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“In just five years, ‘Which?’ Scam Alert has helped subscribers to avoid almost £5.5m in scam losses.”
The ‘Which?’ email ‘Scam Alerts Service’ newsletter can alert you to scams doing the rounds, and provide practical advice to keep you one step ahead of fraudsters.
Here are some of the scams you need to know about this month, including celebrity deepfakes.
3 September
Coinbase scam call
It was reported in July that a new phishing scam had popped up, when I received a text message in regards to a cryptocurrency website.
‘Which?’ have also reported that scam calls, impersonating cryptocurrency platform Coinbase are circulating. Those receiving these calls have been cold called from a random number and told that someone else has used their ‘Coinbase API key.’ An application programming interface, or API key is what is said to allow you access your Coinbase account.
What normally happens with these phone scams, is that they attempt to keep you on the phone and get you to reveal your personal data so that the fraudster on the other end can access your account.
‘Which?’ have also reported that:
“Scam calls can be reported by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726 on an iPhone or texting the word ‘call’ to 7726 on an Android. Then, you’ll receive a message asking you for the scam number.
“On WhatsApp, open the WhatsApp chat with the scam phone number and tap ‘block.’ You can report the contact by tapping ‘report contact’ and ‘block.’”
1 September
Utility Warehouse impersonation email
Utility Warehouse have reported on how to stay safe from scams involving them. ‘Which?’ have also reported that a “dodgy and convincing email” which claims to be from service provider Utility Warehouse is telling recipients that someone has logged into their account from another device or browser.
The scam call goes on to provide a link to ‘review your security’, which “most likely leads to a malicious site intent on stealing your personal information.”
‘Which?’ have also noted that:
“The main scam giveaway is that the email is sent from a random Gmail email address.”
‘Which?’ gives further advice that scam emails can be reported by forwarding them to this address: report@phishing.gov.uk. And that suspicious websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre here.
27 August
Financial Conduct Authority scams
It has been noted that when people make investments:
“…many consumers don’t realise they may have been mis-sold or even scammed by a product that wasn’t suitable.
“From hidden fees to false promises, it’s essential to know how to spot bad deals and what to do if you’ve been affected.”
‘Which?’ have noted that:
“Scammers are impersonating the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with almost 5,000 reports made to the regulator in the first six months of 2025. The regulator has warned that it will never ask for money or for sensitive banking information, such as PINS and passwords.”
26 August
Scam text messages
‘Which?’ have reported that nearly 70% of consumers have received a scam text message, according to a survey carried out by TransUnion, an insights company. ‘Which?’ advise:
“Always be wary of messages that come out of the blue and especially if they’re from an unknown number. If the message asks for information or for an urgent payment then you should treat it with caution. Never follow a link from a message as it could [be] infected with malware.”
‘Which?’ have given advice about spotting a scam text message here.
The UK government have said that the aim of a fraudulent message – whether it’s sent by WhatsApp, SMS, or other messaging service – is usually to get you to click on a link, which will take you to a fake website that can steal your data and money or infect your device with a virus. In response the government also have advice about how to spot a scam text here.
20 August
A job scam being peddled on WhatsApp
It was reported last month that North Yorkshire Police have warned that young people and their parents are advised to be alert to a rise in scams offering fake ‘jobs’ on social media sites.
‘Which?’ have also stated that a job scam is being promoted on WhatsApp which claims to offer: “a remote position at TikTok with a purported ‘daily income’ of £300 to £800.”
It has also been noted that:
“The scam message is sent via a spoofed mobile number and provides a link to a WhatsApp chat to ‘claim a £8 bonus,’ which will lead to having a conversation with a scammer via WhatsApp.”
These kinds of sham work opportunities often lead to job scams claiming to offer money for completing assignments such as film reviews or surveys. What then happens is that, you are asked to invest money to complete more jobs, but will never being able to claim your “returns.”
‘Which?’ recommend that:
“You can report numbers on WhatsApp by opening up the WhatsApp chat with the dodgy phone number and tap ‘block.’ You can report the contact by tapping ‘report contact’ and ‘block’.”
Also scam text messages can be reported by forwarding them to 7726.
18 August
Social media ads impersonating Michael Mosley
The Times has reported that the image of the presenter and writer Michael Mosley, who passed away last year, is being used to “sell health supplements online alongside other experts.”
‘Which?’ have also noted that:
“Deepfake videos of health experts making false medical claims are circulating on social media.
“Fake videos featuring […] doctor Tim Spector, the founder of health brand Zoe, physician Gabor Mate and alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra are making unsubstantiated health claims.”
The fraudsters usually make these kinds of videos in order to sell products which are either dangerous, do not work, or are entirely non-existent.
It was also noted by ‘Which?’ that:
“The Times found that over 1.5 million people followed the social media accounts it uncovered in its investigation, with each account having posted hundreds of AI-generated videos.
“Scam posts and adverts on social media can be reported to the platform by selecting the three dots in the top right corner and pressing ‘report.’”
Scam sharer tool
If you think that you have been the victim of a scam or know others who have been, please help others by using this scam sharer tool from ‘Which?’ Available: here.
