Opportunistic scams

Some scammers are very clever. They will use current or emotional causes to create believable scams to solicit money from their victims.

At present, there are many email, SMS, social media and WhatsApp scams where the message appears to have come from someone raising funds to support the Ukrainian citizens during the Russian invasion. They will ask the victim to send money via cryptocurrency, prepaid cards, vouchers or any other untraceable means. They might even convince their victim to share their credit card or banking information.

Any generous person, driven by a true desire to help people in crisis, is vulnerable to these scams.

We see a lot of “Go fund me” scams from people who pretend to have a terminal illness asking for money for treatment.

During the Covid pandemic, we’ve seen thousands of scams involving buying or selling of personal protection equipment (sanitisers, masks, etc.)

When you receive a request for benevolence such as those mentioned above, please think carefully before you respond.

Always check whether the source is credible. Ask for proof that the situation is real. Remember that it is very easy for criminals to forge documents and edit photographs, so maintain a healthy level of scepticism when you look at the evidence. Be careful if the method of payment is not traceable such as those mentioned above. Cryptocurrency is not traceable but an electronic payment into a legitimate organisation’s bank account will leave a record that will serve as proof of that payment.

Never, ever give your credit card or banking details via telephone, email, social media or any other communication – no matter who the person on the other side claims to be. No legitimate source will ask you to do so. This should be an immediate red flag.

Always be careful when you receive a highly emotive message. Take some time to think it through from a logical perspective instead of responding out of emotion.