Founded 1980
Chair:        
Secretary: 
Treasurer: 

Graham Smith
Jan Thompson
Graham Mumby-Croft


The Retired Prison Governors
In co-operation with: The Prison Governors Association​

NEWSLETTER
Founded in 1980 by Arthur Williamson - 38 years of continuous publication

Clickers Corner


Graham Mumby-Croft
Computer Corner 

In past issues of the Newsletter I have contributed a Computer Corner article to help The Editor to balance the content, and to try to provide some advice and support to those of you who use your computers very little, and therefore may not always be up to speed on the latest news. Sadly, my articles usually end up concentrating on the subject of Online Safety as it is an unfortunate reality that many criminals are very comfortable in their use of computers, in fact not only comfortable but very skillful in their use, and have turned their skills and knowledge toward ways to separate honest hard-working people from their money in ways that are not only criminal, but are often cruel, callous and completely without morality Unfortunately the criminals are always at least one step ahead of the authorities, who often struggle to keep up  

with the latest developments, which quickly change in what is a very fast moving environment often from week to week or even day to day. It is now an irrefutable fact, backed up by official figures, that at a time when crimes of violence, burglary and theft are falling, fraud is at record levels and is the fastest growing crime in the UK.

Whilst the vast majority of this is large scale benefit fraud it is also true that fraud involving individuals being targeted specifically in a whole range of scams carried out by phone, computer, post or face to face in what is referred to as “Doorstep Fraud” is a growing concern. Whilst these crimes can be targeted at anyone there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of “older people” who are the intended, and sadly all too often, the real victims of these crimes. So I make no apology for the fact that my Computer Corner’s often concentrate on warnings about the latest fraud/scams and about ways to avoid falling foul of scammers, and some advice on what to do if, unfortunately my advice is too late, and you have already fallen victim to a fraud.  

If you are a computer user and are running Windows 10 or older, (XP, 7,8,8.1 or Vista) these operating systems (OS) are no longer supported by Microsoft and therefore are extremely susceptible to attacks by rogue viruses that will seek to take control of your computer for a variety of reasons, mostly criminal and designed to cost you money, and in the worst cases, all of your money. If your OS is out of date then you should update it as soon as possible. The latest version of Windows is Windows 11 (26H1) which was released on the 10th February. If you are running Windows 10 then you should still be able to upgrade this to Windows 11 for free. If you are running one of the other OS then it is likely that you will need to purchase an up to date OS such as Windows 11 but you need to be aware that this OS will only work on certain computers, usually relatively modern systems, say less than 10-years old.  

Of course this only applies if you use your computer to connect to the internet. If you only use it for word processing and never connect to the internet, you are safe as long as you do not load anything from a disc or pen (USB) stick that someone has given you.

In recent weeks there has been a re-boot of the systems and support for people who have, or believe they have been the victim of a criminal fraud/scam. The website that was called SCAM ALERT is now called REPORT FRAUD and is a central reporting service for people who believe they may have fallen victim to fraud, or who need advice on how to avoid being a victim. Their website is a “one-stop-shop” for support and advice. You can contact them through their website at: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ or by phone at:0800 123 2040. I would urge you to take note of, and keep these contact details somewhere safe as a reference. In addition to REPORT FRAUD if you receive an email that you believe to be a scam, but are not taken in by it, you can still take action to help others by reporting the attempt. You can do this by forwarding any suspect emails to: noreply@phishing.gov.uk. There is nothing else to do other than forward the suspect email.

Get help or report a scam.

If you think you’ve uncovered a scam, have been targeted by a scam or fallen victim to fraudsters contact REPORT FRAUD at: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ Reporting crime, including fraud, is important. If you don’t tell the authorities, how do they know it has happened and how can they do anything about it?Remember, if you're a victim of a scam or an attempted scam, however minor, there may be hundreds or thousands of others in a similar position. Your information may form part of one big jigsaw and may be vital to completing the picture.

Mobile phone scams

Smartphones are mini-computers, so take all the same precautions with them as you would with your own computer at home. One of the “popular” scams on moblie phones at the moment is based on a message, either text or Whatsap that will read something like, ‘Hello Mum/Dad My phone has been lost/stolen and I am using a friend's phone. Can you call me on this number ASAP?’ If you receive a message like this, it is almost certainly a scam, and if you call the number there will be an attempt to extract information or money from you. Do not reply and simply delete the message. 

What you should know

If you use an online banking app, only use the official app provided by your bank. If in doubt, contact your bank to check.
Only download apps from official app stores, such as:
  • Apple App Store 
  • Android Marketplace 
  • Google Play Store 

Downloading them from unofficial or unknown sources could infect your phone with a virus. Keep your phone’s operating system updated with the latest security patches and upgrades. Your operating system provider normally sends these. Never give your mobile banking security details, including your passcode, to anyone else and don’t store them on your phone. For added security set up a password or PIN or fingerprint to lock your mobile.

Just like on your computer, you can get antivirus tools for your mobile; use a reputable brand. Some banks offer free antivirus software for their customers’ phones. Check your bank’s website for more information. Be wary of clicking on links in a text message or email. Don’t respond to unsolicited messages or voicemails on your phone. Your bank will never email or text to ask for your PIN or full password.

Examples of mobile phone scams

Text scams offering you money for an accident you may have had is often a ploy to get your personal details. Don’t reply, even by sending a ‘STOP’ text. Simply delete the message. You may get a text or advert encouraging you to enter a competition for a great prize. The scammers will charge extremely high rates for the messages you send them, as high as £2 per text message. Don’t reply.

‘Trivia scams’ involve you answering general knowledge questions to win a prize. The first few questions will be very easy, so you keep playing. But the last one or two questions you need to answer to claim your ‘prize’ could be very difficult or even impossible.

If you try to claim your prize, you may have to call a premium-rate number, often beginning 0906. You then have to listen to a long recorded message, designed to keep you on the line. It’s highly unlikely there’ll be a prize at the end of it. Don’t phone back to claim.

‘SMiShing’ (SMS phishing) is when a scammer texts asking for personal or financial information. The message may appear to be from a legitimate company, like a mobile phone provider, but legitimate companies never ask you to provide sensitive information by text. Don’t reply to these texts. Simply delete them.

Unless you’re using a secure webpage, don’t send or receive private information when using public WiFi. And be aware of who’s around you when using a mobile device to go online. Public WiFi includes connections in hotels, coffee shops, stations and hospitals in fact any WiFi connection that is not your own home system is likely to not be secure.

Mass market fraud or scam mail.
The sophistication of mass market mail and online fraud and scam mail can vary enormously but as a general rule, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Many people in the UK, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, are lured by the prospect of a surprise win, and give large amounts of money or personal data to claim their fake prize. 

Examples of scam mail:
The most common mass-market fraud, the fake prize scam, is where you get a message by post, email or text saying you’ve won a prize or competition, usually one you’ve never heard of. The message asks for an upfront payment to claim the prize, which either never arrives or is very different to what was promised. ‘Psychic’ and ‘clairvoyant’ scams set up victims for a fake prize scam. In this situation, a ‘psychic’ sends the victim a list of ‘lucky’ lottery numbers. Soon afterwards, a letter arrives telling the victim they’ve won a lottery with those exact numbers. Of course, this is all part of the scam.

You may receive unsolicited mail advertising ‘high quality’ or ‘exclusive’ goods, which in reality are poor value for money. Another mass marketing scam is to offer a share of a cash prize that you can only get by ordering goods. The goods are usually very poor quality and the cash prize is never mentioned again.
Also be wary when sending money, or receiving money from, someone you don’t know and trust. This may be a ploy by a scammer to get you to pass money through your bank account that’s stolen from another victim’s account. If you do this, technically you’re money laundering and being a ‘money mule’ for the scammers. If convicted of money laundering you could be sent to prison. Having a criminal conviction can make it harder to get financial products or get a job.

  • It can only take a single response to a scammer to be inundated with more scam mail. Your name and addresswill be included on a ‘suckers list’ and you’ll get lots of scam mail every day.
  • Remember, you: can’t win money or a prize in a lottery you haven’t entered 
  • can’t be ‘chosen at random’ from a list you didn’t sign up to 
  • should never have to pay a fee or make a purchase to claim a legitimate prize 

For more information and help or to report on this and many other types of fraud, visit Report Fraud, the UK’s national cyber crime and fraud reporting service.

Internet Scams

Many internet scams take place without the victim even noticing. Scammers put programs on your computer that can steal, wipe or lock your data. To prevent this, have antivirus software and a firewall installed on your computer, and keep it up to date. Take the precautions below and use common sense to avoid becoming a victim.

What you should know:

Scammers defraud people using spam emails. Simply delete the email without opening or replying to it, otherwise the scammer will send you more and more emails from lots of different addresses. Any email you get from someone you don’t know is likely to be spam, especially if it’s not addressed to you personally and promises you some kind of gain. If you get an email with an attachment, apparently from someone you know, but it’s not the usual sort of message you get from them, don’t open the attachment. Contact the person who’s supposed to have sent it and confirm it’s genuine. 

The email may have been infected with a virus and forwarded through their address book.
Online marketplaces can be a lot of fun and can save you money but they’re also used by scammers. Scammers will try to steer you away from online sites and get you to use unusual payment methods, such as money transfer agents or e-money, a digital equivalent of cash.

The most common scams at the moment are for:

concert and event tickets ; apartments, residential and holiday lettings ;m dating and romance; vehicles for sale or hire (especially if they deliver the hire vehicles to you)
Adverts and websites can be very sophisticated so do some research to make sure everything makes sense. Always think about your personal safety when meeting anyone you’ve only talked to on the internet. Be careful of official-looking but bogus websites that claim to help you apply for passports, visas and driving licences.

There are lots of ways scammers gain personal or financial information from their victims, such as:

Phishing, where an email that seems to be from a legitimate company asks you to give your personal details 
vishing, where either an automated phone message or a cold-caller who seems to be from a legitimate company asks you for personal details spear phishing, which focuses on an individual or department in an organisation; the email appears to come from a legitimate organization.

Using these methods, scammers ask for information such as login details and passwords, or install malware on your computer. As a general rule, never give your personal or financial details to anyone unless you know and trust them. Remember-Your bank will NEVER contact you and ask you for your PIN number or to transfer money into another account. 

The police will NEVER contact you to withdraw or transfer money from your account and only CRIMINALS will ever ask you to withdraw money from your account, in cash, to be collected from you later. If you receive a suspicious email that you think maybe, or know is suspect then do not open it. Simply forward it to noreply@phishing.gov.uk and then delete the message. 
If you are uncertain if a website that you have an address for is legitimate you can check it before clicking on it using 

ASK SILVER at: https://www.getsafeonline.org/asksilver/ or by using the url safety check site at: https://urlsafetychecker.com/


Graham Mumby-Croft