WEEKLY FRAUD UPDATE FROM WEST MERCIA POLICE - ECONOMIC CRIME UNIT - 24/06/2025"

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS

No sooner than the NHS announces that patients with obesity problems will be able to access the weight loss injections as a free service from the family doctor, the criminal seizes another opportunity to defraud unsuspecting victims with celebrity endorsements for similar products.

The current endorsements for such products are sent by emails and texts and give the impression they are endorsed by certain stars of Dragon Dens, amongst others. Previous endorsements have promoted investments opportunities, household products, and fake competitions, all bearing images of genuine celebrities but posted without their knowledge.

How to protect yourself?

Another recent scam featuring various celebrities offers a private meeting backstage after their show. Not surprisingly a payment is asked for the privilege with the payment often requested by Gift Cards or Bitcoins, so untraceable and not retrievable. 

Any suspicious website can be reported to National Cyber Security Centre  via https://ncsc.gov.uk

FAKE GARDENER 

There have been reports of gardening services being offered locally via a Facebook page. The person asks for a deposit when a booking is taken to carry out a gardening job, but the “Gardener” never turns up and potentially, the deposit paid is lost.

As with any tradesperson, no payment should be made until the person is on a site and the work completed as described and agreed. It is always advisable to ask for a written quotation on headed notepaper for larger jobs.

Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives, or neighbours, especially anyone of pensionable age.

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If you’ve fallen for fraud

Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk

Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks.

You can also report fraudulent mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudster’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number - 159 - to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.