Recently we’ve seen a significant rise in scams, often featuring fraudsters impersonating companies or consultants.  

At OIBME Group, we’re doing everything we can to spread awareness of the tactics used by fraudsters to help protect individuals and organisations from scammers.

We’ve compiled a list of the warnings signs to look out for that could indicate you’ve been contacted by a scammer:

Someone you don’t know or someone you do know contacting you in a new format ie. New number, email address etc, asking for:

• Personal financial details.
• You to pay a fee/money (we NEVER ask for payment personally)

Social media (i.e., LinkedIn / WhatsApp / Telegram) with:

• A lack of activity, information, or contact details on their profile.
• A suspicious or no profile picture.

Incorrect email addresses: 

Scammers may contact you from an email address that attempts to replicate a known email address. We advise you to carefully check for discrepancies.

There’s also been a rise in cases of fraudsters cloning sites of legitimate companies to steal money and/or the personal details.  

Here are the key things to look out for:  

• SSL Certification – A digital certificate that authenticates a website identity and enables an encrypted connection, can on some website browsers be depicted by a padlock icon to the left of a URL. In all cases the URL (Website Address) will always start with https:// . Most browsers will report a website as being unsafe if it is not covered by an SSL.  
• Missing information – If a site posing as a company or brand doesn’t have an “About Us” section or contact information this could be a sign of a scam.
• URL – Check the website URL conforms to traditional formats. Look for spelling errors and unusual domain extensions. You can also copy and paste the URL into Google, which will show you the company’s legitimate website.  

For more information on scams and how to spot them, check out the dedicated page by clicking on the following link:-