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Scam Awareness: Protecting Yourself in East Herts & Uttlesford

Scams can strike anyone, anywhere, and come in many forms - phone calls, texts, emails, doorstep visits, fake websites, and more.

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Common Types of Scams

  1. Phone Scams

    • “Bank fraud” calls: Fraudsters impersonate your bank, claim suspicious activity, and ask you to “verify” account details.

    • Technical support: Callers pretend to be from Microsoft or “cyber security” teams, urging you to install software that gives them remote access.

  2. Text & SMS Scams (“Smishing”)

    • Urgent parcels or lottery wins prompting links to fake sites.

    • “Bank alert” codes: they ask you to forward an authorization code they’ve just sent you.

  3. Email Phishing

    • Emails mimicking your bank, HMRC, or well-known services, asking you to click a link and “sign in.”

    • Attachments purporting to be invoices or “important documents” that install malware.

  4. Doorstep & Postal Scams

    • Rogue traders offering home repairs “at today’s clearance price.”

    • Charity collectors without ID badges.

  5. Online & Investment Scams

    • “Crypto investment” platforms promising high returns.

    • Fake shopping sites offering branded goods at too-good-to-be-true prices.

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What to Look Out For

  • Unsolicited contact: Genuine organisations rarely call or email out of the blue to ask for sensitive details.

  • Pressure & urgency: “Act now or your account will be closed!” is a classic tactic to rush you into mistakes.

  • Requests for personal or financial info: Never give your PIN, full password, or one-time codes to anyone.

  • Too good to be true: If it sounds like free money or a guaranteed profit, it almost certainly is a scam.

  • Poor spelling or strange URLs: Phishing emails often contain typos or domain names like example-secure-login.com instead of the real one.

How to Reduce Your Risk

  • Verify independently: Hang up and call the organisation back on a known, official number (e.g., the number on your bank statement).

  • Use official websites: Always type web addresses yourself (e.g., actionfraud.police.uk), rather than clicking email links.

  • Enable security features: Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) on email, banking, and social media accounts.

  • Keep software updated: Install updates for your operating system, browser, and antivirus to patch vulnerabilities.

  • Educate family & friends: Share scam alerts and discuss examples—especially with older or less tech-savvy relatives.

  • Check before you install: Don’t run software from unknown sources or grant remote-access tools unless you initiated the contact.

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Key National Contacts & Websites

Local Resources for East Herts & Uttlesford

All of the services below cover Hertford, Ware, Hoddesdon, Sawbridgeworth & Bishop’s Stortford:

If You’ve Been Scammed

  1. Contact your bank immediately to block cards and transactions.

  2. Report to Action Fraud (or Police Scotland if in Scotland).

  3. Seek support from Citizens Advice or a neighbourly group like Neighbourhood Watch.

  4. Preserve evidence: Keep emails, texts, and transaction records.

  5. Consider credit monitoring: Look into protective registration with credit reference agencies.

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