In many cases, it only takes fraudsters minutes to set up a copycat website or social media profile imitating an organisation that's in the headlines.
While there's been a spate of scams with a newsy hook of late, they're anything but new. Read on to find the most shameless dupes of recent years.
1. 'Ofgem' energy rebates
At the height of the energy crisis, as bills soared and families struggled to cope, emails using the Ofgem logo began to circulate.
They claimed to offer an 'energy bill rebate scheme', directing recipients to a fake online portal. There, victims were urged to share personal and payment details in order to 'claim' their refund.
But in a telltale sign of a scam, the fake website had been registered only days before, while the genuine energy regulator has existed since 2000.
2. Fake pandemic supplies
Fraud skyrocketed by 33% between April 2020 and March 2021, according to data from Action Fraud.
In desperation, people scoured the internet to source items which could save their lives - where they fell for convincing-looking medical supply websites set up by the most despicable scammers.
The problem led to a warning from Trading Standards after one such site claimed to have been founded in 2010, despite being only being registered in February 2020.
3. Cost of Living Payments
4. Cath Kidston collapse
In August, bogus websites began popping up impersonating the defunct British retailer Cath Kidston, following rights to the brand having recently been acquired by Next.
Shoppers were led to the sites via scam adverts on Facebook which promise significant discounts.
The fraudulent URLs we identified were:
How to stay safe from scams
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/hijacking-headlines-how-scammers-exploit-the-news-agenda-alZ2C9o2MMrg