Internet scams on the increase, warn Consumer Direct

GlasgowGirl

Facilitator
Jul 22, 2008
287
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I can't believe I have only just noticed that we have a Scam Alerts sub-forum! But it's very useful, because I wanted to post a link to this story: Consumer Direct and Get Safe Online are warning that internet-based scams are on the rise. It's part of a campaign that they've launched warning people to be vigilant, and says that phishing, bogus foreign lotteries and advance fee scams are three of the most common online rip-offs.

I don't imagine this is news to many people on here, but always worth a reminder that not everywhere online is as friendly as What Consumer!
 

kathleen

New Member
Jun 4, 2009
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This may not be classed as a scam but I have been taken for hundreds of pounds by a company Vista Print who in June 2007 had offered reduced price stationery on the web. I ordered some labels and just had to pay a couple of pounds which included postage. I received my order and never thought any more about it. Inadvertantly though I had ticked a box which gave the company permission to deduct over £200 from my credit card without my realisation of what was happening. I know now that I should have been more vigilant but I learnt too late. I tried to contact the company but was fobbed off with " you gave us consent by double clicking a box at the end of the offer and was told that I should have read the small print"
Possibly they are within their rights legally but this episode has made me so angry that I just had to let others out there know what can happen when you tick those boxes at the end of an offer on the web. I wonder if I was the only person that this has happened to.
 
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Maria Brooks

New Member
Jan 8, 2011
23
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Kathleen I'm not being funny but I've ordered 100s of times from VistaPrints and theyre custimer service is normally excellent im shocked to hear that they wud do that..are u sure that theres not more to the story..just if they did that u do know that u cud report them to the police..seems very odd 2 me
 

scambaiter

New Member
Apr 18, 2011
1
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christchurch dorset
i am a scam baiter which means when i get one i lead them up the garden path as most are stupid and not very good at it.why do i do it?
because i was caught by a Russian scammer but only lost £32 but its now the principle to waste scammers time and sometimes if they are stupid enough and provide enough info report them and some end up with five years in jail.
 

Gendalough

New Member
Sep 30, 2011
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Those phishing, bogus foreign lotteries and advance fee scams. These scams seem to originate from same one or two countries. I wonder why:confused:

I can't believe I have only just noticed that we have a Scam Alerts sub-forum! But it's very useful, because I wanted to post a link to this story: Consumer Direct and Get Safe Online are warning that internet-based scams are on the rise. It's part of a campaign that they've launched warning people to be vigilant, and says that phishing, bogus foreign lotteries and advance fee scams are three of the most common online rip-offs.

I don't imagine this is news to many people on here, but always worth a reminder that not everywhere online is as friendly as What Consumer!