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Scams and swindles

A scam is a scheme designed to con you out of your cash. Scams come in many forms and are getting more sophisticated all the time. So, even if you think you would never be fooled, make sure you remain sceptical about offers that seem too good to be true – they usually are!

Scammers aim to con us all. Deceptive premium rate competition scams, bogus sweepstakes and lotteries, get–rich–quick schemes and fake health cures are some of the favoured means of separating the unwary from their money. And the number of scams just keeps on growing.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is campaigning to stamp out scams – see Related links:

  • lotteries scams;
  • premium rate phone scams;
  • letters predicting the future;
  • pyramid selling;
  • miracle health cures;
  • work from home scams;
  • foreign money offers and advance fee scams;
  • email spam scams;
  • bogus holiday clubs;
  • career opportunity scams;
  • online dating scams;
  • investment scams;
  • phishing; and
  • charity publishing

They also have a scambusters quiz, and tips on what to do if you're unsure or you discover a scam. There’s also a list of contact organisations that are supporting the stamp out scams campaign.

For top tips on how to protect yourself and your personal information, see our Stay safe section.

Types of other scams that are around at the moment include:

  • Bogus FSA and FOS communications – letters or emails claiming to be from the FSA or FOS asking for your personal information or money.
  • Bank charge cold callers – telephone calls or emails out of the blue, offering to help reclaim your charges – often claiming to be from the OFT.
  • Identity fraud – someone impersonates you without your knowledge, often by stealing discarded or lost documents.
  • Advance fee schemes – letters or emails that offer you vast sums if you make payments up front.

Investment scams

  • Share scams (also known as boiler rooms) – a stranger rings you out of the blue and tries to offer you shares in a company you have never heard of.
  • Affinity fraud – investment scams that target members of a group, such as a community or a religious, ethnic, elderly or professional group.
  • Chain letters – letters or emails that contain a list of names and guarantee you a huge return for your small initial investment.

Online scams

  • Fund transfer schemes – money–laundering scams that tempt you to use your bank account by offering a commission. But you could wind up with a prison sentence too.
  • Online fraud (phishing) – fake bank websites that crooks use to try and get your personal details and money.

For tips on how to stay safe online see the UK banking industry's Bank Safe Online website – see Related links.

The Metropolitan Police has a special Fraud Alert website, set up to assist in combating specific types of fraud, and to prevent you becoming a victim of crime, through the prevention advice and disruption activity – see Related links.

The City of London Police is responsible for coordinating Operation Archway, the national intelligence reporting system for boiler room fraud. They have set up a website where you can get more information, including how to report suspected boiler rooms to them – see Related links.