Universal Credit Scam Hits Dating Apps
Users being enticed in with ‘get money quick’ scam.
After media outlets broke the details about the Universal credit scam leaving claimants up to £1,500 out of pocket, DPS Computing can exclusively reveal that the brazen scammers have now relocated to popular dating apps, including Grindr, in an attempt to find more people to scam.
Scammers are approaching people online suggesting that they can make £600 to £800 online in a matter of hours as long as you have a passport, driving license and bank card available.
Different stories have been encountered, but the most recent is that they have a contact that works within Job Centre Plus that would open an unspecified account in your name, process back payments and then close the JCP account after the payments had been deposited in your account.
Responding to common privacy fears, the scammers attempt to reassure would be victims by saying that your documents are uploaded directly to a government approved and authorised application and there is no need to pass your details directly to them.
Verifying through the app will avoid any interviews with an adviser at Job Centre Plus according to the scammers.
For facilitating this ‘free money’, the scammers demand 50% or more of the payment as a fee. However, unknowingly the money is likely to have been obtained via a fraudulent benefits claim which will leave the victim potentially thousands of pounds out of pocket as well as collectively costing the tax payer millions.
Despite the growing crisis, the government appears to be completely unable to put a stop to this scam and have today warned victims that they may still have to pay the money claimed back according to the BBC.
