Staying Safe Online

Phishing emails are one of the most common ways scammers trick people into giving out their personal details. The message will pretend there is a good reason for you to provide or ‘confirm’ your bank details or personal information.

Watch outs:

• They can be hard to spot as emails are often made to look very official. They may look like they have been sent from a recognised business, bank or even a government department. However, organisations will never ask you for this information unless you contact them first.
• If you want to check whether a message like this is genuine, you should contact the company it seems to be from by looking up their official contact details.
• DO NOT use contact details provided in the message.

If you receive an email saying you need to change your password for an online account, you should do this by visiting the official website.

• DO NOT click on a link in the message that tells you it will send you to the website. The link may be set up to look like the real website and steal your login details as you type them in.

Unexpected phone calls can also be phishing scams. See our Avoiding Scams guide for more information. To order a copy, call the Age Scotland helpline for free on 0800 12 44 222

This latest scam involves a text message saying it is from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about the winter heating payment subsidy.

Watch outs:

• It contains a link that leads to a page that looks like an official DWP web page. This opens to a form that asks for your name, contact information and the details of your bank card.
• The DWP would not need this information to pay you a winter heating benefit and would never ask for personal details of any kind unless you contacted them first.
• In Scotland, both types of winter heating payment will now be paid by Social Security Scotland to anyone living in Scotland who is entitled.

Find out the latest information about the new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment here, and for Winter Heating Payment, here.

Scam messages can be made to look as if they are from a friend or family member by using their email address. 

Watch outs:

• Email scams may include a message asking you to send money to them urgently because of an emergency, or to make a purchase for them for which they will pay you back.
• Do not respond to the message, but contact the person it seems to be from using another method of contact. If they did not send the original message, they should change the password on their email account and use security software to scan their devices for malware.

Be suspicious of any email or online advertisement that offers you the chance to invest, especially if the offer is time limited or sounds too good to be true.

Watch outs:

• Investment scams include those offering opportunities in whisky, wine, cryptocurrency and gold.
• Some may offer high returns for investing your pension fund or access to funds before you retire. You can check whether an investment firm is genuine using the Financial Conduct Authority Firm Checker tool 

Being sold by private sellers, for example, on eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

Watch out:

• Check the reviews of the seller and be particularly suspicious if you are pressured to buy quickly or a photograph looks too good to be true, it most likely is.

Criminals create fake profiles and use the information you provide to pretend you have lots in common.

Watch outs:

• These can be social media profiles as well on dating websites. Be particularly careful if someone is very quick to express interest or intense feelings or tells you they are in a sad or difficult situation.
• The person will typically start asking for small amounts of money after gaining your trust, or for money to come and visit you, promising to pay you back. They may ask for increasing amounts as time goes on or ask you to take out a loan for them in your name that they will pay off.

Read more about the different types of fraud and scams at Take Five Stop Fraud website. 

You should report any type of suspicious email to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) by forwarding it to report@phishing.gov.uk. They will investigate the message and try to put a stop to the scam.

The advice of the Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign is to STOP! if you’ve seen something that doesn’t feel right:

• don’t click on any links
• don’t give out any personal or bank details
• break contact if needed
• tell family and friends to make them aware
• if you’ve lost money, call  Police Scotland on 101

Read the latest advice from the Scottish Government about protecting yourself online.

The Cyber and Fraud Hub is a charity that launched in 2024. They keep on top of the latest developments in fraud and online scams by working closely with the banking industry and partners in policing and technology. Their advice is to look out for contact that:

• Is unexpected
• Makes a demand of you
• Puts you under time pressure

You can report any type of fraud or online scam to their Incident Response Helpline on 0808 281 3580. They can provide victim support if you have been affected by cybercrime and will report the crime to the police on your behalf if you have not already done so.

They offer a range of guides on cyber security, including A Guide to Avoiding Fraud and Scams for Older People. Visit Cyber Hub resources

 In addition, they have online tools that can help you check for scams and whether you have been affected by fraud. Visit Cyber Hub Self Help.