Common Frauds
Phishing / Pharming Obtaining personal information over the internet, telephone or any means of communication which is then used to commit frauds. Personal information is also sometimes used to provide false identities usually so further frauds can be committed.
Shares sales Often called “boiler room frauds”
Usually takes form of a “cold call” to an individual or business offering company shares though recent variations include shares in wine stocks for example. The callers are very often abroad. The shares they purport to sell are either worthless or non-existent; this is not discovered until the purchaser has parted with often large sums of money.
Advance Fees
These frauds are designed to obtain money from people or companies by paying for a service in the expectation of receiving a much larger sum back. There are a number of variations which often include the offender(s) appearing to befriend the intended victim to get their confidence/sympathy and then requested loans or assistance. Dating sites are commonly used by fraudsters for this purpose.
Counterfeit Goods
There are a number of websites on the internet who offer for sale apparently desirable goods such as current electronic devices, designer clothing etc. at discounted prices. Very often they are counterfeit and/or inferior quality and involve misusing official logos and images to appear genuine and therefore enticing to prospective purchasers. If the purchaser receives the goods they are very often found to be inferior and there is little or no comeback on the vendor.
