Latest news with #ActionFraud
Daily Record
2 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'.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
All UK WhatsApp users 'beware' - ignoring three new rules could be costly
UK WhatsApp users are, once again, being urged to watch out for the worrying 'friends and family' scam. If you use WhatsApp to send your daily batch of text messages then you need to be on high alert. It appears scammers are continuing to target UK WhatsApp fans with the worrying 'friends and family' attack and falling victim to it could leave you seriously out of pocket. This threat, which usually starts with a message that says "hi mum" or "hi dad", isn't anything new. Cyber crooks have been sending these chats to phones for a number of years, and it's proven pretty lucrative, with millions handed over to the crooks by consumers thinking their loved ones are in trouble. Now, the team at Action Fraud have released an update reminding WhatsApp users to stay alert and 'beware'. It a post on X (formerly Twitter) Action Fraud said: "Beware of fraudsters posing as friends or family, and claiming to need urgent financial help." This trick usually takes place after the scammers have managed to get hold of phone numbers via data leaks. They then send a text, which pretends to be a son or daughter, suggesting their phone has been stolen and they need money to get help. As Action Fraud confirms, it's easy to avoid being tricked. All you have to do is call your relative via their usual number. "If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person outside of WhatsApp to confirm their identity," Action Fraud added. That's the first new rule, but there are two more things to consider if you think you are being targeted. You can block the sender and then report any issue to Action Fraud. "If you lost money as a result of the scam message, please report it," Action Fraud confirmed. THREE WHATSAPP RULES NOT TO IGNORE CONTACT THEM DIRECTLY: If a family member or friends makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person outside of WhatsApp to confirm their identity. BLOCK THE SENDER: Report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select 'Report' and then follow the instructions. This latest warning comes after security experts also issued a similar WhatsApp alert. "These 'Hi Mum' messages weaponise trust, urgency and love. And that makes them more dangerous than any malware. This scam works not because parents are careless, but because they care," Luis Corrons, Security Evangelist at Norton explained. "When you get a message from your child saying they're in trouble, your first instinct is to help. Scammers know that and exploit it."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Pay here': the QR code ‘quishing' scam targeting drivers
You park the car and look for somewhere to pay. A large QR code on the machine offers to take you directly to the right website where you put in your card details before going on with your day. Only much later are you hit with the double whammy: money gone from your account, and a fine for not paying the genuine parking company. The rise in app- and phone-based parking payment has opened a new frontier for fraudsters: quishing – so called because they are phishing attacks that start with a QR code. The fraudsters stick the codes in places where you would expect to see details of how to pay to park. When you scan one, it takes you to a site where you are asked for your payment details – as you would expect when booking parking. One victim who scanned a code in a station car park told the BBC that the fraudsters tried to take payments then posed as her bank to get more information from her, before running up £13,000 worth of debt in her name. Last year, the UK's Action Fraud received 1,386 reports of scams involving QR codes – a small number, but more than double that in the previous year. In just the first three months of 2025 there were 502, suggesting the problem is growing. Chris Ainsley, the head of fraud risk management at Santander UK, says it is hard to get a full picture of the scale of the fraud. 'Unless drivers receive a parking ticket, a lot of people are unaware that their personal or card details were compromised in this way,' he says. 'When it comes to reporting the eventual scam, often the fact that it originated through quishing goes undocumented.' A QR code where you might expect to see one – on a parking charge machine, on a post in a car park or sometimes on a public EV charger. The code will be on a sticker. The website will ask for your payment details. It will also ask for your car details, but that is likely to be just an attempt to convince you it is a legitimate parking website. You may later get a call from someone pretending to be from your bank who will use the information you have given and tell you that you have been defrauded and need to move your money to a safe account. The safe account is actually in the control of the scammers. Do not do as they ask – your real bank would never request this. Be suspicious of any QR code on a parking payment machine or signpost in a car park. Check that it has not been stuck over a legitimate code. If you have the right parking app already on your phone, use that rather than scanning a code. Use cash or a card to pay at a machine if those are an option. Check the URL of the website before you click on it – it should appear on your phone as you scan the code. Do not click on it if it looks suspicious. When you land on a page through a QR code, check details to make sure it is not a fraudulent version. Giveaways include weird URLs and bad spelling. Check that the URL includes HTTPS, rather than HTTP, before handing over details. Keep an eye on your bank account and report any suspicious payments to your bank. Report the scam to the local council, police and car park owner if it is a private company. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Pay here': the QR code ‘quishing' scam targeting drivers
You park the car and look for somewhere to pay. A large QR code on the machine offers to take you directly to the right website where you put in your card details before going on with your day. Only much later are you hit with the double whammy: money gone from your account, and a fine for not paying the genuine parking company. The rise in app- and phone-based parking payment has opened a new frontier for fraudsters: quishing – so called because they are phishing attacks that start with a QR code. The fraudsters stick the codes in places where you would expect to see details of how to pay to park. When you scan one, it takes you to a site where you are asked for your payment details – as you would expect when booking parking. One victim who scanned a code in a station car park told the BBC that the fraudsters tried to take payments then posed as her bank to get more information from her, before running up £13,000 worth of debt in her name. Last year, the UK's Action Fraud received 1,386 reports of scams involving QR codes – a small number, but more than double that in the previous year. In just the first three months of 2025 there were 502, suggesting the problem is growing. Chris Ainsley, the head of fraud risk management at Santander UK, says it is hard to get a full picture of the scale of the fraud. 'Unless drivers receive a parking ticket, a lot of people are unaware that their personal or card details were compromised in this way,' he says. 'When it comes to reporting the eventual scam, often the fact that it originated through quishing goes undocumented.' A QR code where you might expect to see one – on a parking charge machine, on a post in a car park or sometimes on a public EV charger. The code will be on a sticker. The website will ask for your payment details. It will also ask for your car details, but that is likely to be just an attempt to convince you it is a legitimate parking website. You may later get a call from someone pretending to be from your bank who will use the information you have given and tell you that you have been defrauded and need to move your money to a safe account. The safe account is actually in the control of the scammers. Do not do as they ask – your real bank would never request this. Be suspicious of any QR code on a parking payment machine or signpost in a car park. Check that it has not been stuck over a legitimate code. If you have the right parking app already on your phone, use that rather than scanning a code. Use cash or a card to pay at a machine if those are an option. Check the URL of the website before you click on it – it should appear on your phone as you scan the code. Do not click on it if it looks suspicious. When you land on a page through a QR code, check details to make sure it is not a fraudulent version. Giveaways include weird URLs and bad spelling. Check that the URL includes HTTPS, rather than HTTP, before handing over details. Keep an eye on your bank account and report any suspicious payments to your bank. Report the scam to the local council, police and car park owner if it is a private company.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Dog owner's ‘rehomed' pet was among 37 found dead in rescue centre horror
Serious concerns had been raised over the animal shelter CRUELTY PROBE Dog owner's 'rehomed' pet was among 37 found dead in rescue centre horror Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DOG owner was left devastated after cops revealed her 'rehomed' pet was among 37 found dead within a scandal-hit rescue centre. Hayley Lucas, 43, told how she and husband Paul, 45, had made the heartbreaking decision to give up Mastiff cross Frank after he developed behaviour issues. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Mastiff cross Frank was found dead at Save a Paw in Billericay, Essex Credit: Supplied 3 Hayley Lucas and husband Paul were left devastated at the grim discovery Credit: Supplied But she raised concerns over the Save a Paw business after suspecting they had not found her pooch a new 'home for life', as they'd promised. She was then given the heartbreaking news that a swoop on the centre in Essex had uncovered the remains of dozens of mutts — including Frank. Hayley, of Mosstodloch, Moray, said: 'We had been waiting for answers but the police said they had bad news and that he was one of the deceased dogs. 'It's been horrific. It's worse than I feared and all I've been thinking about. 'It was hard enough giving Frank up. I struggled with the decision for such a long time. 'I thought we were doing the right thing. To find out that we sent him to his death is just absolutely horrific.' Hayley got Frank as a puppy two years ago but she and Paul sought help from experts before reluctantly opting to let him go. He was taken to Save a Paw in January following an online recommendation. Hayley paid £300 and later the centre claimed the dog had been rehomed. But she grew suspicious after his chip wasn't updated and discovered that other owners had raised concerns. American influencer sparks outrage in Australia after taking baby wombat from its mom- heads to follow She filed a report about Save a Paw with Action Fraud and the RSPCA in March. The premises in Billericay were then raided on May 13 by officers from the welfare charity, Essex Police and council staff. They found the 37 dead dogs as well as 20 live ones in need of veterinary treatment. Cops arrested two men on suspicion of fraud relating to the transfer of ownership of dogs plus animal cruelty offences. 3 Officers raided the dog shelter in Essex as a lone police officer stands outside Credit: ESSEX Police One was bailed while Ovaeed Rahman, 25, of Billericay, was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, breaches of welfare laws and three counts of fraud. He was remanded in custody and is due back in court again next month.
