Scams people in Norfolk need to be aware of this week

From websites selling fake summer holidays to cold calls selling pendant alarms, these are the scams people in Norfolk should be aware of this week.

Cold calls claiming to be from Amazon

Norfolk County Council has said somebody in Norfolk received an automated cold call which claimed £1,000 had been charged to their Amazon account.

They were told to press one to speak to somebody from the Amazon fraud team.

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These calls are designed to trick people into sharing their personal and financial information.

They are in no way affiliated with Amazon.

Fake holiday websites

The council has told people to be extra cautious when booking their summer holidays.

A spokesman explained: "Be sure to do your research and read online reviews from reputable sources to check offers are genuine.

"And always use the secure payment method recommended by online retailers.

"Criminals can pretend to be trusted organisations, offering you too good to be true prices, in an attempt to steal your money or personal information.

"Ask yourself – could it be fake? If the deal looks too good to be true, it usually is."

Cold calls offering advertising in Your Norfolk magazine

Business owners are reporting being targeted by scammers offering fake advertisement space in Your Norfolk magazine.

The magazine is published by Norfolk County Council and distributed free to households twice a year.

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One business that reported this call also received an email follow-up.

The council has clarified these calls are not associated with them and said they do not sell advertising space within the magazine.

Cold calls about pendant alarms

Some older people in Norfolk have reported receiving automated cold calls that offer them a pendant alarm.

One recipient recognised it as a scam and hung up the phone only to receive another call later asking for payment information to complete the transaction.

This follows a similar scam which emerged last week.

Older people were called by somebody claiming to be from the local health authority who offered them a free medical alert device.

The council issued a warning that these were illegitimate offers designed to steal personal information.

What do I do if I think someone is trying to scam me?

If you believe someone has tried to scam you with a fake telephone call, email or text, you can call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.

You can forward suspicious emails to the National Cyber Security Centre by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk.