Scams in 2024: Stay one step ahead and remember - you're always susceptible, says LEE BOYCE
Scams have been on my mind again recently, after a family member was almost swept up in the 激流 of sophisticated attacks that Britons are 支配するd to daily.
In a nutshell, she was sent a text message that appeared to be from her bank ? that is, the message appeared on her smartphone in the same thread of previous, 本物の messages, 含むing one about a 詐欺 試みる／企てる the previous year that really was from the bank.
We've covered this number spoof 手段 extensively over the years on our （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 the Scammers channel, but there are plenty of people who will still not know about this simple trick that gives fraudsters an 空気／公表する of legitimacy.
現在／一般に, she is a little under the cosh with work 需要・要求するs and other life 強調する／ストレスs, so the message arrived at a point perfect for the fraudsters to 潜在的に 勝利，勝つ.
警告を与える: Much of the correspondence we receive in modern life is now scam 関係のある - and always remember that scammers can use number spoofing ソフトウェア
Calling the number 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）d on the message, the person on the other end of the phone started reeling off 支払い（額）s that were of course not made by her.
Luckily, にもかかわらず the person on the other end of the phone 存在 very professional, she decided to ask to call 支援する the phone number on the 支援する of her debit card.
No problem was the 返答. But crucially, the family member in question remembered a 重要な piece of advice ? not to call 支援する on her 動きやすい phone, but on her landline.
Often, these scammers can keep the line open meaning a return call 簡単に puts you 支援する in their 武器.
Upon calling on the landline, and after some unnecessary faffing by the proper bank, they cottoned on she was in the 中央 of a scam 試みる／企てる ? and managed to stop it going any その上の.
The 推論する／理由 I について言及する this is: she has a high-力／強力にするd 職業, is smart and takes no 囚人s. She doesn't fit your 'usual' would-落ちる-for-a-scam profile, much like US 新聞記者／雑誌記者 Charlotte Cowles who recently wrote a viral piece for The 削減（する） on how she 手渡すd $50,000 to scammers.
Both above tales serve as a 警告 that all of us are 攻撃を受けやすい, at 変化させるing degrees depending on our 明言する／公表する of mind. Scammers 請け負うing these types of 試みる／企てるs prey on panic ? and often, panic kicks all our smarts out of the window.
'It won't ever happen to me because I'd never do something so daft,' is a dangerous misconception.
本人自身で speaking, I 扱う／治療する 絶対 everything ? 特に out of the blue - with extreme 警告を与える and cynicism, but I am not foolproof. Emotion can make us behave in all sorts of out of character ways.
This week, our 上級の reporter Angharad Carrick 明らかにする／漏らすs how a 商売／仕事 owner was conned out of £100,000 ? and the 商売／仕事 account 壇・綱領・公約 伴う／関わるd, Tide, has 認める to some errors when trying to 解決する it, but has only 申し込む／申し出d half the cash 支援する.
Again, a smart person, but the level of authenticity the scamm ers give off is incredibly high ? they've honed their （手先の）技術, they know how to hook people in, and then gut them without a care in the world.
Last week, our sister 肩書を与える Money Mail 報告（する）／憶測d on romance scams ? and how one husband has been left 権力のない as his wife struck up several online 関係s, 手渡すing over £100,000 （ーのために）とっておくd for their grandchildren's 相続物件.
The number of 犯罪のs 試みる／企てるing this 手段 is 抱擁する. They 栄える on those who are lonely, 攻撃を受けやすい and are over the moon to receive the attention.
I also worry about how 攻撃を受けやすい we're making ourselves in other ways. For instance, I've noticed people becoming more careless when using smartphone 打ち明けるing Pins.
It's 平易な for a 犯罪の to then 逮捕する your phone and use your Pin to 伸び（る） 接近 to sorts of （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） ? and doubly bad if you are someone who uses the same Pin for your bank card and/or app banking.
The This is Money team have recently heard of tales like this 存在 more commonplace.
There is also the ぼんやり現れるing age of 人工的な 知能, that can mimic 発言する／表明するs and behaviour. There is no 疑問 some ギャング（団） of 犯罪のs will 人物／姿／数字 out how to turn it into a scam cash cow.
There are old scams that have been around for years that adapt and 発展させる - 含むing one 副 editor Helen Crane covered last week where fraudsters 提起する／ポーズをとる as hotels on the 公式の／役人 調書をとる／予約するing.com messaging service - and newer scams that you need to be on 最高の，を越す of.
I'm not trying to 脅す you, but more give an 年次の 思い出の品 to 手がかり（を与える） yourself up.
That's why we've had our （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 the Scammers channel for nearly a １０年間. For us to arm you with as much knowledge as possible ? and 株 this knowledge with friends, 親族s, 同僚s, your hairdresser and anyone who will listen.
You never know - that little piece of knowledge 株d might help someone keep their life 貯金 安全な. Thankfully, that's what happened with my family member.
Scams have continued to snowball into a problem costing us billions of 続けざまに猛撃するs every year and while 活動／戦闘 is 約束d, it still seems the problems are growing.
So my advice? Firstly, 扱う／治療する all phone correspondence ? 特に texts ? with 警告を与える and a （疑いを）晴らす mind. Remember, these scammers can spoof numbers to make messages appear in a thread of 本物の correspondence.
Secondly, always try and stay one step ahead.
Our reporter Harvey Dorset ? in 合同 with 消費者 group Which? ? 排他的に 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）d the five scams you are ありそうもない to have heard of, but you should keep an 注目する，もくろむ out for this year.
They 含む spear phishing, tapjacking and deepfake ビデオs. No idea what I'm talking about? 井戸／弁護士席, have a read ? it might be the wisest five minutes you spend this year.
