Staying safe and avoiding scams with VibePay 👏

Hey, #VibeCommunity, I hope you’ve been keeping well. Lots of you have been spreading #GoodVibes with us for a while now, but the last time we chatted about making sure your transactions are safe was almost a year ago. In that time, we’re delighted that our community has grown and welcomed plenty of newbies. Whether you’re a VibePay stalwart, or the newest member of our clan, we could all do with a reminder on how to make sure we stay safe from time to time. So please, lend me a minute of your time and listen in. It might stop you from falling victim to scam.

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Scams to look out for

If something seems too good to be true, be wary that it often is exactly that. Scammers are known to be selling popular items on eBay, at discounted prices, designed to entice, and encouraging interested buyers to pay them through VibePay. Users are reminded that this will nullify any protections offered by eBay. We’d love to see the option to pay with VibePay integrated all over the net, but until then, please be cautious and pay through the trusted methods associated with the site you’re using.

Ticket sales on social media platforms, as well as sites like eBay and Gumtree can be susceptible to this sort of scamming. If you’ve missed out on tickets to a sold out show, try VibeTickets!

Be vigilant of fake emails and text messages asking you to verify your account, or pay ‘account fees’. VibePay will never ask you to do either of these things and any such correspondence you may receive will be from scammers. Never click on any links in these kinds of fraudulent emails, should you receive one.

Banking scams occur through three channels: online, over the phone and on mobile banking. Scammers are known to contact potential victims, pertaining to be somebody from your bank, asking you to send payments. Your bank will never as you for these sorts of payments. You should ignore and report these instances where possible.

Identity theft occurs when scammers get hold of your personal details with a view to applying for a credit card or, in some cases, loans. The prevalence of these sorts of scams has increased as social media platforms have grown; scammers often pose as celebrities or businesses, creating fake accounts and offering services.

Look out for investment fraud, too. Don’t be fooled, some scammers are known to convince unsuspecting investors to pay into funds, promising sizeable returns, only to disappear and take the money for themselves. Always use trusted methods when investing, and be aware that your capital is at risk, always.

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Keeping yourself and others safe

If you’ve made a mistake, or fallen foul to a nasty scam, the first thing you should do is contact your bank. Sadly, they might not always be able to recover your funds, but you’re always better off mentioning it straight away. If you’ve been involved in a scam that concerns your VibePay account, let us know as soon as you can. We’ll be able to place temporary restrictions on your account to keep you safe, and look into what happened, helping us to keep other users safe. We have a dedicated team who will dutifully address all instances of scam and fraud that you report and who can report fraud and scam cases to banks, the financial conduct authority and if necessary, the police.

You can make sure you’re scam savvy by visiting TakeFive, here and report suspected fraud here.

Stay safe, spread #GoodVibes!

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