The cost of living crisis is giving scammers an opportunity to lure people to save money

Help protect yourself from fraud

Sadly, in times of economic difficulties, we often see an increase in scams and other fraudulent activity, attempting to defraud businesses and individuals of their hard-earned assets.

To help you reduce the risk of falling victim to the scammers, we’ve pulled together the top actions you can take to help yourself.

Look out for the following red flags which should raise your suspicions:

• Unsolicited calls, letters, emails, and text messages, particularly if it’s asking about any personal or financial information.
• Communications which simply don’t quite feel right. Your gut feel is often a good indicator of what’s right and what’s not.
• Poor branding, language, or spelling could be signs things aren’t quite right.

If you’re suspicious, don’t give out any personal or sensitive information, instead look to take one of the following steps:

• Check the contact details from a source you know to be genuine (for example by navigating to the website directly or obtaining the contact details from documents you already hold – such as your policy documents.
• If it’s text or email, don’t automatically click on any links or attachments until you’re satisfied it’s genuine.
• Stop, Hang up, Call 159! Many UK banks have adopted the 159 service, this allows customers who think they might be at risk of fraud to connect directly to their bank by simply dialling 159.
• Always pause before you act. Scammers often try to play on instinctive human behaviour by instilling a sense of urgency to make a quick decision. By pausing and taking time to reflect before deciding, you’re less likely to make a poor decision.
• Block unknown numbers and unsolicited cold callers, visit the Ofcom website for help and support on the options and apps available to help stop nuisance calls.

If you’re being offered an amazing deal, remember how the old saying goes, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’!

Communications from Zurich

Your data is very important to us. If you receive a communication or an unsolicited call purporting to be from us and but you’re not sure, please keep you and your information safe and call us.

You should contact us using the telephone number shown on your policy documents or via the contact us page, not those shown in the communication. We’ll be happy to investigate and confirm if the communication is legitimate.

Examples of the scams

Examples of scams include:

• Unsolicited calls from ‘advisers’ pretending to be from a customer’s insurance company and offering a ‘policy review’ or attempting to get information regarding their policy.
• Attempts to gain information in ways which play on human behaviours. For example, saying they’re calling from company X, so customer’s instinct is to correct them by saying they’re actually insured with company Y.

Managing your mobile and online security against fraud

Don’t forget what you can’t see and minimise the risk of getting digitally mugged by taking the online security measures:

Update your software

Whether you use a laptop, tablet or smart phone, it’s really important you’re using the latest antivirus software or operating system. When prompted, you should always update to the latest versions, which will include critical security updates to protect you against hackers, viruses, and other malware.

Use strong and memorable passwords

Yes, we know! But honestly, many people commit fraud, including friends and relatives, and weak passwords are one of the easiest ways people get exploited.

Care about what you share

Whatever you think of them, fraudsters aren’t stupid. In fact, they’re devious and methodical, and go to great lengths to identify and target victims. By over sharing online, it makes it much easier for fraudsters to gather the information they need to pretend to be you. Review and update your privacy settings so only the people you want can see your profile.

For help with anything you want to know about cyber security and protecting yourself from online fraud, visit the National Cyber Security Centre website.

Reporting scams - What to do if you think someone has scammed you

• Contact your bank to report your concerns and ask them to cancel the direct debit or other transaction.
• Keep your eye on your account to look out for any suspicious transactions and notify the bank immediately if you spot any.
• Block the suspicious number.
• File a report through the ICO Action Fraud website to log the scam with the Police and help prevent it happening to someone else.

We know the thought of scams and fraud can unsettle people. The better informed we are, the less chance we stand of falling victim to these sorts of things. If in doubt, always reach out, we’re here to help every step of the way.