THE risk of scams has been highlighted at an event in a Winchester bank.

The Safer Neighborhood Team led by PCSO Dawn Gretton held a fraud and scam awareness session at Barclays Bank on the High Street.

They spoke to the public and handed out information to help people keep their money safe, on Thursday, November 7.

It sought to provide the public with information on how to recognise the red flags of fraudulent and suspicious behaviour surrounding transactions and keep themselves safe.

But neither the officers nor the Barclays wanted to discuss it with the Chronicle.

According to the National Crime Agency, Fraud is the most prevalent crime in the UK, with most offences committed in cyberspace. These online attacks target vulnerable communities such as the elderly or those with learning difficulties.

This is why spreading awareness through community outreach sessions like these are so important.

The Safer Neighborhood team operates in connection with banks like Barclays - where large or suspicious transactions will be flagged by the bank, and then the security team notified. This organisation can then investigate the transaction, determine if any suspicious or fraudulent behaviour can be detected - and track down perpetrators.

The initiative shared tips on how to stay protected from fraud, including recognising illegitimate URL addresses when undertaking transactions, never sharing personal details over the phone or in-person to an unverified individual and shielding PIN numbers from potential onlookers whilst at an ATM machine.

The Safer Neighborhood Team urges individuals from the communities most affected to take fraud and scam prevention into their own hands by being aware of the dangers. This is emphasised in the Scam Protection handbook, where one valuable message rings clear “your personal information is valuable, protect it”.

More information can be found at https://nbcc.police.uk/crime-prevention/cyber-and-fraud/little-book-of-big-scams-fifth-edition

This article was written by Amelia Young