Fraud and Romance Scam Warnings from North Yorkshire Police

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 Notices from North Yorkshire Police – 10th  & 11th June 2020

Fraud Notification

I receive regular notifications from organisations in relation to fraud patterns around the country and new threats that are emerging. There are a couple of new trends emerging that you need to be aware of and please speak to your family and friends about these as well. The more people who are aware, the better protected we are.

NHS Test and Trace emails

We have seen the first phishing email relating to the Test & Trace service. Notably, the fake email refers to the service as ‘track and trace’. The email advises the recipient that they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. They are instructed to click on a link in order to find out who that person is and are warned that if they fail to do so within 24 hours, legal action may be taken and their benefits suspended. The email address from which this message is sent is .

Please remember that tracers will only ever contact person by phone and NEVER in person. Also this service is free. I am aware of people being contacted by someone claiming to be from the Test and Trace service then asking for £500 for a test to be administered.

Amazon gift card

A new Amazon phishing campaign has emerged claiming to offer recipients the chance to win a £1,000 Amazon gift card. The subject reads: “On the occasion of overcoming the coronavirus, Amazon gives you the gift of victory.” The sender name is spoofed to read ‘. The recipient is instructed to click on a link in order to apply. The link has been identified as malware. It is common for such scams offering free vouchers to ask for a persons bank details. Please be aware and remember ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is!!!

Romance Scams

During this period of lockdown have you been tempted to try online dating or perhaps you know someone who has? How can you be sure the person you are talking to is genuine and not trying to scam you out of thousands of pounds? Romance fraud is a real problem affecting many people in North Yorkshire who have lost tens of thousands of pounds to these fraudsters who often operate from abroad. If you want to learn more, if you want to be able to recognise the warning signs, if you want to know what steps you can take to protect yourself from this type of fraud then join the Facebook live broadcast at 4pm on 11th June 2020 on North Yorkshire Police Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NorthYorkshirePolice/

Contacting North Yorkshire Community Messaging

North Yorkshire Community Messaging (NYCM) is managed by North Yorkshire Police.  The official website is www.nycm.co.uk which will allow you to sign into your account to change your delivery method preference or locations of interest. It also contains a FAQs section, which may assist with any queries you have.

Links and attachments:  North Yorkshire Police will only ever link you to secure web-sites we trust, we will only send you attachments where we believe it is absolutely necessary.

If you need to contact North Yorkshire Police please call 101 or in an emergency dial 999.  Alternatively please email any non urgent enquiries to: