MILLIONS of Brits on Universal Credit are being advised to follow certain rules to avoid losing their benefit payments.
Criminals are always trying to scam people out of their cash and Universal Credit accounts are being targeted too.
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The Department for Work and Pensions has now shared how claimants can stay safe with six simple steps to follow.
Millions of people are unfortunately scammed out of cash each year via bank accounts and potential victims are often warned to keep these details safe.
But the same goes for your Universal Credit accounts as fraudsters are always looking to exploit systems where money and payments are involved.
Minister for welfare delivery David Rutley said claimants should treat their benefit details in the same way as personal bank account information.
He said: “Sadly, we know there are some corrupt people out there who are determined to steal from those who are most vulnerable, and while we will continue to protect our claimants and bring fraudsters to justice, we are encouraging Universal Credit claimants to stay cautious when it comes to personal information.
“Listen to your instincts. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. And if you think you’ve been targeted, we urge you to report it immediately.”
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Anyone who has been a victim of any kind of fraud should report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk.
If you have concerns about your benefits, or think your Universal Credit
account has been hacked, you should contact Jobcentre Plus immediately.
But here are the steps you can take now to protect yourself and avoid losing your payments to criminals.
Protect your password
Never use the same password for your Universal Credit account as you use for other websites – you should have a different password for everything.
You can use an online password manager to keep track of them, or you can save them securely through your browser if you’re using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox or Safari.
Some of these browsers will also flag if a password may have been compromised and prompt you to change it.
Or Action Fraud recommends using three random words that you’ll remember, for example fishmughouse.
You should also have two-step authentication on your email account to keep it secure and help prevent third parties gaining access to significant amounts of your personal data.
This is also called two-factor authentication (2FA), two-step verification or multi-factor authentication.
When you log in with your password, you’ll be sent code to your phone, or a separate app for authenticating who you are.
How you set this up will depend on who your email provider is and the National Cyber Security Centre has a handy guide on how it works and setting it up.
Never share your password
You should never your Universal Credit account or password with anyone. not even family or friends.
If it falls into the wrong hands it can give identity thieves full, instant access to your account and journal.
Fraudsters could make changes to your claim without you being aware.
For instance, they could apply for a cash advance in your name and get a full months Universal Credit payment which you could be liable to pay back.
Fraudsters even approaching people claiming to be able to get you free money from the government, tempting them in to sharing their account login and password.
Approaches like this can often happen on social media, via direct messages or adverts, but also in person according to Money Helper.
Always go to your account directly
Never provide financial or personal details related to your claim over the
phone.
And never click on links in text messages or emails that ask you to provide them.
Criminals will call you out of the blue to try and get your details, often they will put pressure on you to do this and even claim that you’ve already been scammed.
And scam text messages are rife, trying to get you to click a link and share your personal details and often these can look like legitimate websites.
The DWP will never ask you to do this and so beware of fake calls, texts and emails claiming to be from DWP or other organisations.
If you’re not sure about any calls, text messages or emails you receive about Universal Credit, or you think you have received a fraudulent message, contact your Work Coach.
You can also forward suspicious emails to [email protected].
Do not contact the email address or number in the message or given by the caller as this is likely to be fake.
You can forward suspicious text messages to 7726 for investigation.
Check they work for DWP
Never give out personal or financial information to people who you are not certain work for DWP.
DWP staff will never approach you on social media or on the street to discuss your benefit claim.
If you are not sure the person you are speaking to is from the DWP speak to your work coach at your local Jobcentre or send them a message via your journal.
Check your account regularly
Never forget to check your Universal Credit account for any unauthorised activity.
Get in the habit of regularly logging in and checking to see if
something appears suspicious or there is something that you don’t
understand.
If there is, report it to your Work Coach immediately.
Keep your details up to date
Never forget to tell DWP if you change your contact details.
Keeping them up to date ensures information is being sent to the correct address and means that you can be contacted promptly if suspicious activity is detected.
We spoke to one man who ended up with a £1,250 Universal Credit bill after crooks made false claim in my name.
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