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Fraud Notice: December 2020

December 29, 2020

The festive season is rife with fraudsters looking to take advantage of us opening our
wallets and feeling merry.

Here are some things to watch out for:

HMRC scam:

HMRC is aware of an automated phone call scam which will tell you HMRC is filing a lawsuit against you, and to “press 1 to speak to a caseworker to make a payment”. HMRC has confirmed this is a scam and you should end the call immediately. This scam has been widely reported and often targets elderly and vulnerable people.

Counterfeit goods:

Looking to buy a loved one a present from a well-known brand this Christmas? Stay vigilant for counterfeit goods. These can range from poorly made t-shirts with rip-off logos to electronics which could break after one use or even be dangerous. This year, a specialised Europol unit shut down 20,520 websites for illegally trading counterfeit merchandise online.

Be sure to check out the December 2020 fraud notice by clicking here.

Your local counter fraud specialist (LCFS) team can be contacted using the details below:

Sophie Coster, Senior Consultant, Lead Local Counter Fraud Specialist:

Bradley Vaughan, Managing Consultant, Counter Fraud Client Manager: