PayPal scams
A number of PayPal scams have been identified over time. A list of 14 ways of avoiding these scams has been published here.
Meanwhile, Which? is warning people of a specific PayPal scam where scammers are manipulating a genuine PayPal email to lure you into a phone scam.
A genuine email from PayPal is triggered after scammers put a 1p deposit into your PayPal account. You then get a phone call, but this time it’s not PayPal, but the scammer on the other end of the line.
Which? also states that, “this isn’t the first time scammers have used PayPal to send emails from the brand’s official email address, service@paypal.com. It’s a sneaky tactic that could convince you that the email and phone call are genuine”.
For more information on how this scam works and what to do if you receive one of these emails or calls please see here.
Booking.com data breach: what you need to know
It was reported back in 2024, that customers booking holiday accommodation on the website Booking.com were being urged to be aware of scammers impersonating genuine hotels.
Now Which? have warned that emails have been sent to recent customers of Booking.com warning them that following ‘unauthorised’ access to their reservations, their data may have been expose .
Which? have noted that “emails sent by the online booking platform on Monday claim that names, email addresses, home addresses and phone numbers could have been compromised”.
Booking.com hasn’t confirmed the scale of the breach or how it was carried out, but it does appear that the issue has caused problems for customers across different accommodation and hotels.
Which? is warning Booking.com customers to be “vigilant, as the breach is likely to increase the chances of targeted, personalised phishing scams in the coming months”.
You can learn more about the Bookiong.com breach and what to do about it here .
Avoiding ticketing scams
With a large number of major sporting events, including the World Cup and Wimbledon coming up during the summer months Which? has issued a warning about how to avoid ticket scammers.
These include always sticking to official ticket sites, being alert to scammers on social media and only entering official competitions offering tickets as prizes. Which? also suggest that you don’t pay via a bank transfer and check the finer details when you buy tickets.
For more information on how to avoid ticketing scams, please see here .
Pensioners urged to be alert to Winter Fuel Payment scams
Meanwhile, the government has warned to be on high alert for scams when the recovery of Winter Fuel Payments begins this month.
The government has noted: “Almost two million people are expected to repay their winter 2025 payment due to their annual income being more than £35,000 – for most, an automatic process.
“HMRC saw more than 25,000 Winter Fuel Payment scam referrals over the last 12 months and is warning that scammers may now use the recovery process as a hook to use texts, emails and phone calls to target this group”.
For more information please see here .
Serious Fraud Office launch appeal into suspected home heating & insulation fraud
Then on 22 April, the government announced that the Serious Fraud Office is investigating allegations of fraud by three UK companies. The allegations of fraud are concerned with Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4), a UK government energy efficiency scheme “designed to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions”.
JJ Crump, Warmfront Team Ltd and South Coast Insulation Services are said to be at the centre of the investigation. Allegations have been made that these three companies were involved in a “sophisticated conspiracy across the country to undermine a government scheme by submitting claims where little or no work was undertaken. It is suspected that energy companies were defrauded of at least £44 million in this way”.
Unexpected password reset emails: have you been hacked?
Which have warned people to be on the lookout for password reset emails, which may be a sign of someone trying to hack into your account.
Which? goes on to say: “In many cases, these emails are triggered when someone enters your address on a login page – either by mistake or as part of an automated attack using leaked passwords from other websites. This can happen with a wide range of accounts, including email services, social media, online shopping sites and online banking.”
Which? has advice here about how to deal with this problem, including thinking about why you have been sent the email and questioning whether it may be a scam.
How to get rid of computer virus
Computer viruses can affect any computer and can be a huge problem for the user. Computer viruses have been described thus: “Computer viruses aim to disrupt systems, cause major operational issues, and result in data loss and leakage. A key thing to know about computer viruses is that they are designed to spread across programs and systems. Computer viruses typically attach to an executable host file, which results in their viral codes executing when a file is opened. The code then spreads from the document or software it is attached to via networks, drives, file-sharing programs, or infected email attachments.”.
Which? have suggested that a few simple steps can help you to get rid of any virus on your computer. You can read about these steps here .
A convincing recovery scam
Recovery fraud or follow-up fraud is described as when scammers contact people who have already been scammed. They then offer to help them recover any stolen money. The perpetrators have access to detailed information about the victim’s previous scam, so these scams can seem very convincing.
Which? have warned Coinbase users to be aware of phishing emails. They claim to be concerned with recovering funds lost to an ‘unauthorised transaction’.
Which? also gives the following example: “A scam victim, who lost £469 to the Quantum AI scam we uncovered in 2024, alerted Which? to this email seemingly from Coinbase. The email has the hallmarks of a recovery scam and has most likely been sent from the same scammers”.
Which? has outlined how recovery scams work and how to avoid them here.
Scam sharer tool
There is a scam sharer tool you can use to help others to avoid being victims. You can find the tool here.
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