HAVE YOU BEEN THE VICTIM OF A FRAUD OR SCAM ? THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE ...
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HAVE YOU BEEN THE VICTIM OF A FRAUD OR SCAM ? THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE ...
Local law firm , Phoenix Solicitors , have pledged to help those people who have been the victim of a fraud or scam to get a refund from their bank .
Fraud and financial scams are on the rise with millions of pounds being sent to scammers through authorised payments and transfers every year . Anyone can be a victim of a financial fraud or scam and if that is you , you are not alone and there are ways in which Phoenix Solicitors can help you to recover your money . Even if you have been refused a refund from your bank or received a partial refund they can help you to try to recover all of the money .
The most recent scam seen by Phoenix Solicitors was related to Covid-19 and technology enabled scams that evade banks advanced security systems and use digital platforms to target victims directly , tricking them into giving their money or information away . During the pandemic , criminals sent fraudulent emails to people claiming to offer government support to those impacted by the pandemic and scam texts requesting payments to book Covid vaccines .
In 2020 there were 39,264 cases of criminals impersonating trusted organisations to trick victims into sending them money , which was the largest increase in all scams . Last year there was a 32 % rise in investment scams , which are often promoted through adverts on search engines offering higher than average returns , and a 38 % increase in cases of romance scams , driven by the rise in online dating during the pandemic .
Authorised Push Payment fraud cases are also on the rise and increased 22 % to almost 150,000 in 2020 with losses of around £ 479 million .
Whilst the banking industry do work closely with the police to prevent such frauds hundreds of millions are still lost every year to scam and fraud criminals .
Alisha Butler , Director of Phoenix Solicitors said “ It is not just the older generation that fall prey to these scammers . It can be anyone , anywhere , from romance scams to corporate scams . We have been contacted by young people who have been scammed as a result of seeing influencers online invest in cryptocurrency , through to middle aged men and women who have been preyed on by romance scammers online , as well as people who have received scam emails allegedly from HMRC about a tax refund or an intercepted invoice with bank details changed for the payment . These scammers are often experienced and will invest time in to ensuring their victims believe their scam is real .
" People will often be ashamed of falling for the scam and blame themselves and so don ’ t want to tell anyone about it , or they think that because they authorised the payment there is no way of getting the money back .
" Being scammed can cause immeasurable pain and suffering to the victim and the implications can be considerable , from losing life savings to losing your home , but we are here to listen and help .
" We will gather all of the information and investigate what has happened and why . We will then write to the bank explaining why we feel your money should be refunded . If the bank refuse we will appeal their decision and / or apply to the Financial Ombudsman Service asking them to investigate the duty owed to you by the bank to help stop you losing your money ".
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a financial fraud or scam then you can get in touch with the experts at Phoenix Solicitors by emailing : rb @ phoenixlegalsolicitors . co . uk or calling 0331 630 0656 .
www . phoenixlegalsolicitors . co . uk
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