Greater Manchester Police joined a national campaign on investment fraud, led by the Financial Conduct Authority, Action Fraud, and the City of London Police. The campaign aimed to warn people on investment fraud scammers that it has a rise in all the UK.
According to GMP, 685 investment fraud was reported last year. The total loss of the victims was £11.1 Million in Greater Manchester.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, people have more worries about finances and it created a rise in investment fraud. For that reason, Greater Manchester Police started a campaign to protect people from possible fraud.
Detective Superintendent Estelle Mathieson, Head of GMP’s Economic Crime and Cyber Unit, said: “For many, the ongoing pandemic has brought financial uncertainty and that makes them vulnerable to these scams that offer a better return than the going market rate. I want to encourage members of the public, however, to be more alert and cautious than ever with their hard-earned money.”
GMP shared a guide to warn people on investment fraud. Here are few headlines of the guide :
Knowing the signs of a possible investment scam:
- Unexpected first contact – telephone, email, or social media
- Time pressure
- Unrealistic returns that more than the market average
- Being over-friendly
- Social proof that they show to you that are unrealistic.
Reporting:
- Any concerns about any website should be reported to the NCSC via their Suspicious Email Reporting Service – report@phishing.gov.uk.
- In case of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud via actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
