Spoofing scams and fraud

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About spoofing scams

What is a spoofing scam?

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    Fake profile

    Spoofing is a type of online scam where a criminal will disguise themselves behind an email address, false website, display name, phone number or text message in an attempt to convince victims that they are interacting with a trusted and known source.

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    Dodgy details

    Spoofing communications will often look legitimate and in most cases, there will be just one letter, number or symbol which has been changed so that, at first glance, it appears to be valid. However, these communications will have been designed as part of a spoofing scam to gain access to important information, steal the victim’s data or be part of a wider scam.

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    Social engineering

    One common trait in spoofing scams is the use of social engineering, which is where the scammer will try to manipulate their victims by playing on their vulnerabilities, such as fear, lack of knowledge or greed, so that the victim feels more inclined to do what is asked of them.

Different types of spoofing scams

Email spoofing scams

Email spoofing scams are when emails are sent, often seemingly from legitimate businesses, but with false sender addresses. In a lot of cases, these emails seem to be valid emails from the business, with the scammer using the “From:” line to trick their victims into believing that the message is from a verified source. Remember that any email which asks for you to submit additional sensitive information is likely to be a spoofing scam.

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SMS and Caller ID scams

With caller ID spoofing scams, the scammer will falsify a legitimate number in an attempt to bait you into answering the call. The number may appear on your display or be linked to show a suggested name, one which you would be more likely to trust, as a prompt to answer. The message may request you to click on a link to reschedule a delivery or warn that there has been concerning activity within your account. Victims may then be redirected to a false site, or be sent to a payment portal.

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Website spoofing scams

Website, or URL, spoofing scams occur when scammers create and set up a fraudulent site in an attempt to get information or money from victims or look to install malicious malware on their devices. Website spoofing scams will direct users to a website which looks like it belongs to their banking platform or energy provider and then ask them to provide their user ID and password. If the person logs in, then the scammer has the login credentials they entered and can then use this information to access multiple other platforms.

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Why WRS?

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Recovering over £40,000,000 for clients like you

Over the past 3 years, we’ve recovered more than £40,000,000 for our clients. It’s thanks to our team of solicitors and recovery claim specialists who trace and recover the investments you’ve lost from scams. Plus, we offer a no-win, no-fee service. You won’t pay a thing unless we recover your money.

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Falling victim to fraud can be overwhelming and distressing. You deserve expert guidance and support every step of the way. That’s what we’re here for.  

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Frequently asked questions

  • Are spoofing scams illegal?

    In the UK, spoofing scams aren’t illegal, but perpetrators of certain forms of spoofing scams are subject to heavy fines. Compared to the US, where spoofing scams are an illegal activity, UK law still has some way to go in terms of how it deals with nuisance and resilient scammers. It has, however, been seen before that scammers who use call spoofing scams have been given large fines, depending on the severity of the scam activity.

    Because spoofing scams aren’t illegal, a lot of victims feel as though they can’t do anything about it, but this isn’t the case. We recommend that, if you have been the victim of a spoofing scam, you get in touch with us to arrange a free consultation and see what we can do for your recovery case.

  • Are spoofing scams new?

    There is nothing new about spoofing scams – they are a long-standing and highly common form of online scam. The word “spoof” actually dates back over a century and references trickery and deception, which is exactly what spoofing scams involve. Caller spoofing scams have been used for years by telemarketing companies, but different types of spoofing scams are becoming more complex and sophisticated, meaning that there are different types of scams which are gaining popularity with scammers.

  • How to detect spoofing scams

    Spoofing scams can be highly sophisticated, so it is important that to avoid falling victim, you pay close attention to the details and trust your instincts. Be aware of accessing websites that have no SSL certificate (URLs without the padlock symbol), or URLs which begin with HTTP instead of HTTPS.

    With email spoofing scams, if you’re not sure about the legitimacy of the email, check the sender’s address and keep in mind that these scammers will use domains and addresses which look similar to legitimate emails. You can always copy and paste the email and search it online if you aren’t sure to see if anyone else has reported the email.

  • What is the difference between spoofing and phishing?

    The terms spoofing and phishing are often used interchangeably, but they do mean different things. Spoofing is where there is a level of disguise, so the use of a fake email address, display name, website or phone number is used to trick victims into thinking that they are dealing with a legitimate and trusted source.

    Phishing is used to trick potential victims into providing personal information and data which can then be used for identity theft. Many phishing criminals tend to lean on and use spoofing tactics to trick victims into believing that they are sharing their information with a trusted recipient.

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