By Isle of Wight Observer
Islanders are being urged to be alert after a number of different scams are currently circulating across the Isle of Wight.
Trading Standards have received reports from residents about unsolicited phone calls offering to sell face masks for £29.00. These are scams. These criminals are preying on all of our vulnerabilities at the minute and trying to scare us into parting with cash or bank details.
If you receive a phone call like this hang up straight away, do not engage with the caller and never give bank or card details over the phone to strangers.
Trading Standards have also received a couple of scam warnings from astute residents.
The first is allegedly from Apple – it looks very genuine and lists items that you have reportedly ordered. The instructions advise you to click on a link in the email to contact “support” or log into your Apple account using a link provided. This will be a phishing exercise to gain your information or even payment from you. The email address that it comes from, when checked is not a valid Apple address. This is a SCAM – Do Not click on any links, delete it straight away.
The second purports to come from TV Licensing and is telling you that your TV licence could not be automatically renewed so you will need to set up a new direct debit via a link provided. This is a SCAM – Do Not click on any links, delete it straight away
