COVENTRY TRADING Standards team are warning people of online pitfalls that can lead to being scammed over the internet.
As part of scam awareness month, the team are warning about the dangers of scammers from across globe who can access people’s inboxes with fake emails and websites.
The Coventry Trading Standards regularly receive reports of unsolicited emails stating a long-lost relative of a consumer sharing their surname has died, and the recipient is entitled to a large chunk of an estate.
Debbie Morgan, consumer protection officer for Coventry Trading Standards, said: “Despite warnings, UK consumers still lose thousands of pounds by responding to scam requests disguised as pleas for help or lucky wins.
“However, the common theme in all of them is there is never a prize, inheritance or desperate royal at the end of the email thread.
“I encourage Coventry residents to brush up on their internet safety to avoid falling victim to scammers.”
Another common online scam is ‘Phishing’ – where emails claiming to be from a bank or financial institutions send links to confirm account details and other confidential information.
This link takes the user through to a bogus website which allows scammers to steal your details for theft or fraud.
Coventry Trading Standards have offered their tips and advice on how to avoid online scams:
* Always ensure you are using a secure website – look for the ‘https’ in the web browser.
* Don’t reply to spam emails, even if it is to unsubscribe, and do not click on any links the email may contain.
* Make sure you keep your anti-virus software up to date.
* If it sounds too good to be true, it is!
