Fraud Newsletter - August 2023 edition

Please see below August’s edition of the Surrey and Sussex Police Fraud Newsletter.

"Each month we see many incidents of fraudsters targeting our residents in an attempt to defraud them. We’re working hard to prevent this and support vulnerable victims of fraud or scams. By following our tips and encouraging family, friends and colleagues to do so too, you can reduce the risk of becoming a victim."
 

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Doyle, Surrey Police & Sussex Police Economic Crime Unit

Data breaches and credential compromise
 

When a company experiences a data breach, information such as emails, passwords and phone numbers can be included. A data breach occurs when information held by an organisation is stolen or accessed without authorisation. Criminals can then use this information when creating phishing messages (such as emails and texts) so that they appear legitimate. 
 

The message has been designed to make it sound like you're being individually targeted, when in reality the criminals are sending out millions of these scam messages. If this information is sold online, criminals could attempt to gain access to customer accounts with the information included in the breach. 
 

Criminals may even send messages pretending to be from an organisation that has suffered a recent data breach.

Remember: 

• Find out if you've been affected by contacting the organisation using their official website or social media channels.
   
• Be alert to suspicious messages.
   
• Check your online accounts to confirm there's been no unauthorised activity.
   
• If you have been hacked, contact your account provider's website and search their help and support pages.

Attack of the viruses

Computer viruses are programs that spread from one computer to another. A virus is a type of malicious software or 'malware'. You may be sent an email with an attachment which, when you click on it, will release a virus. 

Criminals can then use this to take control of your computer, or the virus may scan your computer for personal information. It can also slow your computer down, send out spam email or delete files.

Fight back by using anti-virus software to protect your computer from viruses!

• There are plenty of reputable and effective anti-virus software packages to choose from. AV will scan your PC and provide active protection against malware. It can also remove malware from infected devices. 
   
• Devices and software are routinely patched. Often these updates are security focused to protect software from the latest vulnerabilities and threats, however your systems are at risk if you are running on old security versions. Old, unsupported operating systems such as Windows XP are at risk.
   
• Anti-virus software will look for and remove viruses before they can infect your computer. Anti-spyware software prevents unwanted adverts from popping up and stops programs tracking your activities or scanning your computer for private data, such as credit card numbers or bank details.
   
• You can buy a package from a reputable provider (such as McAfee or Norton) either online or from a computer shop, or there are free security software programs available online such as AVG, Avast and Microsoft Security Essentials. 
  
  

Sextortion reports on the rise
 

'Sextortion' reports have increased dramatically across Sussex and Surrey in the past 12 months. The most commonly targeted victim group are young adult males, although increasingly younger victims are being targeted with many aged only 14 or 15.

So what is Sextortion? Sextortion is a form of blackmail which involves threatening to publish sexual or explicit photos or videos about someone. This may be to extort money or to force the victim to do something against their will. Photos or recordings are often made without the victim realising or consenting. Criminals will often target people through dating apps or social media, with Snapchat and Instagram being among the most commonly reported social media platforms.

In a recent example, a man in his early twenties from West Sussex lost £490 to a fraudster, posing as an attractive young female who first contacted him on Snapchat. They immediately began sending flirtatious messages and after a short conversation they moved the chat onto “Instagram” where more messages and some intimate photos were sent. They then engaged in a video call which the scammer was recording without his knowledge.

Soon afterwards the scammer has re-contacted him demanding money and threatening that if he didn’t pay immediately the video and photos would be sent to his entire contact list.

What to do if you have been targeted:

• Don't panic, help and support is available.
   
• Don't pay.
   
• Don't keep communicating.
   
• Do consider getting support.
   
• Report it to the police on 101 or online.
   
• Report it to social media companies if communication happened on these channels. For example, Facebook or Instagram.
   
• Report it to your internet service provider.