People may view fraud as a big money game that doesn’t affect Joe Public, but in reality, it affects us all.
Fraud happens when a person deceives somebody to obtain money, goods, or services, and in the bigger picture, this damages our economy, drives up costs for consumers, and reduces money available for public services.
Moreover, fraud can have a devastating effect on victims. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, it can cost people their livelihoods.
The most common type of fraud is bank card fraud.
Other examples include:
- Identity fraud
- Counterfeit goods fraud
- Computer fraud
- Benefit fraud
- Employment fraud
- Property fraud
Please see below some simple precautions you can take to protect yourself against fraudulent crime:
- Where possible, keep your debit and credit cards on your person in your wallet or purse.
- If you’re paying a bill in a shop or restaurant, make sure you’re present for the transaction rather than letting the sales assistant or waiter walk away with your card to process it elsewhere.
- Don’t leave your banks cards in full view of visitors and the windows at home.
- Always carefully shred and dispose any documents that bear your name, address, and any other personal details.
- Make sure any personal documents you have, for example your birth certificate, passport, driving license, and banking information, is stored securely in a safe place at home.
- Never post money in response to unsolicited phone calls or letters.
- Get security savvy on your computer to prevent e-crime (link to webpage).
- Encrypt your phone data with a WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) / WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) key to stop people intercepting your mobile device.
- Hike up your privacy settings on social networking sites to stop people misusing your personal details.
- When purchasing on eBay, stick to buying from sellers with good feedback. If you’re a seller, don’t distribute the item until you’ve received payment. Stick to Paypal when completing your eBay transactions.
- Don’t give out confidential information such as your credit card details over the phone or by email.
- If you change address, be sure to get your post redirected.
If you believe you are a victim of bank card fraud, you should immediately report it to your bank or credit card company.
South Wales Police have a dedicated Economic Crime Unit who specialise in the investigation of fraud cases. Don’t let the scammers get away with conning you – help us to convict them. If you believe that you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, we want to know.
To report a non-urgent incident to South Wales Police call 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.
For more information on the different types of fraud and how you can protect yourself and report it, visit the UK’s national fraud reporting centre website: www.actionfraud.org.uk