Scammers are increasing the number of calls where they claim ‘our records show you’ve been in a car accident’, according to call-blocking and caller ID Company, Hiya. These types of calls were the most reported scams of 2016, says Hiya, closely followed by PPI calls, and calls claiming you’ve won a prize.
The car accident scam peaked in October – the worst month of the year for mobile phone scams overall – with growth of 84% in the period January to November. PPI scam claims peaked in November and saw an 81% growth over the year. The UK leads Europe in that it has the highest percentage of nuisance calls, at a significant 13% of all calls placed.
“Defrauding people is big business, which is why the number of scam calls continues to grow and more elaborate schemes appear,” says Alex Algard, CEO of Hiya. “Scammers are getting more sophisticated. They mask the calls by using common area codes so people answer them. Our advice is to be careful and trust your instinct. If an offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”
The year in review:
- Newcomer scam of the year: ‘Lucky Winner’
- Worst month for phone scams: October
- Scam that declined over the year: Betting, down 240% from Jan-Nov, peaked in March
Worst area code offenders:
- (020) London
- (0161) Manchester
- (0141) Glasgow
- (0113) Leeds
- (0121) Birmingham
- (01922) Walsall
- (01268) Basildon
- (0151) Liverpool
- (0115) Nottingham
- (01792) Swansea
Top Scams in the UK:
- Car accident claims, 84% growth over the year, peaked in October
- PPI scam calls, 81% growth over the year, peaked in November
- Lucky winner, 64% growth over the year, peaked in October
- Loan scams, 85% growth over the year, peaked in August
- All inclusive holiday compensation, 91% growth over the year, peaked in October
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