Latest news with #ActionFraud
ITV News
a day ago
- ITV News
Family 'horrified' by scam livestream page for funeral of Northamptonshire house fire victim
The family of a house fire victim say they are "horrified" after a fake livestream page was set up to scam mourners on the day of his funeral. Louie Thorn, 23, died on 28 March in the blaze in Rushton, Northamptonshire, along with Emma Conn, 30, and Mayci Fox, 4. His funeral took place in Rothwell on Friday, as Mr Thorn's family revealed a scammer had attempted to profit from his death. The page offered followers a live stream of the funeral behind a pay-wall and asked followers "if you can afford you can donate". The page was deleted later on Friday. It comes after an ITV News investigation found hundreds of similar scamming funeral livestream pages had been created on Facebook for other high-profile deaths. The father of Louie Thorn said he was made aware there were several links posted ahead of the funeral. Lee Thorn said: "Awful. Not just one, three. What is that about? There are some awful, cruel people in this world. "People trying to profiteer off a sick situation like this, it's horrific. What are people about, why do these people exist? "I've had three of them, hopefully they all got pulled down pretty quickly. Just terrible. There's some sick people out there isn't there?" Police said anyone who has been affected by the fraudulent page should report it to Facebook. A Northamptonshire Police spokesperson said: 'To take advantage of such a tragic incident is appalling and we understand the distress this has caused the family of Louie Thorn. 'There are always unscrupulous people on social media whose sole aim of being on such platforms is to charge for a service which doesn't exist. "However, offering live streams of funerals in exchange for money is despicable. 'We would advise Louie's family and as many people as possible affected by such a fraud to report the page to Facebook so they can take action to remove the fraudulent content. 'We would also urge anyone who has fallen victim to any online fraud to report it to their local police force or Action Fraud.' Facebook has been approached for comment. Louie Thorn died in the house fire at a converted railway station in Rushton in March, along with four-year-old Mayci Fox and her mother Emma Conn. Investigators said the fire was not suspicious and police confirmed there was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. A fire which killed three people including a four-year-old girl and her mother was not suspicious, say investigators. The family of Emma Conn remembered her and her daughter Mayci as 'two peas in a pod', while Louie Thorn was remembered as "genuine, caring, kind and trusting". An inquest opening gave their provisional causes of death as inhalation of smoke, pending further tests.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Doorstep Scammers with Anton Sullivan
To report a crime with ActionFraud - CLICK HERE, externalFor a No Cold Calling sign - CLICK HERE, external
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police impersonator took £50k from elderly people
A man who impersonated a police officer to take more than £50,000 from elderly people has been jailed. Gavin Butters, 27, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court after being involved in courier frauds in eight different areas in the UK. According to Thames Valley Police victims received phone calls from an unknown person impersonating a police officer or bank investigator who asked them to hand over cash, bank cards and jewellery. Butters would then impersonate a police officer while visiting the addresses to collect the items. Police said one victim was a women in her 70s from Flackwell Heath, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, On 7 January 2025 she had answered a call from an unknown number on her mobile phone from a man who pretended to be from Scotland Yard's Action Fraud. In calls which lasted for more than six hours throughout the day, the victim was told her bank cards had been used fraudulently and were needed as evidence to arrest somebody in the local area. She was told if she did not hand over the cards she would be arrested herself. Butters went to the woman's address later that day and collected three bank cards, which he used to buy iPhones worth £5,896. The force worked with Merseyside Police and Cheshire Constabulary in the investigation. Det Con Claire Nangle, the officer in charge of the Thames Valley case, said: "Butters showed a complete disregard for his victims by pressuring them to co-operate in his fictional covert operation, taking advantage of their trusting nature. "This sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending, aggravated by the fact that he systematically targeted vulnerable, elderly victims." On 19 May Butters was sentenced after previously admitting to four counts of fraud by false representation at the same court. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Thames Valley Police
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Illegal Online Pharmacies
Using online health services can help you take control of your health by accessing care at a time that suits you. They are mostly legal and there are some online pharmacies which are unregistered, and therefore, illegal. These websites might look legitimate, but there's often no professional advice, unsafe dosage guidance, and no more information click on the below links:To read the General Pharmaceutical Council's updated guidance, click here, check if a pharmacy is registered in England, Scotland or Wales, click here, check if a pharmacy is registered in Northern Ireland, click here, #FakeMeds campaign, run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), helps you protect your health and money. For more information and to remind yourself of the official logos to look out for on legitimate pharmacy websites, click here, report a fake pharmacy or a pharmacy website, report to Action Fraud here, you come across fake medication you can use the Yellow Card Scheme run by the MHRA to report by clicking here, external.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Experts urge Windows users to delete 'Microsoft' updates amid latest scam
Windows PC's are now at risk if users don't 'watch out' for this fake email. Hackers have once again made a move against Microsoft as Windows 10 and 11 users have been placed on red alert as fake updates are currently in circulation. Action Fraud has issued the latest warning, saying that more and more PC owners have been receiving emails from 'Microsoft' that are actually scams. On X, Action Fraud wrote: "Watch out for these FAKE emails purporting to be from Microsoft. The emails claim that your device is infected with malware, and encourages you to follow the links in the email." For people who have followed the link, they are now at risk of scammers being able to hack into their accounts, target others and steal their money. In the past few days it has been revealed that over 250 Windows users have reported being targeted by cyber crooks. Many victims have noted that the emails suggest that they are writing from the Microsoft Defender Security Centre, reports the Express. A few people have also nearly fallen for the scam as some seem to feature a Microsoft Security address in the message. Once email users click the link, they are then shown a detailed list of the recent threats that have tried to target their PCs. Windows users are then encouraged to use the provided links to view a full report of the threats or run a scan of their device. However, this is only created to fool users into thinking they are already under attack when in fact they only became a target when they followed the link. Instead of protecting the recipient's device, they are instead taken to malicious websites that are created to steal their financial and personal information. As reports of this scam continue to rise, Action Fraud is warning all Windows users to be careful. They said: "If you have any doubts about a message, contact the organisation directly. Don't use the numbers or address in the message - use the details from the official website. "Your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email." On top of this, Microsoft has clearly stated that they will not contact their users randomly and continue to ask for personal data. If users do receive these kinds of emails, they need to take extra caution. The US technology firm said: "Microsoft does not send unsolicited email messages or make unsolicited phone calls to request personal or financial information, or to provide technical support to fix your computer. "If you didn't ask us to, we won't call you to offer support. Download software only from official Microsoft partner websites or the Microsoft Store. "Be wary of downloading software from third-party sites, as some of them might have been modified without the author's knowledge to bundle malware and other threats." If Windows users are receiving emails saying their PC is in danger, don't be fooled. Received a suspicious email? You can report it by forwarding the email to: report@ Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
