Mumsnet users share their thoughts and experiences of financial fraud with Take Five

[JustineBMumsnet]

This activity is closed

Finding out that you’ve been a victim of a financial scam or fraud is never an easy thing to deal with. They can occur through varying methods such as via phone, email, text and/or post. With that being said Take Five want you to share your and/or your friends and family’s experiences of fraud or scams.

Here is what Take Five have to say: “Our research shows that many people do not feel confident that they could identify a fraudulent approach. Therefore the event will aim to empower and inspire parents to feel better prepared to ‘confidently challenge’ fraudsters, and recognise signs of fraud - remembering the mantra – My Money? My Info? I don’t think so."

Do you have an internal siren that goes off when you feel like something is a scam? Perhaps you’ve been scammed before and now know the best course of action to take? Or maybe you helped stop a family member from giving their bank details to someone you didn’t feel was genuine?

Whatever you or your family’s experiences of financial frauds and/or scams, write them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

[xcxcsophiexcxc]

I think most people know when something sounds dodgy it's just the vulnerable that are risk

[towser44]

I used to work in an anti-Fraud team and the scams that people attempt were frightening! Made my paranoid about the security of my personal data!

[MrsDramaQueen]

Someone once used my husbands Paypal account to order pizza in London, which is hours away from where we live. They refunded the money quickly. But it always makes me wary of internet payments now.

[mave]

I'm just wary of the dodgy emails!

[Lauzipop1]

I nearly got fooled by an Amazon email once. It looked so genuine. I was just about to click through to update my details when I decided to check the email address and it was some random yahoo account.

Also had money stolen from a site that was selling football tops. It seems they send you out something different from what you order which you then return and then you never hear anything back from them again. Luckily it was a Paypal transaction though so I got my money back eventually.

[Rachdayan]

Luckily never been scammed, but I do think that has a lot to do with vigilance and being aware of those junk emails that look like the real thing. Double checking the address they come from and spotting the obvious spelling mistakes. Also don't answer unknown numbers. Rule of thumb, if it's important they will leave a voicemail and I can judge.

[DinosaurSex]

I've never been scammed but I'm paranoid by nature anyway. If anyone phones I refuse to answer questions and phone back on a customer service number that I google. I never click any links and I never phone any numbers I'm given and look up the generic customer services number.

[Sezza110]

I am bombarded with dodgy emails, come are more sophisticated now and look genuine. Even if I open an email, if I think it fake I don't click on the link.

[user1496053440]

I did sadly once have my bank details hacked even though I still had my card so not sure what happened there and the bank were brilliant and immediately refunded the money. I'm more careful now and always throw away confidential information securely and never open dodgy looking emails

[pfcpompeysarah]

I never click on random emails from people I don't know, or with dodgy looking links, and I never ever give anyone my bank details unless I am sure it is legit! I was the victim of credit card fraud years ago, somehow after having moved house my 'new' credit card was sent to the old house and the occupants managed to use it (really not sure how they obtained pin numbers to this day) and they spent over 4 grand on it. The bank wrote the money off after some convincing and I informed the police but they never did a thing about it, annoying really!

[Spices001]

My mom nearly gave her Bank details to a caller pretending to be from her Bank. Luckily I was visiting at the time & stopped her

[feeona123]

Years ago my dad had the call from 'Microsoft' to say he had a virus on his computer. He did allow access to the computer but thankfully stopped at giving any credit card information.

Luckily he's learned from his mistake and would hopefully never fall for anything like that again.

[amyhalliday1]

I’m pretty savvy and tend to spot a scam x

[farhanac]

Always wary of email and text messages. If in doubt contact the company to verufy

[mattsonthebeach]

Always hover over the email address before clicking on them to see if they're genuine. Then always report the dodgy ones to the email provider to try and stop others from being scammed.

[freefan]

I was cloned through my bank card and it was a frightening experience, thankfully my bank picked up on it instantly and it turns out it was a dodgy cash point.But this experience has made me very wary and question everything and boy do some of those scam emails look real, so my advice would be don't click and get a second opinion.

[hibbertheather]

I don't even open emails claiming to he from the bank, I know if the bank needed to get in touch with me they have my address to write to and mobile number

[emmav6]

i think im quite good at avoiding scam calls, i never answer unknown calls and search their numbers on google

[KittyKat88]

I am super suspicious about all emails, but you have to stay vigilant as some of those phishing emails nowadays are very convincing! I've only once experienced an issue with a cloned card - as far as I can tell, the problem lay with the credit card company's own data because shortly after I had the problem they updated all their security protocols! Coincidence? I doubt it!

[LeeR1985]

I consider myself very tech savvy and thankfully have never been caught out by any kind of scam calls or emails. Some of my family members haven't been so fortunate. One cousin had his account cleared out when he gave bank details to 'HMRC' for a tax rebate.

[mummykate87]

I definitely have an internal alarm! If it's on the phone I'm polite but hang up instantly.

[JoGodfray]

You can tell the scams a mile off - you don't even have to click you can hover and see who has sent the email - it is usually something quite ridiculous!!

[cathwarbur]

I have never been a victim, hopefully never will, finding it easy to spot fake emails but if I'm not sure I ring the company up but not from links on the email

[MissTeri]

I keep getting calls from people insisting they're from my internet provider and they can see I have problems with my internet and that I have so many viruses on my computer. I don't give my home number out to anyone - not even friends and family so when I get a call it's only ever the scammers.

One day they called and asked if was home, I said had died and they were my sister. They STILL proceeded to try and scam me!!

Fortunately I've never been scammed. My nan has had several calls from people saying she owes money and that they're from the council, luckily my nan and her money are not often parted and she always hangs up and checks with the council to be sure - it's always a scam.

These scammers make me so cross and I feel so sorry for anyone who has been taken in by them.

[nessa46]

whenever something dodgy looking pops up, eg. if the email doesn't begin with your name(may just say customer) alarm bells go off, i don't click any links, go to the original site and check the details .also if the spelling is bad, its probably rubbish .