Scams

Booking your summer holiday soon? Protect yourself from scams by watching out for clone websites, fake deals and bogus cancellations, as fraudsters to continue to use a variety of sophisticated methods to trick holidaymakers out of their cash.

How to call your bank by dialling just three numbers… simply dial 1-5-9. Then you know it's legit. Watch MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis' video below, which explains it. And please share – the more people know, the fewer will be scammed.

If you're a woman born in the 1950s affected by changes to your State Pension age, be on high alert for scams offering compensation for this. Campaign group Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) and charity Independent Age have warned so-called 'WASPI' women to be extremely careful, as there's been a reported "steep rise" in the number of scams targeting this group.

If you're scammed into making a bank transfer to a fraudster, your bank MUST now refund you in most cases, under new industry-wide rules which came into force on Monday 7 October. But you still need to be cautious when making payments, as you may have up to £100 deducted from your refund – and banks will be able to reject claims entirely if they find you were really careless.

If you see an online advert, particularly if it features a celebrity, always assume it could be a scam. That's a warning from Martin Lewis after our exclusive analysis of Action Fraud data found that the MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder, alongside Taylor Swift and Elon Musk, is the most featured public figure in reports to it.

From online scams to Carer's Allowance, we round up the most interesting responses from the seven main party leaders on six key consumer issues. Their answers form part of their replies to our Leaders' Debate ahead of the general election on Thursday 4 July. 

If you're booking your next holiday, watch out for fake deals, clone websites and bogus cancellations, as criminals are using a variety of sophisticated methods to trick holidaymakers out of their money.

If you got a text message or email from the Metropolitan Police between 4pm and 6pm on Wednesday 17 April – or you get a letter in the next few days – don't ignore it. You may need to take action to protect yourself from fraud. Below we explain how to know if the message is genuine and what you need to do.