Lothian Buses warning over Facebook scam as victims urged to contact banks
According to the company, fraudsters on Facebook have been making posts claiming that the first 500 residents to visit a website, complete a form and pay £2 will get a 6 month Ridacard.
Lothian has said that they are not offering any free Ridacards, and urge anyone who completed the survey and paid the £2 to contact their banking provider immediately.
READ MORE: Moment Edinburgh Ryanair flight descends into 'chaos' as police board plane
READ MORE: Edinburgh chef stabbed 'nuisance' visitor with a knife from his kitchen
In a post on Facebook, they wrote: 'We've been made aware of another Facebook scam.
'Please do not click any links or provide bank information to a third party. If you have done so, please notify your banking provider immediately.'
The company's Ridacards offer unlimited travel across the Lothian network, including the trams, East Coast Buses and Lothian Country.
It does not offer a six-month Ridacard, instead offering weekly cards for £24.50, monthly ones for £73, and yearly ones for £700.
Students are also able to get discounted Ridacards, and can purchase one which only covers the university term at a cost of £530.
Ridacards cannot be bought online, and are only available at one of the company's Travel Hubs in Edinburgh.
The scammers claim in their social media posts and on their website that the giveaway is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Lothian Buses.
Visitors to the site are asked to complete a short survey, asking how they feel about Lothian Buses' service, and are then asked to provide personal information.
After this, they are redirected to the website for a Cypriot do-it-yourself website building service, and asked to enter their card details for a £3 purchase.
In the fine print below the form for the card details, the website says that the £3 is for a four day trial of the company's services, after which the user would be entered into a £92/month subscription with the firm.
When contacted by phone, the firm denied that it sold bus passes, and said that they only sold 'digital services'.
Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boy, 15, and three others dead in incidents on hottest day
A 15-year-old boy and three other people have died in separate police call-outs on Scotland's hottest day in two years. A rescue operation was launched for the boy on the River Kelvin in Glasgow at about 18:40 on Saturday. His body was recovered at 23:30. Earlier a 63-year-old woman died in a fall near Campsie Glen waterfall in East Dunbartonshire. The body of a 39-year-old man was also found in the River Tyne at Haddington in East Lothian. At around 22:30 on Saturday a 50-year-old man was pulled from the water at Loch Lomond. Police said he died in hospital on Sunday. Police Scotland said none of the deaths were being treated as suspicious. People had flocked to beauty spots around the country as Scotland saw soaring temperatures on Saturday. Forecasters said it was the hottest day since June 2023, with the Met Office recording the heat at 32.2C at Aviemore in the Highlands. A temperature of 32C has only been recorded on six previous occasions in Scotland since 1961. The death of the 15-year-old boy on the River Kelvin, near Maryhill Road, is understood to be accidental. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Emergency services attended and around 23:30 the body of a male was recovered from the water." At Campsie Glen, two fire engines and water rescue teams were sent to the incident with the 63-year-old woman at 12:35. The spokesperson added: "Emergency services attended and the woman died at the scene. Her family is aware." At Haddington, police received a report that a 39-year-old man's body had been found in the River Tyne. The circumstances of the incident are not yet known. Police Scotland said inquiries were ongoing and a report would be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. At Loch Lomond police, ambulance and water rescue teams were called to the incident at a beach near Ardvorlich at Loch Lomond. The 50-year-old man was taken to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley where he died on Sunday. Meanwhile, emergency services were also called to help a walker suffering from heat exhaustion in Dumfries and Galloway. Galloway Mountain Rescue assisted the Scottish Ambulance Service near the Southern Upland Way footpath, north of St John's Town of Dalry, at about 17:30. A team spokesperson said: "Seven team members deployed with vehicles from Castle Douglas and set up a rapid evacuation back to the roadside. "We wish the casualty a speedy recovery." The incidents come during a run of hot sunny days that were officially classed as a heatwave on Friday. Met Office criteria states that the temperature must reach 25C for three consecutive days in the same area to qualify. Police urged people to take care outdoors while NHS Scotland advised people to stay safe by ensuring they drink water and are protected from the sun. It comes as several large outdoor events took place around the country including the Tiree Music Festival, the Island Games in Orkney and TRNSMT in Glasgow. Sunday brought slightly cooler weather before more unsettled conditions move in at the start of next week. Temperature hits 32C on Scotland's hottest day in two years Heat health advice as temperatures set to soar
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British Royal Train Closing After 180-Year Run. Here's Why
The British royal train is nearing its final stop. British monarchs have traveled privately via train since the 1840s. Queen Victoria took things a step further in 1869 when she commissioned two luxury coaches to service the Crown. The tradition has continued up until the present day, but won't be lasting for much longer. Buckingham Palace has announced that the British royal train will be decommissioned by 2027 in order to "secure best value for public money." The royal contract to keep the train running expires in March 2027 and will no longer be renewed. James Chalmers, Keeper of the Privy Purse, in charge of managing the Royal Household's finances, explained the decision as the Crown's attempt to "modernize and adapt to reflect the world of today." 'The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved," said Chalmers. "But in moving forward we must not be bound by the past." Chalmers added that the move serves as a huge cost-cutting measure. The Sovereign Grant Report, which breaks down the Royal Household's annual finances, noted that the cost to store and maintain the royal train far outweighs its practical usage. The Royal Family would have to make a "significant level of investment" to keep the train operational past 2027. The report also noted that the Royal Family had also purchased two new helicopters that offer more cost-efficient travel versus the royal train. The Royal Travel Appendix on the 2024-25 Sovereign Grant Report details just how costly train travel was compared to other modes of transportation. From April 2024 to March 2025, the Crown used the royal train just twice, costing around $60,000 each trip. The figure makes the monarchy's 55 chartered flights at $14,800 each and 141 helicopter rides at $4,600 each look like an absolute Royal Train Closing After 180-Year Run. Here's Why first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 6, 2025
Forbes
41 minutes ago
- Forbes
Here's Why Taxes Will Claim About Half Of Wimbledon Winner Jannik Sinner's $4 Million Prize
Jannik Sinner triumphed over his rival Carlos Alcarez to win the men's title at Wimbledon on Sunday, securing a $4 million prize one day after Iga Swiatek took home the women's title for the same amount—though tax analysts told Forbes their winnings will be cut nearly in half after paying required taxes. Jannik Sinner holds the Wimbledon trophy after winning the men's singles final match against Carlos ... More Alcaraz. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved The U.K. taxes prize funds from Wimbledon and earnings from endorsements on equipment used in the tournament, and they also face an initial withholding tax of 20% before paying a tax up to 45% after related expenses are deducted, according to Andreas Bosse, an international tax legal consultant based in Monaco. Wimbledon's £3 million grand prize (about $4.05 million), awarded to both the women's and men's champions, would likely be taxed at an effective rate of 36.52%, Sean Packard, OFS Wealth's tax director, told Forbes, lowering the winnings down to at least $2.5 million. Swiatek will likely also pay an additional 4% tax in Poland, reducing her championship winnings by an additional $162,000. Sinner, originally from Italy, will pay no additional taxes because his primary residence is in the income tax-free microstate of Monaco. A $2 million prize awarded to the runners-up would be reduced by more than $700,000 to $1.2 million if taxed at the 36.52% rate. The U.S. requires additional tax payments, including self-employment levies or an additional Medicare surtax, Packard said, which could lower American Amanda Anisimova's prize as the womens' runner-up. Sinner defeated Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in just three hours and four minutes Sunday, powering past his rival only five weeks after the Spanish tennis phenomenon triumphed at the French Open following a brutal five hour and 29 minute match. Sunday's win is Sinner's first championship at Wimbledon, but his fourth Grand Slam title overall. Swiatek beat Anisimova in just 57 minutes during Saturday's match, winning 6-0 and 6-0 to secure her first Wimbledon title. The match marked the first time in the Open Era of tennis matches—since 1911—that a woman won a singles title at Wimbledon without missing a single game, and is the first time since 1968 that it's happened at any Grand Slam match. What Taxes Could Jannik Sinner Pay? Sinner will pay no additional income tax outside of the U.K. because Monaco is his primary residence, Bosse said. Other top-ranked tennis players like Serbia's Novak Djokovic, whom Sinner defeated in Wimbledon's semifinals, as well as Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Denmark's Holger Rune and Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas also reside in Monaco, in addition to Formula 1 drivers Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. $72.2 million. That's the combined prize-money pool for Wimbledon, a 7% increase over the previous year, according to the tournament. Forbes Valuation Forbes ranks Alcaraz, who is seeking his third-straight Wimbledon title, the world's highest-paid tennis player with a combined $42.3 million in earnings on and off the court. Swiatek ranks fourth with $26.7 million in earnings, followed by Sinner, who earned a combined $26.6 million. Further Reading Forbes Coco Gauff's $2.9 Million French Open Prize Nearly Halved After Taxes By Ty Roush Forbes Why Novak Djokovic And Other Top Tennis Stars Call Monaco Home By Justin Birnbaum
