Have you ever been Spoofed?

Have you received a call from a mobile number or local area number that turns out to be a cold call? Our partner, DAS UK, have done a bit of research on spoofing and how you can avoid it.

spoofing

What is it?

Are you receiving more frequent nuisance calls? Calls that come from unrecognised mobile numbers and don’t leave a message? You may be a victim of a spoofing attempt. Spoofing is becoming and increasing annoyance and if you fall victim it may cost you greatly.

These types of scam are on the prevalent and the scammers are looking to steal your data, reroute internet traffic and even distribute malware via your

device. All of these are acts of Cybercrime. Ofcom encourage awareness of these activities by telling friends, family and colleagues of your experiences it may stop them becoming a victim.

Recently published stats show that in 2020/2021 there were over 398,000 instances of cybercrime. And in May 2021 action fraud saw over 2,000 spoofing calls reported to them, with nearly 70% being either HMRC or National insurance scams.  

How it works

Number spoofing is when someone fakes outgoing caller ID info to show a number that isn’t theirs. The spoofed number often belongs to a real person or business, but not to the person using it to call you. A common strategy is neighbour spoofing, which is when the caller displays a number with your area code so that you’re more likely to pick up or in the case of a mobile the number used may closely match your number. These types of scam are on the increase and the scammers are looking to steal your data, reroute internet traffic and even distribute malware via your device. All of these are acts of cybercrime.

How to avoid it

Top tips on how consumers can protect themselves. Include Ofcom’s advice to flag spoofing attempts on social media etc. helping other consumers recognise and identify spoofing.

Action fraud suggest the following tips to help reduce your risk of becoming a victim of spoof calling scams:

Tips to avoid spoofing

How we can help if you get ‘spoofed’

We offer our Executive Home and Executive Home Plus customers access to fraud and cyber specialists who are available on a 24/7 basis. DAS, who provide the product, have teamed up with Cyberscout to provide our Cyber customers with help and advice.

Cyberscout’s experts are available to give policyholders expert help anytime it’s needed in relation to cyber matters, all they need to do is call the claims number.

Access to Cyberscout’s specialists is unlimited, and they are available to answer questions and queries without the need to make a claim.

This article was written by our partners DAS UK.

Sources:

People more likely to be victim of fraud than any other crime, says Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services | UK News | Sky News

Warning about scam calls from “matching” mobile phone numbers | Action Fraud

 

-Ends-

 

Back to list

Media Contacts

For media enquiries, please contact Media Enquiries.

QW@HhsXJ