International Fraud Awareness week November 16 – 22, 2025

International Fraud Awareness week November 16 – 22, 2025

Dear residents,

Here are some tips to take into consideration:

** Common warning signs to look for

Urgency and pressure

Unusual payment requests

Too good to be true offers

Unsolicited contacts

Request for sensitive information

Poor communication

** If you are suspicious

Stop and think

Challenge the request

Verify independently

** If you have been scammed

1. Secure Your Accounts Immediately

Change passwords for email, banking, social media, and any accounts touched by the fraud.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) everywhere possible.

Use unique, strong passwords for each account (consider a password manager).

2. Contact Your Bank or Card Issuer

If money was stolen:

Report the fraudulent transactions immediately.

Request to freeze or replace compromised cards.

Ask about chargeback options if you paid a scammer.

Enable transaction alerts on your accounts.

Banks often have fraud protection and may reimburse victims depending on circumstances.

3. Freeze or Monitor Your Credit

If personal information may have been stolen:

Place a credit freeze with your national credit bureaus (e.g., Experian, Equifax UK).

Add a fraud alert to warn lenders before new accounts are opened.

Review your credit report for unauthorized loans or accounts.

4. Report the Fraud to Authorities

Depending on your region, victims can report to:

Local police (helpful for records and insurance).

National fraud reporting centres, such as:

U.K : Action Fraud
Provide all evidence, emails, receipts, screenshots.

This helps investigations and creates an official paper trail.

5. Protect Your Devices

Fraud sometimes begins with malware or phishing.

Run antivirus and anti-malware scans.

Update your device software and apps.

Remove suspicious apps, extensions, or remote-control software.

Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive tasks.

6. Check for Ongoing Identity Misuse

Monitor for:

Unknown accounts opened in your name.

Emails about password resets you didn’t request.

Unexpected verification codes.

Bills or mail addressed to you for services you didn’t sign up for.

If anything suspicious appears, treat it as ongoing fraud.

7. Stop Contact with the Scammer

If you have been messaging the scammer:

Cease all communication immediately.

Block their phone number, email, and social accounts.

Do NOT send additional money, even if they claim it’s needed to release funds or recover losses.

8. Strengthen Your Online Privacy

Reduce the amount of personal data available online:

Remove sensitive information from social media (birthdates, addresses, etc.).

Adjust privacy settings to “friends only”.

Be cautious about sharing ID documents or personal photos.

9. Document Everything

Keep a fraud file with:

Dates and times of suspicious events

Emails, messages, screenshots

Bank statements showing fraudulent activity

Reports filed with authorities

This may help with compensation, insurance claims, or disputes.

10. Be Aware of “Recovery Scams”

Fraud victims are often targeted again by scammers pretending to:

Be law enforcement

Offer cryptocurrency recovery

Claim they can get your money back for a fee

No legitimate organization charges money to recover fraud losses.

Reply to this message

Message Sent By
Omar Fikri
(Police, PCSO, STAMFORD HILL WEST SNT)