Tips to prevent being scammed
Here are some tips to help you reduce the risk of being scammed.
- Register with the Corporate Telephone Preference Service - they operate a central opt-out register. It's illegal for companies to cold call you if you're registered. This service is free of charge and it will prevent legitimate marketing calls as well as calls from scammers.
- If you receive a suspicious or odd-looking email, don't open it. Delete it.
- Don't give your personal or financial information to anyone you're suspicious of.
- Don't be rushed into making a decision or buying something quickly and check the small print carefully before signing any documents. A trustworthy company will be happy to wait.
- Don't give information online or through social media that will help someone steal your identity.
- Make sure you're using a secure website for any online purchases or payments. If the website is secure, it will have a website address beginning with https and there will be a padlock symbol next to the web address.
- Make sure everything is in writing before agreeing to anything.