Fraudsters stole £2,300 a minute from victims in 2022

UK Finance reports that victims lost a total of £1.2bn to scammers last year.

The latest data shows the shocking extent of losses to unauthorised and authorised fraud.

Unauthorised fraud occurs when a scammer carries out transactions without your consent or authorisation – for example, if your bank card is stolen. Authorised fraud, or APP fraud, occurs when you’re tricked into sending money to a criminal’s account.

It’s crucial to be aware of how these scams work and take precautions to protect yourself. Learn more about the different types of fraud and how to spot them.

Is this the UK’s longest-running identity theft?

A man whose driving licence was stolen in 2019 has seen his identity repeatedly used to scam others while he gets the blame from angry victims.

Since the theft, dozens of fraudulent listings for high-value goods have appeared on Facebook Marketplace using his stolen identity. This resulted in victims of those scams directing their anger at him, wrongly ‘outing’ him online and even turning up in person to confront him.

Learn about the telltale signs of identity theft and the steps you can take to reduce your chances of being targeted.

The return of the Keto diet pills scam

Diet pill scams are doing the rounds again, with scammers continuing to use fake Dragons’ Den endorsements to trick unsuspecting victims.

These emails typically include fake ‘before’ and ‘after’ images of women who have supposedly taken a ‘clinically proven’ diet pill and link to dodgy websites that encourage you to enter your details to complete an order. If you enter your details, you’ll be handing them over to scammers.

It’s important to be vigilant when dealing with online advertisements and offers, especially if they make claims that seem too good to be true. Find out how to spot and dodge scam emails and websites.