How to Spot Scams: Red Flags, Spoofing & QR-Code Traps

Fraudsters are getting slick — but you can stay one move ahead. In this Money Mentor episode, David Braithwaite shares the latest scam tactics (spoofed phone numbers, “update your payment” emails, fake council-tax refunds, and even QR-code stickers in car parks) and how to beat them.

What you’ll learn in minutes:

  • The classic red flags: urgency, unusual payment methods (gift cards/crypto), suspicious links, caller-ID spoofing, and “keep this secret” requests.
  • David’s three-step rule: Pause → Verify → Don’t click.
  • Exactly what to do if you’ve paid or shared details (contact your bank immediately; report and get support).
  • Where to report and get alerts: Text spam to 7726, Action Fraud, Kent Police, Which? scam alerts, and the Stop Think Fraud hub.

Listen below and share with someone who needs a quick refresher — it could save them hundreds (or thousands).

Listen here

Money Mentor is a weekly feature on BBC Radio Kent with Citrus Financial’s David Braithwaite — helping you feel better off from having met us.

You can here more from BBC Radio Kent on the BBC Sounds

Getting to Know… Richard Harris

Richard Harris will be a familiar face to many Citrus clients as the host of Citrus Bites, Mortgage Bites and Citrus Insights. But there’s plenty more...

UK Economy: Reasons to Be Cheerful. But What Comes Next?

Higher oil prices, conflict in the Middle East and concerns about government borrowing might not sound like the ingredients for an upbeat economic...

Sending a child to university? Six money conversations worth having before they go

Starting university is exciting. For parents, it can also feel like a big moment of adjustment. Your son or daughter may be leaving home, managing...

Stay in the loop

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER