How to improve your fraud awareness -
Please don't be a victim!
First let’s separate frauds from scams. They may sound like the same thing but there are some differences. Fraud is basically the unauthorized use of your account, your identity or your information without your permission. This could be to steal money, or it could be to obtain the information needed to steal money. In all these cases you didn’t give permission for the actions the fraudster has taken. In a scam you have personally authorised access to your information, your security and/or identity and probably, your funds too.
Scams keep getting more sophisticated. Be very careful and NEVER give out your key information (passwords, account details, memorable questions or PIN numbers) online or over the phone. Kaldi will never ask for this information and we will NEVER ask you to move money to a ‘secure’ account.
Make sure you have auto-updates enabled for the app so that the latest security is installed. Report any suspicious activity to us. If someone calls you ‘from Kaldi’ ask them to make an appointment to call via email or our in app chat. Do not disclose your email address over the phone to the caller in these circumstances – if the call ‘from Kaldi’ is legitimate we won’t be asking for your email address!
Avoid clicking on suspicious links. If you are told that something needs fixing ‘urgently’ please treat that as a red flag. You can always ask someone for their name and number and say that you will call them back. Scammers often hang up at this point.
USE THE KALDI APP RESPONSIBLY
Please understand that the in-app security is there for a reason. Do not keep any passwords, PIN numbers or memorable answers to security questions on or near your phone and do not share this information under any circumstances. Do not have the same password for multiple devices and try and make sure that passwords & security questions are not easily guessable from your Social Media accounts. Use 2FA (two factor authentication) to make sure you are secure, and activate biometrics. Report suspicious activity on your account. If you didn’t spend it – tell us! Scammers often start with a small amount and then ramp the amounts up if they detect that you don’t keep a regular eye on your spending.
In Kaldi you will never be asked to pay in advance by phone or email to unlock a discount, or to send money outside the app. You can only spend with retailers which are listed on the app. If they are not on the app they are fake. If someone calls you trying to sell you a discount on Kaldi – they are fake! Do not respond and block the number. In Kaldi you only pay using the payment function inside the app.
WHAT IS ONLINE FRAUD?
Online fraud is any type of fraudulent activity that uses the internet. This includes scams designed to steal your money, personal information, or both, through websites, emails, social media, and other online platforms.
WHAT IS PAYMENT FRAUD?
Payment fraud is a serious issue that affects individuals and businesses alike. It involves any type of fraudulent or illegal activity where someone uses stolen or fake payment information to obtain goods, services, or money.
THIRD PARTY PAYMENTS AND APP FRAUD
In the Kaldi app you can make payments to other Kaldi app users who are in your phone contacts. This is a convenience feature only. It is designed to help pay for your share of a night out or to split a bill etc. You can only send money this way, you cannot request it.
APP (Authorised Push Payment) fraud is when criminals trick you into voluntarily sending money to their account by pretending to be a legitimate person or organisation.
Make sure that any money you send is going to the correct person and that the amount is correct:
- Verify the recipient's details before sending money.
- Be wary of urgent requests for money.
- Don't be pressured into making a payment.
- If a deal seems too good to be true, it likely is a scam.
- If you are asked to send money to a new account, that you have not sent money to before, verify that account before sending funds.
Phishing – These are fake emails trying to convince you toprovide money or information or to click on a link which will install malware(bugs) or to direct you to a fake website. Look out for!
- Urgency or Secrecy
- The involvement of the Police or Law Enforcement
- Poor spelling or slight differences in the way things are phrased.
- Email addresses which are not exactly right. www.kaldiapp.co.uk is correct. www.kaldiiapp.co.uk is not!
- Requests for personal information or up front funds.
If in doubt – contact Kaldi directly in the app or email our Support Team at support@kaldiapp.co.uk
Smishing and Vishing – are scam SMS messages or voice calls. If you bought something through Kaldi be aware that Kaldi has nothing to do with deliveries or the terms of a purchase which are between you and the retailer. If you get an email from Kaldi about deliveries then it’s a fake!
Be very careful if you get a call ‘from Kaldi’. We will never ask you to move your money to a ‘safe’ account or ask for passwords or the answers to your security questions. If you are suspicious – just call us back using the ‘contact us ’function in the Kaldi app.
Kaldi tech support acts to help users with legitimate issues using the Kaldi app. That means that you are contacting Kaldi support. Kaldi support will never contact you asking to take over your device or to install upgrades over the phone or email.
COMMON TYPES OF SCAMS
The most common types of scams include:
- Romance scams: The fraudster preys on the victim's need for affection by establishing an online romantic relationship through social media or dating platforms, to later persuade them to send money to the fraudster.
- Advance fee scams: The fraudster sends an email or letter to the victim stating that there is a large sum of money, for example that the victim has won a lottery or an inheritance, but there are some fees that must be paid before the large sum is released.
- CEO scams: The fraudster poses as the victim's boss or senior manager and convinces them to make an urgent payment or change payment details for a contract or supplier. The fraudster gains access to the company's business email account through hacking or spoofing.
- Mule accounts: In this case, the fraudster convinces genuine individuals to act as 'money mules' for him, most often by paying the victim a portion of the fraudulently obtained funds. The 'mules' may be duped or willing to accept payments into their own e-money accounts from (unknown to them) stolen cards/accounts. They are then instructed to transfer the funds to an account under the fraudster's control.
- Gift card scams: gift cards are similar to cash and scammers exploit this by contacting victims with urgent situations, instructing them to purchase gift cards from specific stores, and providing the card numbers and PINs to access the loaded money, resulting in permanent loss of money for the victim.
- Deepfake: voice fraud is a relatively new method of attack but one that has proven highly effective. As the name suggests, a criminal fakes the voice of somebody else with software that can successfully copy his/her voice via a small audio sample.
- Employment scams: Scammers target job seekers, offering fake employment opportunities or requiring payment for job applications, pre-employment checks, or training.
BEWARE OF INVESTMENT SCAMS
You can invest in a range of index funds and money market funds via the Kaldi app. Kaldi will NEVER contact you about other investments which are not listed in the app or are only available to special customers or for a limited time only. Any investment calls of this type are fake! Please remember that you can only invest via the Kaldi app, into our range of appropriate funds from reputable providers.
Here are our FIVE GOLDEN RULES:
- Never share passwords or answers to security questions – even with your own family –and activate all Kaldi security features AND the security features on your IT hardware or phone.
- If you get a call or email that asks you for money or personal information about your Kaldi account – hang up or delete the email and get in touch with us via the app.
- Don’t click on links or downloads unless you are very sure they are genuine.
- Think carefully about what services Kaldi provides. We are a shopping and investing app. We will never email you or phone you about deliveries or special offers or ask for money. If the call is ‘from Kaldi’ but relates to something unusual or outside the scope of our services, it is a fake!
- Report all suspicious activity to Kaldi through the app as soon as possible. Make sure that you don’t share passwords – but if you have made that basic security mistake you will have to make rapid changes to your other accounts and apps.
USE KALDI RESPONSIBLY – PLEASE DON’T BE A VICTIM OF WHISHING!
WHISHING is wishing you had been more careful with your personal information, passwords, email security, ID protection and that you had not lost money as a victim of PHISHING, SMISHING or VISHING through avoidable errors which you made by not stopping to think or by not following in app protocols.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF FRAUD OR CYBERCRIME
For account holders living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it at www.reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, victims of fraud and cybercrime should report to Police Scotland on 101.
For more information about fraud prevention
Stop Scams UK - Industry-led, not-for-profit organization that brings together banking, technology, and telecoms companies to fight fraud at its source.
Stop Think Fraud – Knowledge and tools to stay ahead of scams.
The UK International Consumer Centre - Common Scams - Helping UK consumers in dispute with businesses in other countries.
National Trading Standard – The Scams Team works with local authorities to intervene and support victims of mass marketing fraud.
Citizens Advice – Free, independent and expert advice.
If in doubt – contact Kaldi directly in the app or email our Support Team at support@kaldiapp.co.uk
