Beat the Scammers

Beat the scammers

11 Billion pounds is stolen across the globe each year by fraudsters, it’s a growing problem that we want to put an end to.

Scammers use tactics that involve phone calls that sound genuine and emails that look official, so it’s important to familiarise yourself with some of the common types of fraud.

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Don't forget, if in doubt...

Hang up

Think calmly about what you are being told, ask yourself if it makes sense. Don’t give out any personal details. If it feels wrong, hang up.

Make tea

Making a cup of tea is the perfect opportunity to get away from the phone, pause and reflect on what to do next.

Call back

If the caller claimed to be from a company, call the official number (not the number you were called by) and ask whether they’ve called you.

Stay safe from scammers. Remember we will...

NEVER use your TalkTalk account number to prove a call is genuine.

NEVER ask for your full password - we'll only ask for two digits to protect your security.

NEVER ask you to send us money through services such as Moneygram or Western Union.

NEVER ask for your bank details to process a refund - if you're a customer, we already have them.

What's New?

Check out the latest news & updates from our team about what we're doing to beat the scammers and scammer tactics, you can select one of the following tags to help filter your selection:

Action Fraud

beat the

Consumer Credit Act

Ways to make your Internet safer

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre processed 298,728 complaints in 2016, with internet users reporting losses of more than $1.3bn (£1bn). And when we see the results for 2017, the year that saw the two biggest ransomware attacks ever, expect those numbers to be even greater.

Beat the scammers

security

How to protect yourself from the Wangiri ‘missed call’ scam

Mobile phone scams are on the rise but it’s not always easy to recognise fraudsters’ new tactics. There’s one mobile phone scam that has recently been catching out a large number of unsuspecting victims – it’s called the Wangiri scam. This tactic sees fraudsters dialling from an overseas number then immediately disconnecting the call in the hope that the target will ring back. Victims that do return the call are redirected through an International Premium Rate service, which can cost a fortune for every minute that the call is connected. Some of these calls remain connected - even once the unsuspecting person hangs up - resulting even more charges.

Beat the scammers

security

“Life in Likes” - the impact of social media on 8-12 year olds

The Children's Commissioner recently released a really interesting and eye-opening report about children's use of social media between the ages of 8 and 12, and a few things really stood out for me.

Beat the scammers

security

How to secure your new devices

If you've recently acquired a new mobile phone, tablet or laptop, consider taking these steps to protect your devices.Use a strong passcode/passwordObviously, you should pick a passcode to lock your phone that can't be guessed, even by someone who knows you. So don't use your birth year, your address or 1234. Better yet, use a password or a passphrase. And make sure it's one you don't use anywhere else.

Beat the scammers

security

Five ways to secure your new Android

Before you get started signing into your accounts and filling up your phone's photo gallery with selfies, it's a wise idea to think about the security of your new Android. After all, with all the things that our smartphones do for us these days, it only seems fair that we give them the gift of security in return.

Beat the scammers

Staying safe against scam calls

Scam calls can happen at any time and often leave you, the TalkTalk customer, left feeling hurt, upset and out of pocket. So, we have made a simple three-step guide for if you are worried about a phone call. Hang up, Make tea and call back the official number.

Beat the scammers

Festive faux pas: staying safe online over Christmas

Over the festive period many of us will be shunning the busy high street and opting instead to purchase gifts for loved ones on the Internet. Whilst this allows you to shop for bargains from the comfort of your home in your pyjamas, unfortunately fraudsters don’t take a break at Christmas. With the majority of Christmas shopping (64%) being done online this year, scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to take advantage of the influx of online transactions taking place throughout the festive period.

Beat the scammers

TalkTalk

Scam Awareness with the old and vulnerable

eptember has been a busy month, I’ve been out and about to increase awareness of growing threats of scams said TalkTalk's Head of Scam Prevention Donna Moore, after recently holding an informal scam awareness workshop in Sheffield.

Beat the scammers

How to beat the credit card scammers

If you get a text from your bank asking you to confirm a transaction by replying "Y" or "N", think twice before responding - especially if you don’t recognise the transaction and want to stop it going through.