MILLIONS of social media users will be better protected from fraudsters when new rules come into effect tomorrow.
Online platforms will have to comply with a number of fresh safety measures, known as the Illegal Harms Codes, laid out by Ofcom.
1
As part of this, social media companies will have to create channels where fraud organisations can flag potential scams, preventing users from being conned out of money.
Ofcom will be able to impose multi-million pound penalties on those that do not, or block their websites or apps through court orders.
Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at consumer website Which?, said: “Time and time again, our research has found that consumers face a flood of scam content online, so it’s positive that platforms will need to do more to stop user-generated fraud on their sites.
“Ofcom must ensure firms take their responsibilities seriously and should not hesitate to use its powers to take action against any companies that break the rules.”
Data released by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) last year showed fraud and scam complaints hit their highest quarterly level on record.
It found more than 8,700 cases were flagged between April and June, including a rise in complaints relating to fraudsters operating on social media.
There were 1,500 complaints from people who used their cards to pay for investments online which turned out to be scams, compared to around 1,100 in the second quarter of 2023.
The number of fraud and scam cases reported by consumers rose to another record high of 9,091 between July and September.
Abby Thomas, chief executive and chief ombudsman of the FOS, said at the time: “It’s concerning to see yet another rise in fraud and scams cases coming to our service.
“People can feel embarrassed to have fallen victim to a fraud or scam and may be reluctant to report the issue, but these crimes can be complex and incredibly convincing.”
As well as protect fraud victims, a host of other rules come into effect tomorrow as part of Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Codes.
Online platforms will have to appoint a senior person whose role is to deal with any illegal, fraudulent or hateful content.
Platforms will also have to protect children from online harms such as abuse and exploitation while women and girls will be able to block and mute users harassing or stalking them.
Social media websites and tech companies will also have to remove terrorist accounts from their websites or apps.
How to protect yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
What to do if you’ve been scammed
Despite the new rules coming into effect tomorrow, there may still be circumstances where you are scammed or conned out of money.
If you are, you can report it to Action Fraud using its online reporting tool via reporting.actionfraud.police.uk.
You can also call 0300 123 2040 Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm.
If you’ve been scammed out of money, you should also contact your bank or payment provider and explain what has happened.
They might be able to block the transaction if you act quickly enough, or block or freeze your account so no more money can be taken from it.
If you’re unhappy with the response from your bank or payment provider, you can take your case to the FOS.
The service is free to use and settles complaints between customers and businesses like banks.
You can find out more via www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
