Protect yourselves from Scams
At BAEC, we take the safeguarding of our learners very seriously.
We aim to bring information about the latest scam to your attention.
On this page, we post the latest information from the Metropolitan Police, the London Borough of Bromley and other partners.
Criminals are impersonating Wilko on copycat websites promising huge discounts
19th September 2023 – The retailer Wilko recently announced it had gone into administration, and criminals have been quick to capitalise. We’ve seen various adverts on Facebook offering discounts of up to 90%. These ads lead to copycat websites that phish for your personal information and bank details. This is the latest in a series of scams targeting troubled retailers – we recently reported on copycat Joules websites. more
Warning over criminals using digital switchover to scam vulnerable people
16th September 2023 – Criminals are exploiting the analogue to digital switchover in the UK’s telephone network to scam elderly and vulnerable people, councils have warned.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said it had issued the warning after becoming concerned the transition was creating new opportunities for criminals.
Specifically, the LGA said it was concerned about the around 1.8 million people who use healthcare telephony devices, and which may need changing as part of the digital switchover.
It said it had seen recent reports of criminals who call residents with healthcare devices and claim the resident needs to hand over bank details as part of the switchover, or they will be disconnected. more
06/04/23 – It can be difficult to spot a fake, fraudulent or scam website. Criminals can be extremely cunning and use their expertise to create convincing websites.
Which? are here to help – follow their eight simple tips to test whether a website is legitimate or not. more
National Trading Standards
The National Trading Standards Scam Team collects the latest information – you can subscribe to their email alerts here
If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft, you should report this directly to Action Fraud either online; https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or via phone 0300 123 2040.
Where the victim is vulnerable, report it to the MPS online or call 101.