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Refund, Furlough, Grant Fraud

June 19th 2020

Many scammers are using something called “phishing” to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by disguising themselves as a trustworthy entity in an email or text message offering refunds or government grants and often directs recipients to enter personal information at a fake website which matches the look and feel of the legitimate site.

Always question unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information in case it's a scam. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text messages. If the email or text message informs you that you have been overpaid grants or Furlough payments or contains demands for payback, use trusted contact details for your employer or the relevant government department to establish if the request is genuine and never immediately make a payment.

Please forward suspicious emails to the NCSC’s Suspicious Email Reporting Service: [email protected]
Forward scam text messages to 7726 (the numbers spell “SPAM” on your keyboard).
Visit www.gov.uk/search to find official government services and phone numbers.
HMRC guidance on Phishing and scams is available at www.gov.uk/topic/dealing-with-hmrc/phishing-scams
For further advice on how to stay secure online visit NCSC website at www.ncsc.gov.uk and remember if you are the victim of any type of fraud report it immediately to Police Scotland on 101.