There has also been an increase in phishing and smishing (using text messages) scams and identity thefts, which may be an attempt to take advantage of the increase in people working from home and potentially less stringent security arrangements.

Attempts to fraudulently access government funds made available to help ease the economic impact of the pandemic (such as the Job Retention Scheme) are also thought to be on the rise. At the same time, other traditional scams such as computer software or telephone-based fraud have seen a decrease in activity, the latter perhaps in part due to the lockdown in parts of Asia, where illegitimate call centres are often based.

Topics