking carefully, download the correct app and follow your bank’s instructions to the letter.
Don’t share those details with anyone unless it’s an emergency or you completely trust them, such as a next of kin.
Do take some time to play with the app’s features and familiarise yourself with the layout.
Don’t mistake online banking for being unsafe. Most have the highest levels of digital security and log you out automatically after use.
Do look for ‘HTTPS’ before the website name in the address bar of your web browser. The ‘S’ stands for secure and means it is protected.
Don’t reuse the same passwords for different accounts.
Do be cautious with public computers. The one in your local library might not be secure, so check with staff.
Don’t share passwords or PIN numbers. Banks will never ask you for these in full. If they do, it’s fraudulent.
Do view your balance frequently to check for irregularities and raise any concerns immediately.
BT scam emails are attempting to capture your card details. Here are the common phishing tactics you need to watch out for.
An increase in the number of BT scam emails purporting to be from BT has led to a warning from Action Fraud. Have you received one of the fakes?
Last month Action Fraud stated that it had received 676 reports in just two weeks regarding the latest scam emails pretending to be from BT.
Like with most phishing emails, the scammers’ goal is to get you to follow a link to a phishing website that will then attempt to steal your bank/card details.
WHAT DO THE SCAM BT EMAILS LOOK LIKE?
In these cases, the scammers are relying on their fake emails to find their way to genuine BT customers. They state that ‘your monthly bill is ready’ and instruct the recipient to ‘pay’ that bill by clicking through to a fake website.
The emails and the website have nothing to do with BT. If you enter your card details on these sites to ‘pay’ a bill then you will have given your information directly to fraudsters.
While many fake emails rely on a sense of urgency or panic, the tactics behind this email are entirely based on appearing genuine. If you’re expecting a bill from BT then the straightforward nature of the email’s request may be enough to catch you off guard.
HOW CAN I SPOT A FAKE BT EMAIL?
If you are a BT customer and you’ve received an email out of the blue requesting payment do not interact with it. BT states that it will never ask customers for private/personal details or banking information out of the blue.
Rather than follow links in emails claiming to be from BT, instead, log in to your BT account via its official site. Do this entirely separately from the email and be sure you’re not following any links.
If you remain unsure whether you have a bill to pay or you think there may be issues with your account then contact BT directly to check.
I THINK I’VE BEEN SCAMMED BY A FAKE BT EMAIL: WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you think you may have entered sensitive information, such as your bank/card details, into a third-party site you were taken to by a suspicious BT email, you must let your bank know what’s happened via its official channels ASAP.
You can report a scam and get your money back. Your bank should work with you to cancel your card, block any pending payments (if required) and refund the money you’ve lost.
You should also then keep an eye out for any follow-up scams that could occur if you’ve given contact details, such as your email address, postal address or phone number away to fraudsters. Treat any contact you receive out of the blue with caution.
HOW CAN I REPORT BT SCAM EMAILS?
Emails that impersonate BT can be forwarded directly to the brand on phishing@bt.com(opens in new tab)
Fake emails and phishing websites can also be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk(opens in new tab) – action can then be taken to remove these websites.
If you’re going to warn friends and family about a scam, send them a screenshot instead of forwarding suspicious emails directly.
BT customers can also go to www.bt.com/scams(opens in new tab) to get advice on how to spot and handle a scam call, email or text.
Public encouraged to continue reporting suspicious emails after 6.4 million reports were received in 2022.
NHS tops list of government impersonation scams reported and taken down through the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS)
GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre shares top tips on how to spot and report suspicious messages
Public urged to stay alert for scammers using exploitative tactics as we head into 2023
Cyber security experts have today revealed the top six government impersonation scams they have removed from the internet in 2022 as they urged the public to remain vigilant to cyber crime in the year ahead.
The scams unveiled by the National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ – included phishing emails and messages from cyber criminals impersonating well-known HMG brands, such as the NHS, HMRC and Ofgem.
Phishing involves the attempt by hackers to trick people into doing ‘the wrong thing’, such as clicking a bad link that will download malware or direct them to a fake website. Their aim is often to make recipients visit a website, which may download a virus onto their computer, ask you to make a payment or steal bank details and other sensitive information.
Cyber criminals often seek to exploit topical events to make their phishing attempts more convincing. In 2022, the NCSC saw scammers exploit the rising cost of living with Ofgem energy bill support scams and HMRC tax rebate scams, while scammers continued to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to attempt PCR test scams.
The top HMG branded attacks that have been reported to SERS that have resulted in takedowns are:
National Health Service (NHS)
TV Licensing
HM Revenue & Customs
Gov.uk
DVLA
Ofgem
The NCSC encourages the public to forward suspect emails to its Suspicious Email Reporting Service at report@phishing.gov.uk, while suspicious texts should be forwarded to 7726.
SERS received 6.4 million reports during 2022, with 67,300 scam URLs removed as a result. This brings the total number of reports to SERS since its launch in 2020 to 15.8m, with 198,500 takedowns.
Sarah Lyons, NCSC Deputy Director for Economy and Society Resilience, said:
“We know cyber criminals try to exploit trends and current affairs to make their scams seem convincing and sadly our latest data shows 2022 was no exception.
“By shining a light on these scams we want to help people more easily spot the common tricks fraudsters use, so that ultimately they can stay safer online.
“There is much more advice on the NCSC’s website about spotting suspicious messages, along with our Cyber Aware guidance to help people protect their devices.”
Mike Glassey, Ofgem Chief Information Security Officer, said:
“Protecting consumers is our top priority and it is alarming that vulnerable customers are being preyed upon when people are already struggling so much with energy bills.
“That’s why, as energy regulator, on top of issuing our own warnings and advice, we have asked all energy suppliers to ensure clear and up to date information on scams is easily accessible on their websites.
“We take these attempts to exploit consumers very seriously and work with the National Cyber Security Centre to prevent these malicious attacks – identifying and responding- in near real-time- to over 100 of these phishing campaigns in 2022 alone. Our Energy Aware campaign is a one stop shop for all energy consumers to get help, support and advice on scams and other energy bill issues – Energy advice for households | Ofgem.”
Ahead of the New Year and the January sales, the NCSC is also urging people to follow its Cyber Aware advice to protect their online accounts from scammers seeking to steal personal details and sensitive information.
The NCSC also urges shoppers to check before they buy, and use secure payment methods in order to stay ahead of the threat from criminals during 2023 and beyond:
Choose carefully where you shop: Research online retailers, particularly if you haven’t bought from them before, to check they’re legitimate. Read feedback from people or organisations that you trust, such as consumer websites.
Pay securely: Use a credit card when shopping online, if you have one. Most major credit card providers protect online purchases and are obliged to refund you in certain circumstances. Using a credit card (rather than a debit card) also means that if your payment details are stolen, your main bank account won’t be directly affected. Also consider using a payment platform, such as PayPal, Google or Apple Pay. And whenever you pay, look for the closed padlock in the web address bar – it means your connection is secure.
HSBC UK has revealed the three most common types of scams it’s seen reported by its customers. We explain what they look like and how you can avoid them.
Scammers stole more than £1.3bn from people in the UK in 2021 amid surge in online fraud, new data shows according to the research from the banking industry organisation UK Finance.
Here, we look at some of the most common scams right now and tell you how to avoid them.
COMMON ONLINE SHOPPING SCAMS
The most common scams of all is a purchase scam, HSBC UK has found. When you are tricked into paying for non-existent or dodgy goods and services in advance.
Alarmingly, there’s been a spate of scammers falsely advertised vehicles online more and more, which is costing victims thousands of pounds.
A 30 year-old from Newcastle, fell victim to a purchasing scam. He was looking for a cheap run-around after his old car failed its MOT.
He found a Renault Clio on Gumtree which seemed to be in good condition, but then Craig learned the car’s history after buying it.
It turned out that the car had been written off as a Category C insurance write-off. Craig only found out about this when he hired a hire purchase investigation check which confirmed the vehicle was a write off. He lost £1,652 in total.
HOW TO AVOID A PURCHASE SCAM WITH VEHICLES
Always try to see the car in person rather than trusting an online source such as Gumtree or eBay
The car history checker online on the government website is always useful to find out if the vehicle has ever been written off and its insurance history
Consider how old the car is and the mileage. It should give you an idea of how much that car should cost, if it’s suspiciously cheap or over priced, move on
COMMON IMPERSONATION SCAMS
This type of scam is easy to fall victim to, when someone impersonates an organisation such as a retailer or bank.
Many of us are familiar with impersonation scams. Fraudsters pretending to be Royal Mail or the Post Office over text messages are common, and HSBC UK is now seeing a rise in calls from people claiming to be Amazon.
They have also seen an increase in fraudsters impersonating the HSBC UK fraud team, where they may tell you your account is at risk.
When the scammer tells you to move money into a ‘safe account’, this is a red flag.
David Callington, HSBC UK’s head of fraud, said: “HSBC UK will never ask you to move money to a safe account or disclose your one time passcode. Likewise we would never ask you to delete your mobile banking app. If someone asks you to do any of these things, hang up right away, it’s a scam.”
HOW TO AVOID AN IMPERSONATION SCAM
If you’re contacted unexpectedly, it’s important you’re sure it’s legitimate. Contact the firm claiming to have contacted you to verify it’s real claims to have sent it to check.
Use the official contact details listed on the company’s website or documents you might have been sent, if it’s your bank then you can usually find its official number on the back of your credit or debit card.
WHAT IS AN INVESTMENT SCAM?
With an average loss per case of £14,173, investment scammers are amongst the most devastating.
The Money Edit’s editor, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, says: “Investment scams can be difficult to spot and can appear legitimate, but often they are run from what’s known as boiler rooms, trying to get people to part with large sums of money to ‘invest’ on something that does not exist or is worthless.
“The key thing to remember is to be wary of anyone that is promising you a big payout, and alarm bells should also ring if you are put into a situation where you are pressured into making an on-the-spot decision”, she adds
These scams incur the biggest losses according to Callington: “An investment scam usually looks like this: you receive a random call or message regarding an investment that ‘you can’t miss’.
The scammer then keeps contact with you over a period of months, even years to get as much money out of you as they can.
“With the cost of living sky-high, it’s no surprise people are lured in by schemes promising low risk for high returns. The general rule is that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Callington added.
HOW TO AVOID AN INVESTMENT SCAM
As The Money Edit’s Fitzpatrick advises: “Before you part with any cash, always check the FCA’s (Financial Conduct Authority) warning list for known scams to see what investments are regulated and to check for known scams.”
Reject random calls or unexpected offers. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
HELPFUL TOOLS TO HELP YOU STAY SAFE
As scams are rising, so are online tools to help you. At The Money Edit we recommend using Check a Website to check if a site is genuine.
Scammers use whatever means they can to try and get sensitive data from you. They can fake their phone numbers, pretending to be a trustworthy person from a well-known company, and even create official-looking social media accounts. They’ll often seem friendly, polite and professional, but as soon as they put you under pressure and ask you to act immediately – be suspicious.
Calls, emails and texts
In doubt whether a call’s genuine or not? It’s best to hang up.
Social Media
This is the latest way scammers will try to get you. If you’re contacted by an official-looking account asking you to click a link or for personal information, stop and think. If it’s Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, is the account verified? Is the company name spelt correctly in its username? Does its follower count seem likely for a major brand? All of these things can help you suss out a fraudulent account.
Worried you could’ve been scammed?
If you ever think you’ve been the victim of fraud – whether you’ve given your details over the phone or clicked a dodgy link in a text or email and shared sensitive info – don’t panic. Here are some things you can do:
Get in touch with your bank if you think you might have given out any financial info – they’ll try to recover any money you’ve lost
Change your account password(s)
Call 159 to chat to most UK banks confidentially if you’re concerned you’ve provided your contact details to a scammer
Ring Action Fraud (the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime) on 0300 123 2040 or use their online reporting tool at reporting.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting
Amazon shoppers have been issued a warning after reports of a scam that could trick you into handing your bank details over to fraudsters.
The online retailer’s regular emails to customers make it the perfect cover for con artists to get in touch with customers – without their message necessarily standing out as fake.
It means it is more important than ever to be able to tell a scam email from a real one.
The warning was issued by Action Fraud, after it received more than 2,000 reports in just a week about fake emails purporting to be from Amazon.
The emails claim the recipient’s Amazon account has been “locked” and that they need to complete an “identity verification” process in order to unlock it.
The links in the emails lead to genuine-looking phishing websites that are designed to steal Amazon login credentials, as well as personal and financial information.
The emails are generally made to look like they are coming from Amazon. If you receive an e-mail claiming to be from Amazon, and you suspect it is a spoof or phishing e-mail, here are some things you can look out for:
Amazon will never ask for personal information to be supplied by e-mail.
Amazon will never request to update payment information that is not linked to an Amazon order you placed or an Amazon service you subscribed to.
Never feel pressured to give information (such as your credit card number or account password) over the phone, especially if the call was unexpected. Scammers may try to use calls, texts, and emails to impersonate Amazon customer service. If you’re ever unsure, it’s safest to end the call/chat and reach out directly to customer support through the Amazon app or website.
Never pay over the phone. Amazon will never ask you to provide payment information, including gift cards (or “verification cards”, as some scammers call them) for products or services over the phone.
Trust Amazon-owned channels. Always go through the Amazon mobile app or website when seeking customer support or when looking to make changes to your account.
Be wary of false urgency. Scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they’re asking. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now.
Have you been contacted out of the blue? Have you been asked to share personal details? Is there something about the email you’ve received that just feels off? Scammers work in lots of different ways, developing new techniques all the time, and will use emails to try and steal sensitive data from you.
Check who it’s from
It may look like a real email from a business you use, but if you hover over or right-click the sender’s name, you’ll be able to see the email address it has actually been sent from. The sender’s name may look legitimate, but often the email address will contain a small spelling error or could simply be a random assortment of numbers and letters.
Spelling or grammar mistakes
It’s no longer a given that fraudulent emails will be riddled with errors, but it’s still surprisingly common in phishing emails. Other things to look out for: is the email consistent in how it looks? Is there a mix of US and UK English? Does it use different font styles or even random sizes? These are all things that may signal it’s not genuine.
Small mistakes and style issues
Often scammers will mimic official-looking emails in an attempt to get you to part with your data. But check the little details the fraudsters might have missed. Are the copyright dates correct? Is the brand logo an old or discontinued version (or pixelated)? Does it match the style of previous emails you’ve had from the company or business?
Asking for personal details
Always remember, we’ll never (ever) ask you for sensitive infomation. So if you get an email asking for such details, or requesting you click on a link to supply them, it’s a red flag. Do not provide any personal information or click on any link in an email you’re unsure about. Such links may contain viruses that can infect your computer or even install ransomware.
Your urgent attention is required
Scammers will also stress the urgency of your actions in the hope you don’t take the time to check whether it’s real or not – for example, saying your account is about to be closed, or that there is a payment issue on your account. Do not click the link. Instead, to check the status of your account.
“The cloud” refers to servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers. Cloud servers are located in data centers all over the world. By using cloud computing, users and companies do not have to manage physical servers themselves or run software applications on their own machines.
The cloud enables users to access the same files and applications from almost any device, because the computing and storage takes place on servers in a data center, instead of locally on the user device. This is why a user can log in to their Instagram account on a new phone after their old phone breaks and still find their old account in place, with all their photos, videos, and conversation history. It works the same way with cloud email providers like Gmail or Microsoft Office 365, and with cloud storage providers like Dropbox or Google Drive.
For businesses, switching to cloud computing removes some IT costs and overhead: for instance, they no longer need to update and maintain their own servers, as the cloud vendor they are using will do that. This especially makes an impact for small businesses that may not have been able to afford their own internal infrastructure but can outsource their infrastructure needs affordably via the cloud. The cloud can also make it easier for companies to operate internationally, because employees and customers can access the same files and applications from any location.
Is it worth paying for cloud storage, or could you get away with a free service?
Moving your files, photos and documents online to the cloud is one of the smartest computing decisions you can make. With your most important files stored safely online, you don’t need to panic about your laptop seizing up or your external hard drive breaking down. Even if your computer is lost or stolen, you’ll still be able to access your documents or photo collection online through the cloud. But, with all the cloud storage options out there, how do you pick which one to use? Some make transferring files a seamless task, whereas others are more trying. Follow our advice to free up more of your precious time. Below, we cover some key things to think about when choosing your cloud storage service, such as whether you should pay for it and features to look out
That depends on how much storage space you need. Many of the big-name services offer between 2GB and 5GB for free, which isn’t much. But some offer more, including Google Drive, which gives you 15GB free of charge. If you want more space, you’ll need to pay an annual or monthly fee. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from setting up multiple free accounts and enjoying a sizeable combined amount of storage. But this could become confusing and annoying – and you probably don’t want to spend too much time going through all your accounts to find one specific document.
Which cloud storage service features should I look out for?
Not all cloud storage services offer the same functionality, so make sure you pick one with all the features you want. Here’s a list of some key ones to think about:
Multi-device access You can use most cloud storage services on your smartphone or tablet, as well as on your laptop or desktop. But check that a service has dedicated apps for your brand of tablet or smartphone.
Editing Surprisingly, some services don’t let you edit documents within cloud storage itself – instead, you open the file outside of the storage service, then it syncs automatically. Many give you the option of both, though, giving you a little more flexibility. Some cloud storage services let you edit pictures, too.
File sharing Most services let you share your files with other people – for instance, you might like to share some holiday snaps with your family. Some don’t, though, so consider whether it’s something you’d like to do
Security it’s imperative that the brands behind those services protect all the data they hold to withstand breaches from even the most devious attackers, so the best cloud storage services won’t accept weak passwords. It’s also good if two-factor authentication is available. This form of security requires you to enter your password, but then an extra code is sent to one of your personal devices (usually a phone), which you’ll then need to enter to log in.
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