Police are warning the public to be aware of Sky scam practices

If you have a Sky TV or broadband subscription, you may be targeted by scammers. These scams are becoming more common than ever, with people losing hundreds of pounds every year. In this article, we will try to show you the most common practices of fraudsters, what you should do to avoid them and advise you on what to do if you are scammed.

What are the most common fraud practices?

Sky is the largest digital TV platform in Europe. There are a few different types of scams that target their customers. Below you will find some of the most common scams targeting Sky customers to help you become more aware of them.

The most common is the subscription scam, where someone will call or email you claiming to be from Sky, claiming that your subscription has lapsed or been cancelled. They'll then try to get you to sign up for a new one, often at a much higher price than you're currently paying. Sometimes they'll even offer a free trial period to convince you to sign up now.

Another common scam is the equipment rental scam. This is when someone will call or email you to say that you need to rent or buy new equipment in order to keep using Sky TV. They may also claim that there is a problem with your current one and try to get you to send it back so they can send you the new one.

They may call and say that there is a problem with your broadband router and claim that the customer is entitled to a refund. This call may sound very convincing.

The third type of scam call is the service scam. This is where someone will call or email you and say that they need to come to your house to fix a problem with your Sky TV service. They may try to charge you for this service, or even threaten to disconnect your service if you don't agree to their demands. The caller will say that you need to pay a fee in order to have Sky installed in your home. They may even go so far as to say that a technician is on their way to your house and this fee needs to be paid upfront before they arrive or they will cut off your service. Of course, it is very unlikely that a technician is on the way. Plus, you shouldn't pay any fees until after the installation is complete, or prior to this depending on your arrangement with the official Sky representative. It's possible that scammers will ask you to visit a website to make a payment. Don't do it,

One scam that's been making the rounds lately is the refund scam. The caller will claim that there's been an overcharge on your account or they may contact you with the compensation for poor broadband speed and offer to refund the money directly to your account.

If you get any calls or emails like this, just hang up or delete them. Don't give out any personal information or agree to anything.

Why are Sky scam calls so dangerous?

Scammers usually act in a very deliberate way to arouse your intrigue. They will be nice, they will have some of your information to fool you into thinking that is a real sky representative calling.

They'll then ask for your debit card or financial details so they can process the refund. However, this is a trap! Once they have your information, they'll start taking money out of your account immediately. So if you get this call, hang up and report it to Sky immediately.

If you get an email, check the address it was sent from, never click on a link if you have any doubt about its authenticity. If you do this, your computer may become infected with a virus and fraudsters may gain access to your data, including bank details.

Remember to never reveal any personal information or details, never click on a link in a text message or email, never dial any numbers during phone call. Always ask questions to check their knowledge about you. If they are scammers and you reveal your private or bank details, they will rob you within minutes before you get the chance to react. This is why it is so important to be vigilant and cautious.

Talk to your family and friends about the threat. Even though there is still so much talk about it, lots of people are still being scammed. Thieves are coming up with more and more new ways and will do everything they can to gain your confidence in their schemes.

What to do to avoid Sky scam calls?

Firstly, when you sign up to any kind of mailing list or register for a new service, make sure to correctly pick the option "I don't want to receive marketing e-mails or text". This will make sure that your data will not be shared with unwanted people and third parties that could leak it to scammers.

If you're a Sky Talk customer, one approach to spot fraudulent calls is to look for the number on 1471. Calling this number will reveal the true phone number of the person that has just called you. You see, scammers can easily manipulate the number that you see on your phone with computer technologies. Unless customers have disabled caller identification on their devices, Sky Mobile users will be able to view the last callers' real phone number.

Sky Talk Shield is another helpful tool that blocks scam calls for Sky Talk customers on the Sky Network. Additionally, all Sky Broadband customers can activate Sky Broadband Shield for free and gain protection against unwanted attacks like viruses, phishing, and malware-infected sites.

Where to report a scam?

If you think you have been scammed, change your password immediately - make sure it is a strong one with combination of letters, numbers and symbols.

If you think fraudsters may have had access to your e-mail, also change your password.

If money has been taken from your account, call your bank immediately and report it. It may also be necessary to block the card.

If you have received the suspicious email, forward it to [email protected].

The quickest way to report a Sky TV scam is by going online to reporting.actionfraud.police.uk. You can also report the scam by phone to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

If you're getting calls from people who are making threats on your life or welfare, such as racially motivated threats or ones suggesting bodily harm or sexual assault, contact the police.

Alternatively, you can also report the scam via Citizens Advice either online at citizensadvice.org.uk or by telephone 0800 144 8848. Whichever method you choose, it is important that you take action as soon as possible to avoid becoming a victim of these scams.

Above all, be aware of the dangers and treat every unsolicited phone call or email as a scam in advance because of their increasing frequency. Before you take any action, you had better be absolutely sure that it is not a scam. Scammers are always coming up with new ways to trick people out of their money, and Sky TV subscribers are unfortunately not exempt from this.

With these tips in mind, you can help protect yourself from common sky tv scams. Stay alert and be vigilant against potential threats! If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends or family members who might find it helpful. For more articles like this, be sure to check out our blog page!