Some of the latest scams to hit the island have resulted in huge financial loses for some and the fraudsters have been using local companies to appear more legitimate to victims on island. Our TOP TIPS are: 

Some of the scams that have come to our notice recently are:

A WhatsApp scam where you will receive a text or WhatsApp from someone pretending to be your son or daughter telling you theuy have smashed their phone and to text them on this new number, then they'll say they need money and that's when you could be scammed out of your cash. Best thing to do is immediately contact your relative on their normal number to check it's not them. 

There is another one involving a call to say your debit or credit card has been used for gambling. This is a #SCAM don't fall for this. You bank would never do this. 

We warned about one recently where someone is calling Jersey residents, claiming to be the local Jersey Police and that they have arrested someone who has the card details of the person they are trying to scam. They have provided the name Aaron Brown and a fake collar number. Police (We) would never ask you to confirm card details over the phone in a situation like this. If you are ever in doubt about whether the Jersey Police have contacted you please call us on 01534 612612 using option 2 followed by option 4. Or come to the station to talk to someone.

A SCAM involving rental property being advertised, usually 1 or 2 bedroom flats. Prospective tenants correspond with the scammers about a required deposit to be paid online. Interested parties are told others are interested and to secure the property, a large deposit must be paid. Our advice is, do NOT part with any money unless you have actually viewed the property and can identify the landlord.

Some other scams we have been made aware of are: 

Another scam reported to us involves an automated phone call saying thank you for your payment of £500 and then the call terminates. We think the scammers are trying to get you to return the call to find out more and in turn you’ll be charged highly for this call. Our advice is just hang up. This is a SCAM.

We are aware of some counterfeit notes in the islands, they are all identical and all look like UK £20 notes. On closer inspection they are movie props and are not legal tender. Be vigilant and double check any £20 notes that you receive and if in any doubt contact us on 612612.

We've been informed of scam calls to islanders telling them that their broadband will be turned off due to outstanding balances. The scammers then ask for the customers bank details to keep their services active. Please DO NOT give out bank details or entertain these calls as they are SCAMS.

We’ve had three reports of an Instagram scam where an account is hacked and then messages sent to friends asking for money, stating they have a hotel bill to pay and need help. Please don’t part with any money or bank details if you receive a message like this from a friend. Contact your friend to check they are OK using another means of communication, NOT Instagram or you may just be replying to a hacked account. Be aware this is a SCAM.

One of these scams involves a text message sent from what appears to be Nat West and Lloyds banks and it tells the recipient that their debit card was used (usually on Amazon) for a certain amount. It then asks you to call their Fraud Prevention phone number (supplied in the text) if you don't recall this purchase. This number is a scam. DO NOT call it. If you do you will be asked for personal banking details such as account numbers and pin numbers and passwords. NEVER give this information out, no bank will ever ask you for this over the phone.

The other scam we've been notified of is an email sent to the recipient asking for an invoice to be paid. The email seems to come from a legitimate sender / company but again this is a scam. DO NOT respond and DO NOT pay these invoices. If you think you owe a company a payment, contact that company yourself and ask them. Do not respond to links in emails or call numbers supplied in emails, they will be bogus numbers and you will be speaking to fraudsters on the other end of the line. Always check and double check, these scams are very convincing. Be safe and be secure. 

Another scam that seems to be Nationwide is an Amazon scam, see the picture below: